New Decorative Styles For Bathrooms
Decorating schemes for most homes fall into four general categories: traditional, contemporary, casual and eclectic. New bathroom decor allows homeowners the opportunity to create a more specific style. While a homeowner may not want to decorate the entire home in a period style like French Provincial or in an exotic style like Moroccan, a bathroom gives homeowners the chance to experiment with trending decorative styles.
Unifying Elements
When experimenting with a new decorative style, choosing one that is compatible with the rest of the home are likely to be most effective. It’s a good idea to try a style that has elements that will link the bathroom with the rest of the home. In homes decorated in modern furnishings, the spare serenity of the Asian style is appropriate. In traditionally styled homes, formal, historical styles work well. Homeowners decorating bathrooms for homes designed for casual living might consider a garden, tropical or rustic style.
In homes decorating in an eclectic style, options are broader. Color, material and texture are typically the unifying elements of eclectic styles, so any decorative style that uses those same elements will help tie the bathroom in with the rest of the home.
Old World
The Old World style is one of the most popular decorative styles today, one that would complement homes decorated in casual, eclectic or traditional styles. It’s a style that evokes a sense of history, but without the stuffy, museum-like feeling of many historical styles. Rather, the mood of the Old World style is of a home that has seen generations of family life, with furnishings that are treasured for the memories they evoke, despite a few nicks or scratches.
The Old World style features materials with finishes that look as if they have been honed over the years, acquiring luster, sheen and patina, and with muted, subtle and faded colors. Modern finishes like chrome and stainless steel have no place in a powder room or bath with Old World bathroom decor. Oil-rubbed bronze or distressed nickel are appropriate finishes for hardware and accessories. Earth-toned tiling is an appropriate and functional choice for Old World bathrooms, as is stone and tumbled marble.
Shabby Chic
For homes with eclectic or casual decorating styles, a bathroom designed in the Shabby Chic style is a charming complement. The Shabby Chic style has become hugely popular, primarily because it is a style that those who enjoy a do-it-yourself approach can acquire easily and affordably. Shabby Chic enthusiasts shop thrift stores and flea markets for distressed furnishings that they can refurbish, typically using paint, stains or fabric. Furniture is often painted white to put the focus on the sculptural quality of the piece, rather than its material.
White is the predominant color in Shabby Chic bathroom decor. Window treatments, linens, rugs and sink skirts are likely to feature pastel color and floral prints. Bathtubs with claw feet, pedestal sinks and furniture pieces used for storage all hallmarks of a Shabby Chic bathroom.
