Luxury Made Easy: Quick Ways to Update Your Bathroom with Style

2/20/2008

(ARA) - More bathrooms today are being transformed into personal retreats where homeowners can unwind and surround themselves with luxurious amenities and spa-like treatments. But, with limited spaces and limited budgets, not everyone can create the bathroom of their dreams.

The good news is that homeowners can take simple steps to give their existing bathrooms a sophisticated makeover without paying the price of luxury. Quick changes can make a big difference when it comes to updating your bathroom with style.

Replace Faucets

To give your bathroom a quick and easy face-lift, consider clever cosmetics like changing out the faucets. First, determine the type of faucet you're replacing to make sure you purchase the same configuration to fit in the existing sink or counter holes. Most bathroom faucets are sold in standard four-inch or eight-inch center spread configurations, referring to the distance between the holes on your sink. The four-inch center spread is the most common for bathrooms, and it usually comes in one-handle or two-handle designs.

With hundreds of faucet finishes and designs, the next step is choosing a style that complements existing cabinetry details, the room's current color palette and the other hardware. Brushed metal finishes are currently very popular and mix well with wood and stone.

Declutter

For many, space is the ultimate luxury. Convenient storage options help you update your bathroom with stylish additions that eliminate unnecessary clutter.

Manufacturers are creating storage cabinets, shelving, furniture and other creative options as individual pieces or part of their bathroom collections.

To save floor space -- and give the illusion of creating space in the room choose a wall-hung side cabinet with either glass doors or wood doors, depending on whether you want to display or hide items. Depending on the available space in your bathroom, you can also consider adding an antique piece of furniture to double as an accent piece for storage. No matter what storage option you choose, by putting away toiletries and clutter, your bathroom will get an instant -- and inexpensive -- makeover.

Accessorize

Well-placed and high-styled accessories can add a luxurious lift to this hardworking room. Select a motif or mood you want to create for your bathroom that plays off existing colors, fixtures or styles. Then, use accessories such as candles, mirrors, artwork, accent lights, curtains or towels to add complementary layers of visual interest and usable items for the bath.

By accessorizing, decluttering and replacing faucets, you can relax in a luxurious retreat. Courtesy of ARAcontent