Decorating Bathrooms With a Beach Scene

Sand and seashells are a must in your bathroom's beach scene.

Choosing a beach scene for your bathroom décor is a cost-effective way to create a tranquil environment. The relaxed and weathered look of this style allows options for recycling and refinishing old furniture and shelving pieces. You can skip the expensive, coordinated fish and shell accessories from the home decorating store, which lack originality. Instead, opt for natural elements and treasures from your travels to complement your design project.

Instructions

1. Cover the wall and ceiling surfaces in a light color of paint, tile or wood paneling.

   The décor in a typical beach house often features white or off-white walls, often with wood-slatted ceilings and walls embellished with wainscoting.

2. Select white wood or wicker furniture pieces for seating, storage and shelving.

   Create uniformity among your pieces by giving each a coat of white paint or white-washed finish. Check in the paint department of your local home improvement store for special products that easily create a white-washed or weathered finish using a one- or two-step application.

3. Buy large conch shells to use as storage for miniature soaps or facial sponges.

4. Accessorize sparingly. Incorporate nature with driftwood pieces, pebbles, life-like artificial coral and seashells. Add color with nautical-inspired items such as buoys, life vests, a marlin or towels and textiles in bold red or navy and white stripes. Lay large, shaggy terrycloth throw rugs near the entrance of the shower or bathtub and at the sink.

5. Assemble beach vacation finds such as sand, shells and postcards for display.

   Showcase paper keepsakes underneath the glass top of a vanity table or on the wall in a simple silver picture frame with a navy blue mat. Use a glass fishbowl layered with sand and shells to secure white candles to light alongside the bathtub at night.

6. Cover windows to ensure privacy while allowing the most natural light possible.

   A sheer white curtain works well on higher-placed windows. Adhesive, frosted contact paper designed for windows, available at home improvement stores, can increase the opacity of lower-placed windows without compromising sunlight penetration.

Tips & Warnings

• The use of an all-white color scheme unifies mismatched furniture pieces and gives the appearance of a larger space.

• Online retailers specializing in shells and artificial coral are great resources for unusual marine products.

• Stainless steel hardware complements this look well.

References

• "Natural Style: Decorating with an Earth-Friendly Point of View"; Janet Sobesky; 2008
• "House Beautiful Decorating School"; The Editors of House Beautiful Magazine and Tessa Evelegh; 2008