The Ignored Master Bathroom

What is it about master bathrooms that make them the hidden sad spots in a home?  This room is one of the first rooms we enter first thing in the morning and one of the last we see at night.  We spend a significant amount of time here and it presents a prime chance to capture the mood we wish to start and end the day with.  I don't often get the chance to focus on a clients master bathroom. Even when choosing colors for their bedroom, the master bath too often sits neglected.

I am, embarrassingly, guilty of this.  My husband and I were thrilled to get a master bath when we purchased this home.  Many older homes we looked at did not. Master bathrooms aren't terribly common in this area for a 1949 era home. Having re-painted most of our home when we moved in 10 years ago, this little bathroom retained the original, cold white color.....everywhere!  I called it my hospital bathroom.

Before pics snaps just as my painters were setting up.  Don't forget to document your own home remodels/repainting!

After an inspiring consultation on a client's two bathrooms in San Francisco, I was starting to feel like the tale of the cobbler who had no shoes!  Although I would like nothing more than to rip out the white porcelain tile, it wasn't a budget possibility. I enlisted my fabulous painter, Carlos, to help me fix this sad situation.  I really was leaning towards a spa like blue-green sea glass color, however, this bathroom always feels cold to me.  One of the great gifts of color is the ability to change and correct temperature perceptions.  Since I adore deep yellows and golds, I set to work with my color samples and chose

Benjamin Moore's DaVinci's Canvas for the walls/cabinets and White Dove for the trim.

 

Repainting a bathroom, or any room for that matter, also presents the perfect time to reorganize and add details.  The mess of bathroom products was sorted out.  A trip to Anthropologie was in order to replace the original white knobs for cabinets and drawers.

Hello mercury glass knobs, buh bye sad white knobs........

A fun jolt of color for the drawers.......

The lone framed piece of mass produced art was changed out for something a little fresh and colorful:

 

My love of butterflies was indulged with a small plate at West Elm:

Old, peeling, worn window casings repainted:

 

New mirror added to wall space behind door made available when unattractive shelving was removed: 

 

For tiny spaces, such as this bathroom, god is really in the details.  Switchplates, towels and bathmats can all contribute to the mood of a bathroom.  

If your master bathroom, or any room in your house has been neglected, please contact me for expert color guidance so you can wake up to happiness: Marie@ColorMarie.com