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Heretofore Unseen Part of Apartment / I Hate You, Ugly-And-Weirdly-Located Bathroom

You’ve never seen my bathroom. You’ve seen glimpses of my W.C., which is conveniently located in our kitchen (sigh), but never the bathtub/shower area itself. Want to know why?

This is why. Gorgeous, right?

You have to open the door (which is off of the hallway between our living room and our office/music room – another room I’ve never put up photographs of, by the way, because it basically serves as Kendrick’s den) to even get out of the shower. And the floor space?

Holds one person and maybe one small dog. No more. Which makes for some interesting ballet moves when Kendrick and I try to brush our teeth at the same time.

But such are the perils of NYC apartment-dwelling, and other than the bathroom situation I love our apartment madly.

I’ve thought about trying to fix it up, but it seems like a totally lost cause. I’ve re-caulked the sink and the tub, but that made them only marginally less gross-looking. I’ve scrubbed at the tiles to no end, but they still look like they’re about 60 years old (they probably are). And the bathtub? It’s a clawfoot, which sounds exciting, but it is also not something that I would ever want to bask in, both due to the peeling enamel and the fact that the room itself doesn’t exactly scream relaxation.

So I’ve been thinking about ways to make our bathroom a bit prettier, and here are some of the perk-ups I’m considering:

- A bright wall color (this Apartment Therapy article on choosing the right yellow is a great one).

- A fabulous shower curtain (click HERE for fun suggestions).

- A pretty box to hide away our bottles, potions and whatsits.

- A non-dilapidated bathmat.

- Something on the wall. Anything.

- Some beautiful, feminine touches, like colorful glass jars.

But honestly? I can’t imagine that even these additions would transform the bathroom into somewhere I would want to spend any appreciable amount of time.

I really want to know: what do you think? Is overhauling our bathroom as best we can worth it, or is it just never going to be particularly attractive, making this a shut-the-door-and-pretend-it-doesn’t-exist-because-hey-it’s-a-rental situation?

Clockwise from top left: Farrow & Ball color swatch; Bustled shower curtain from Anthropologie, $118; Glass footed candy dish from Urban Outfitters, $10; Gold Circles Mirror from Pier 1, $149.99; Sunkissed Chenille Shag Bath Mat, $19.



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October 26th, 2010 | Posted by Jordan | Home | 8 Comments »
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  • http://closetconfections.com ClosetConfections

    I've lived in NYC for the past 11 years and know exactly what you mean. The bathrooms in my first two apartments were lost causes, so I just kept them sparkly clean and limited my time in them. I saw more potential in my last two apartments, so I spruced those up quite a bit. If you plan to be there at least another 6 months to a year, I'd say go ahead and decorate. I think your list of changes is a great start. Good luck!

    Kendra

    http://closetconfections.com

  • http://twitter.com/jenmo78 jenmo78

    As someone who has to spend a lot of time in the bathroom (cursing naturally curly, thick hair that takes forever to diffuse-dry!), I say it is absolutely worth it. For me, it's a room that I can put fun, whimsical, and pretty things in that help me feel more motivated to get ready, rather than it feeling like a chore.
    P.S. Now I want that mirror!! ;)

  • http://hollice.tumblr.com hollice

    I think if you are going to be there for a few more years, then you should maybe invest in a slight remodel. And definitely watch the budget because it is a rental. Or see if you can talk to your landlord/rental company about replacing the tiles or whatever else you think they might tear out after you move out.

    But I think that shower curtain and a nicer bath mat could make a big difference.

  • Nathalie

    Great ideas to revamp a bathroom! I think it's worth to at least paint it. I would choose a relaxing color though, such as blue or a warm purple/lilacs, some green could work. In my previous place I had a as tiny bathroom as yours and it was purple and a nice green/blue (I would say cadet blue and dark lavender or deep lilac http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colors) and it gave the bathroom a cozy relaxing feel.
    Good luck!

  • http://soniamagazine.blogspot.com/ SM

    Urban Outfitters does a much cheaper ruffled shower curtain. If your tiles need re-grouting then get on to the landlords, it's in their interests to do this as this is often what causes showers to leak downstairs. You can buy special enamel paint for the bath.

  • Kcjeronimo

    IF you paint the bath yellow… include lots of lemon scented soaps, etc… it makes it FEEL lemony yellow.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/D33FUBAITQ4LBW7VB7C42ZPR44 A.

    I'd say shelves and lighting! If you manage to find thin shelves to on the wall, your sink will be uncluttered and free of bottles that always fall in the sink when you're trying to brush your teeth (always drive me crazy).
    As for the lighting, maybe one of those makeup lights you put all around the mirror? Or (as intense light can be painful in the morning and not super flattering), maybe a couple of spotlights installed in different corners of the room? I feel correct lighting can completely transform a space.

  • jordanreid

    thank you for all the ideas! i think this is a good plan: lemony everything (thanks, KC :) , enamel paint, call landlord and beg for professional re-grouting, pretty shelves to get stuff up off the counter, and maybe that cheaper urban outfitters ruffled curtain.