So many light sources! So gorgeous! So flattering when naked!
Remember how I said I take a bath every single night of my life? That was true, until very, very recently: I haven’t been able to take a bath since my operation last Tuesday, and won’t be able to take one for another week. Maybe two. Lots of aspects of my current medical situation are less-than-fun, but taking away my nightly bubbles/late night TV/wine routine feels like adding insult to injury.
But instead of dwelling on the fact that there is a clawfoot bathtub ten feet away from me that I’m not allowed to use, let’s dwell on bathrooms more generally – because all the bathroom-obsessing I’ve been doing over the past few months has left me with a bunch of easy ideas for those of you whose bathroom could use a little extra atmosphere.
JUST A FEW EASY BATHROOM UPDATES
– First, so many people ignore the lighting in their bathrooms, and in the end, the result is seeing yourself naked under the glare of bright overhead bulbs. Just, no. The addition of a multi-bulb lighting fixture and a dimmer creates an indirect wash of flattering light in which to bathe, or preen, or do whatever it is you like to do in the bathroom (no judgment). In our bathroom, we’re doing recessed overhead lighting, a separate recessed light with separate dimmer over the bathtub, and these sconces on either side of the vanity mirror.
– The bulbs you choose are just as important as fixtures: go for warm LEDs, and stay far, farrrrr away from fluorescents. I also love pink bulbs in the bathroom; they create a rosy glow that functions sort of like the best social media filter ever. (Just remember to have an alternative lighting source if you apply makeup in your bathroom so that you don’t think you look one way, and then leave the house and discover that you look very, very different.)
– Add mirrors beyond the standard vanity mirror (like a collection of small antique hanging mirrors): they bounce additional light and enhance the effect of the multi-bulb fixture.
– Obviously keep your bathroom sparklingly clean (and again, going to have to recommend the Clorox Scentiva products for this purpose because they deliver a powerful and refreshing clean and smell like all things light and fresh. And given the severity of this flu season, Clorox’s multi-surface spray and disinfecting wipes are especially great, since they kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.)
– Most people don’t replace their towels and bathmat often enough (I’m guilty of this myself, as my mother likes to remind me), and amazing new towels don’t need to be expensive. And since there are three human beings in my house who cannot remember to hang the wet bathmat up on the side of the tub when they’re done with it, even though they are very aware that wet fabric on bathroom floors makes their mother want to faint, I’m planning on switching to a bamboo mat: bamboo is naturally anti-microbial, and the slats allow air to circulate so it can dry completely after each use.
– Add plants! I think greenery should be incorporated into every bathroom; it adds so much life and freshness. Philodendrons and English Ivy are two of my favorite plants for bathrooms – and both can be found in super-realistic faux styles, if your bathroom isn’t particularly conducive to the real thing.
– And finally, my favorite tip: Incorporating unexpected hardware. Towel hooks and bars, trash cans, and even toilet paper holders are such fun ways to show your personality (and sense of humor). I mean, if I went to someone’s house and discovered a toilet paper holder shaped like an octopus, I would definitely want to be their friend.
If you have any other fun bathroom update ideas, I’d love to hear them – we’re about halfway through one bathroom renovation and are about to start on the other, and this is more or less my favorite topic on the planet these days.
Clorox is a sponsor of Ramshackle Glam.
