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So many, many exquisite bathrooms, so little time! Here is the continuation of the exploration of black and white bathrooms.

This first picture, although I’ve commented below as well, shows a treatment that I will be addressing in a DIY segment down the road, as I am going to do this to one of our bedrooms that has sloped walls. Sloped walls obviously aren’t conducive to crown molding, but I can still add some architectural elements to the room, and this is similar to what I have selected:

Stunning architecturally and just shows what can be done when bathrooms are fitted into attic areas. Faux beams or just flat planks painted black can be nailed to the ceiling as well to give the same illusion. You could even add some substantial brackets (and they do not have to be expensive). Try to let your imagination run wild…

Black, white and gold/brass – love! Note the tile and how there is a black border around the room – I will show a better picture, but it’s not a bathroom.

Think beadboard has to mean a country look? Nope! Just look at this!

A white bathroom can be transformed by painting the walls!

An amazing (and no doubt expensive) tile treatment on the walls!

Tile in vertical lines on the floor make a unique treatment!! Same bathroom, different view also seen below.

A “ghost” or lucite table next to the tub.

Ellen Degeneres’ bathroom – the reason I selected it was for the mirror. It is a mother of pearl inlay mirror and its intricate details offset the linear lines of the sink and cabinetry.

Another view of Ellen’s bathroom. I have been thinking of painting our window grills black (like they are shown here) in our house.

Even with a rough wall, which actually adds to the design, a bathroom can look so elegant.

Picture is awful, but a glass, free standing sink and notice the black chest of drawers.

Mixing old and new.

Another bathroom mixing old (tub, chandelier) and new (everything else), but notice how they painted the legs of the tub! The 3rd,red, is in the art and towels and 4th color, gold, is in the art and chandelier.

Obviously not a bathroom, but I wanted to show the tile with a black border all the way around the perimeter with the tile set on the diagonal inside – just beautiful!

Tile work…love the floor.

Some homeowners might already have this tile on their floors and can use any of the other elements to spice it up too, like a grey paint, a funky shower curtain, framed art, etc.

A harlequin paint treatment on the walls. I painted vertical stripes on our powder room walls and that was time-consuming and frustrating – I can’t imagine the patience needed for this!

Tile chair rail with tile underneath!

Love the wall – architectural details are always a win! And a black chandelier is interesting – both in a matte finish.

This again not a bathroom, but wanted to show the paint treatment of black and white stripes.

Here again, is an all white bathroom transformed by paint and accessories, taking the mundane to the unique!

Some Tips:

  • Shop other departments than the bath department and treat it like you would any other room in your house.
  • Shop for mirrors other than bathroom mirrors. Like Venetian mirrors? I got an extremely ornate one for my daughter’s room at Home Depot for $70. I couldn’t find a picture of it on their website, so I’m not sure if it is just sold in stores or if they do not carry it anymore. They had some rectangular ones online. I looked for other resources in case anyone was interested. Go to eBay. I spent hours and hours looking last night and this is the best resource.
  • If shopping for mirrors (and this goes for anywhere in your home), look for beveled mirrors. It’s just an added detail that shows a certain level of quality.
  • Use curtains instead of shower curtains to tie in seamlessly with your window treatments.
  • Look at faucets that are labeled for the kitchen – I know it seems so weird, but trust me, there are some good ones that would make wonderful faucets for the tub and even a sink or bidet.
  • Buy cautiously the sink that looks like it is in a piece of furniture. Frequently those go for a lot of money (thousands), the “furniture” can be poorly constructed and wood they use can be cheap. For my powder room, I used an actual piece of furniture – a bombay chest with a marble top that I bought at an auction for $300 – and just had a hole cut in the top to drop a sink into it. I get so many compliments and no one else has this piece.
  • If possible, do something special with the tile. This will require research online and possibly visiting tile showrooms.
  • Don’t go for the typical anything.
  • Think about having a beautiful tureen with a gardenia, which smells divine, or a blooming hydrangea. I have many blue and white pieces from my family, a color duet which looks lovely with a dwarf hydrangea, which sells for about $20. You ARE worth it!
  • Never underestimate the value of framed artwork. Don’t have an artwork? You can do what I did for my children’s rooms. Go to a craft store and buy picture frames. Then go to a book store and look through books for beautiful illustrations, photographs, pictures, etc. Cut the pictures out of the book and frame them. Voila. Simple as that. I have also bought canvases myself and painted them. Not sure you can do that? Support a local artist or online resources. My point is: you do not have to spend a lot for artwork.
  • You can special order a lot from Lowes and Home Depot. Look on their websites and go to their stores to look through their catalogs.
  • Don’t forget to paint the ceilings! If you are redoing your bath and painting the walls, the color of the ceiling may seem dingy, discolored or even mildewed. Why not give it a fresh coat as well…and while you’re at it, it might as well be a different color 🙂
  • How about molding? Why not! As I said, treat it as any other room. You don’t have to go crazy with ornate molding (although you can if you want) and there are ways to keep the costs down.
  • When possible, hang a chandelier. Let’s face it, it’s just luxurious looking!
  • Other great sources that I wish were available to me when I was building are: overstock.com, Wayfair, Renovator’s Suppy (rensup.com) and ebay.
  • I’ve talked about this resource before, but Habitat for Humanity has stores in the US and Canada called Restore that builders and stores donate their merchandise to for the tax deduction. Here is the locator to see if there is one near you: Restore Locator You may have to visit often to get what you want, but they sell new products for a fraction of the price!
  • If you are near a major city, you may also want to try Craigslist.

This is all I can think of now! WHEW!!! I hope this helps anyone else looking to renovate or just make a few changes to their bathrooms; it has me!!

When I picked out our upstairs bathrooms (besides the master), I did all white. I was in my late 20’s when I made these selections and knew enough to know that I didn’t know enough, so I tried to keep it as neutral as possible. Now I know a lot more and am able to go back in and address them.

I will be posting some bathrooms with color next, then addressing a design request about colorful furniture.

I hope everyone has a fabulous day!