Decorating Bathrooms

Cheering up your bathroom with a little decorating does not have to be expensive or take up an entire weekend. A fresh coat of paint and some new wallpaper trim can do the trick. Look for items on sale or in the clearance bins at your local home improvement or discount store. Then get started decorating your bathrooms for a whole new look.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Paint
• Paintbrushes and rollers
• Wallpaper trim
• Wallpaper glue
• Rugs
• Mini blinds or valance
• Scrub brush
• Bucket
• Cleaners (OxiClean, Simple Green)
• Kilz (for deep-water stains)

1. Scrub bathroom walls before you begin painting. Try adding a little OxiClean or Simple Green to your cleaning solution to remove tough stains. If you have deep-water stains from leaks, use Kilz on walls. Allow the walls to dry thoroughly before you begin painting.

2. Paint the walls, ceiling and trim of your bathroom. Try a new color combination and remember to use mildew-resistant paints specifically formulated for bathroom use. Allow the paint to dry before applying wallpaper trim.

3. Apply wallpaper glue to the back of your wallpaper trim, even if it is self-adhesive. You need the extra stick in the bathroom, where there is high humidity. Get an extra roll of trim and cut out individual designs. Use your wallpaper glue to stick individual cutouts around the room and on the door. This works well and is not as expensive as purchasing individual matching wallpaper decorations.

4. Hang new blinds or a new valance in the window that complements the paint and wallpaper trim. You may also consider buying a yard of fabric. Roll the fabric and then drape it over the curtain rod at the top of the window.

5. Add new bathroom rugs that complement the color scheme, and the ensemble is complete. Your bathroom looks like new again.

Tips & Warnings

• Some vinyl floor textures get slippery when we--try wetting a sample before purchasing.

• Be sure to use mildew-resistant paint and wallpaper.

• Open the windows and run a fan when you paint.

• Avoid carpeting as it is difficult to keep clean around the toilet.

Resources

• Adding wallpaper trim yourself