Both serious and funny: Redecorating a bathroom
 

We are redecorating our master bath. I was thinking it would be neat to do so in a manner that reminded us of our trips to Europe. Any serious recommendations on how to do that? Ok, but as I started to ask the question, any number of comical comments came to my mind (like, just rip out the toilet for a nice "Turkish" toilet effect). Serious or funny, please contribute!

Besides pictures of your trips framed on the wall, one thing I did was get a little glass dish that held all my extra coins - it was in the living room though... it turned out to be a great conversational piece. Might look cool as a decoration on the toilet tank, maybe with some candles?

what about a bidet? ..and a lot of tile..sometimes if you look at website of villas or apts in France and Italy, you see pics of the bathroom. This may give you some idea of what's authentic or not. Maybe our Fodor friend overseas can help with this one.

Lol-since we have just completed our master bath reno I might have an idea or two:)<BR>We did tumbled marble on the floor.Got a clear glass door(not sliding) for the bath,like the ones in Paris.A pedestal sink and wainscotting like the bath in the hotel in London.<BR>All in shades of white,like a European hotel.<BR>And I am now using Lush bath products from London :O)<BR>The next thing to go in will be the posters we bought in Paris last year.

Jeff<BR>A friend of mine has chosen one theme for her bathroom--the Eiffel Tower.<BR>ETs are everywhere in that small room--guest towels, wall photos, soaps, shower curtain, even the shower curtain rings. It always brings a smile to people's faces.<BR>You might want to choose one particular place that appeals to you.

We thought about tile and about faux painting (kind of that stucco-yellow brown look achieved by sponging or rag rolling). The glass shower door is an idea. Was hoping against messing with the shower, but that would also update the look (we currently have the ol' sliding doors). We had joked about getting rid of the shower door entirely (we've had no-door and half-door showers in Europe). We often stay in 2* type small hotels (usually renovated old buildings or houses), so we also joked about moving all our furniture into the bathroom and converting a small closet into the bathroom :)

Funny, I did my bathroom Italian ceremic style. I have a ceremic clock hand painted in Sorrento, along with other Sorrento painted ceremics. Blue and white mosaic tiles and gold fixtures too. Towels with fleur de lis, should have gone with Medici insignia balls and venetian blinds with valances with tassles from Passamaneria Toscana in Firenze.

If you want English, they always go for the matching features -- pedestal sink, toilet and bath; beadboard with wainscotting; wallpaper (yes, they have vinyl coated so it won't peel off the wall). The toilet, of course, should have the tank up high with the pull chain (actually, this works great and is easy to fix). I would NEVER add their water pressure or flow through heaters -- takes 3 hours to fill up the tub. Forget the rubber attachment to the bath faucet and go for the stainless steel attachment. And forget the two faucets in the sink, one for hot and one for cold -- I hated that.<BR><BR>Our bathroom in France was really neat. It had tiles in the shape of bricks, instead of being square, a great look! The bath fixtures were located on the side of the bath instead of at one end, so two people bathing together (romantic!) would not have to be at the "tap end". Very smart. Push button toilet and bidet.

Hi<BR><BR>we have slender glass jars filled with sand from different beaches.<BR><BR>We also have the same with different shells.<BR><BR>What was left over is in wine bottles from significant meals, and we use them as candle holders when we have BBQ's<BR><BR>Peter<BR><BR>The Languedoc Page<BR>http://tlp.netfirms.com/

Im actually redoing my kitchen.<BR>Mostly blue & white, ceramica tiles, & granite counters. Very mediterranean, & displaying all the bowls & knick knacks that ive picked up in portugal, spain, italy, morocco, & this summer CROATIA.<BR>everything i hv is basically in th eblue family, so it will go well.<BR>I would def recomment ceramic or porcelain tiles & a bidet. Have fun!

I have a wire basked on the floor next to the toilet filled with postcards -- the ones I sent to friends that they saved for me and as well as postcards from other people. Also, I have some interesting reading material -- how to say "wicked" things in Italian, a book I picked up in France about chateau hotels with photographs, etc.<BR>

&lt;&lt; We had joked about getting rid of the shower door entirely &gt;&gt;<BR><BR>That's precisely what I did in my bathroom. Of course, the shower "stall" is 5 ft. X 6 ft with a sealed stone floor and with the shower controls on the outside waist high wall. (I always hated putting my hand through freezing or scalding water to adjust it.)<BR>All of my bathroom walls are a smoothed stucco in a terra cotta shade that were then waxed. Easy to maintain and 'warmer' than tile. Even here in Provence it's cold in the winter.<BR><BR>PB

Two ways to do this: create a bathroom that looks like a European bathroom or<BR>use European themes to decorate the bathroom.<BR><BR>European bathrooms tend to be very simple: black and white tile or marble; plain shower curtains or glass doors; white fixtures. Except in Malta, where they tend to do bathrooms in green marble....<BR><BR>Now DECORATING in European themes can be done two ways: create Tuscany or Provence with tiles, colours, fabrics, etc. There are lots of foam stamps and stencils to decorate walls with fleur-de-lis or grapes or cherubs... then there's using travel stuff to decorate the bathroom. Travel theme wallpaper; shower curtain with a travel theme (I have a Paris one); a leaning tower of Pisa cheese shaker for talcum powder or bath salts; guest soaps shaped like the Eiffel Tower; use empty tea tins from London for cotton balls and hairpins; glue now-defunct coins on a small mirror to hang or papier mache boxes for storage. For the guest bathroom, all those little shampoos, soaps, shower caps, etc. that you scooped up in the various hotels now provide a nice assortment for your guests.

Great ideas! Let me ask this: What do I do with the cabinet/vanity? I have a large wooden (honey-oak) colored cabinet (vanity?), big enough for two sinks, but only equipped with one. We don't want to get rid of it, because it provides storage and surface area. But, the color is apparently no longer fashionable, and most, if not all of the sinks that I recall seeing in hotels in Europe (with the exception of some larger chain hotels) had a pedestal sink or just a sink jutting from the wall.

Cover the top surface with marble or granite. Paint the sides like marble using all the new techniques. You put paint blotches and then draw them out with a stick to resemble marble.

Love this thread! Jeff, you could paint your vanity the same color as the walls and it would sort of "disappear." Your eye would be drawn to other things in the room.

Paint it white gloss and throw some gold glitter over it then cover with clear urathane. It will come out nicer than it sounds and add a small chandelier to the room. Don't laugh it looks great in our guest bathroom with a little black Eiffel tower stuff and black hand towels.

Scarlett, I love your taste honey chile! would love to see your house some day.<BR><BR>

Betty Boop-you are welcome anytime! althuogh imagine peoples surprise when we introduce each other~<BR><BR>Re: vanity = there are paints that crack so you can get the ancient crackled paint look.Or take the vanity out in the yard, and beat it with a chain:) it is great for relieving frustration and then the vanity is distressed.Then paint it.Before the paint dries completely,wipe some of it off.It will look old and charming.<BR>

1. You could remove your bathroom entirely and move it to the basement. 2. You could spray extra virgin olive oil on the walls before you paint to achieve that 'flaking paint' effect.<BR>3. You could to move the toilet to your front hall closet (with no exhaust fan ) and the sink to your bedroom.<BR>4. The tub of course would be located in another room with a coin operated heater.<BR>Yummy