Photo: Paul Fortune
Am once again so excited to bring you another guest post from fabulous Los Angeles interior designer, Alison Blumenfeld of Blumenfeld Interiors!
Alison’s style I think combines the best of classic and modern. Her amazing aesthetic feels hip, new and fresh while also being wonderfully rooted in the tradition of good design. Love her style!
So without further chatter from me, here is today’s guest post from Alison on making your bath into an inviting room…!
BEGIN GUEST POST by ALISON BLUMENFELD
The Bathroom as a Room
I could spend half the day in a bathroom. I like to soak, scrub, dry, moisturize, polish, linger, chat, in the morning plot my day and in the evenings recap it. It is the perfect place to take a quiet moment for yourself.
Photo: Elle Decor
Artist Julian Schnabel¹s Loft pre renovation (above)
Now if you are going spend that kind of time in a bathroom, it should transcend the trappings of traditional materials and take on the feeling of a room. There are so many ways to accomplish this from the very extreme: placing the tub in your actual bedroom or having a large enough bathroom to create a lounge area in it; to the very humble, by simply adding personal touches like in any other room.
Photo: Pamplemousse
Designers Reed and Delphine Krakoff’s expansive bath in their NYC home has a separate sitting area in front of a fireplace.(above)
Start with your lighting and mirrors, if you have the space a chandelier can be beautiful, but if not great sconces add a tremendous amount of personality.
Try looking for things in a different finish to your bath hardware, or in a different style. Ditto for the mirror while it often feels right to pair a polished nickel mirror above a polished nickel faucet, it can often be better to place a wood or gilded mirror in its place.
Next, is the room large enough to hold furniture? If renovating, a freestanding armoire or chest can add much more to a room than a built in cabinet still offering wonderful storage.
Photo: Elle Decor
Photo: Elle Decor
Photo: Elle Decor
Actress/artist Ahn Duong poses in her posh bathroom. (above)
Photo: Ashley Hicks
Even a small bath can often hold a beautiful side chair or stool. Try using a rug instead of a bath mat. And every bathroom has space for art…
Photo: Veere Grenney Associates
I think the most important thing is to get personal. Unlike a living room where the goal is to entertain others in, this room is strictly for you. Add personal photos, art that means something to you, use your baby cup to hold q-tips, anything that makes you happy. This is after all where your day begins and ends…
Thank you Alison Blumenfeld for this fantastic guest post and the great tips! Can’t wait until your next post (hint hint…hopefully very very very very soon…hint hint)!
I love these tips on making your bathroom a warm and inviting room. What do you think about these ideas? What do you want to do to your own bath to make it a room…or what have you already done? I love hearing what your ideas too! Please comment!
Happy Tuesday!
xo
Coco
My favorite bathrooms are those that look like a room…I had my own once in a house I no longer live in, but, I painted the walls pink with white beadboard and had an original sink (old house) and claw foot tub with a big window…it was a room that was just divine!! Thank you for the inspiration!
Oh, if only……
Ooo la la!!! I love them all! I like the large piece of furniture in the bath with the twin tubs. But, my favorite is the bathroom with the clawfoot tub (I love that the feet are a different color from the tub & the floor-marble?-is to die for!!!). Thanks for sharing. I’m saving these photos for future reference.
Karen T.
ahh i was just in my bathroom today thinking that it was the next room i was going to tackle… i wish it was big enough to be as fabulous as those.