How to Decorate a Bathroom With Stones & River Rocks

Displays of stones give your bathroom the serenity of nature.

Stones and river rocks give a bathroom the tranquil effect of a Zen garden or spa. These natural materials allow for a range of decorating options using soft or bold colors. River rocks are a landscaping material composed of rounded rocks that have been pounded by moving water. Stones are used worldwide for decorative, practical and ritual purposes. Create an inexpensive updated bathroom that will provide an earthy sanctuary to soothe away stress and invite compliments.

Things You'll Need

• Stones in various sizes and shapes
• River rocks
• Large bowl
• Glass cylinder vases
• Miniature Zen garden
• Small fountain with stones (optional)
• Stone bathmat

Instructions

1. Arrange stones or river rocks in a large decorative bowl. Use a glass or ceramic salad bowl that goes with your bathroom colors. Set the bowl near the sink or on a shelf below eye level.

2. Fill glass cylinder vases with stones or rocks. Use all one kind of rock or create a parfait of different colors. Alternate 3-inch layers of black and white stones to decorate a black and white bathroom. Group the vases of stones in odd numbers and place in areas where they won't be knocked over. Arrange a group of three vases near the wall on a counter or shelf.

3. Center a miniature Zen garden on a wide windowsill or shelf below eye level. Group stones in its sand and rake the sand into circles around the stones to represent water.

4. Add a tabletop fountain with stones or river rocks to your bathroom. Display it on a counter or shelf near an outlet where the cord won't present a tripping hazard. Customize the stones in the fountain to go with your bathroom decor, such as black stones or a mixture of semi-precious stones like lapis, tiger's eye, onyx and carnelian.

5. Create a spa decorating statement with a stone bathmat. Set it in front of the shower or bathtub for a stone foot massage at home.

6. Make the sink a stone display if you have more than one sink. Arrange a 2-inch layer of stones in a sink used only for hand washing. This gives the bathroom a novelty stone feature, but it isn't practical for a sink used for brushing teeth.

Tips & Warnings

• Certain bath shops and online retailers sell stone bathmats. Walking on stones stimulates acupressure points in the feet, similar to a reflexology treatment.

• Don't place glass items near the bathtub, in the shower or near the edges of any surface where they could be bumped. Don't use breakable decorative items in bathrooms used by children.

References

• Central Michigan University; Stones Addenda; R.V. Dietrich; October 2002
• Apartment Therapy; D.I.Y. Private Beach Bathmat
• Apartment Therapy: Look! Stones in the Sink; Gregory Han; March 2008

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish