Best Ideas for Accessorizing a Bathroom Design

When you are ready to start planning a bathroom remodel, you will typically start by deciding on a layout, storage, and overall style. Part of this is selecting key products like a vanity cabinet, storage accessories, tile, shower enclosure, and freestanding tub.

Accessories play a key role in creating a stylish bathroom design with a personal touch, from cabinet hardware to towels, rugs, plants, artwork, and more.  Get your plan in place for your remodel, and then have fun adding personality with accessories that bring color and texture to your room. Here are our top ideas to help in accessorizing your new bathroom.

Where to Start When Planning Accessories

It’s important to start with a clean slate when planning accessories for your Gainesville, Florida bathroom design. If you are embarking on a bathroom remodel, then you will already have to clear everything out of the room before work starts. Take this opportunity to take stock of what you have, what you need, and what you can get rid of (or store elsewhere). Choose your favorite decluttering method and go through every item to decide what you plan to store in your new bathroom. Make sure you recycle, donate, or dispose of everything else.

Anything that is left should be factored into your bathroom design storage plans.  Work with your designer to create customized storage accessories that will accommodate these items and find storage for other things that don’t need to be in the bathroom, like a nearby linen closet or utility storage. This results in a decluttered space that promotes relaxation and is ready for stylish accessories.

Bring in Color and Texture

A bathroom design tends to stick to a neutral color palette, with white, gray, beige, and natural wood tones all popular, classic choices. Accessories are the ideal way to add a pop of color or bring texture into your space. From colorful towels to fluffy bathmats, bold metallic light fixtures to rustic wooden shelves, accessories are an opportunity to create a bold statement in your bath design.

Add a Personal Touch

The bathroom does not have to be a sterile space devoid of personality. Use accessories to bring a personal touch to your room, whether that is by featuring a favorite color as an accent shade in your bath design or by hanging a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork that gives your room personal appeal. Pick a favorite color or item and use this as inspiration for your accessories.

Don’t Overdo It!

Make sure you don’t allow clutter to creep back into your space by going overboard when accessorizing a bathroom design. Accessorize with every day like towels and soap dispensers, utilizing these necessary items to bring color and texture to your room. Colorful hand towels, fluffy bathmats, and containers for soap and toiletries in glass, metal, or ceramic all serve to enhance your space. Add a few whimsical pieces like a painting or photo to hang on the wall, candles or knickknacks to place on floating shelves, or moisture-friendly plants to sit in the corner.

Where to Apply Accessories

Floor

With customized storage and effective decluttering, you should have no problem keeping the bathroom floor clear. Include a pull-out laundry hamper in your cabinet design plus plenty of hooks and towel bars so there is no excuse for dropping clothes or towels on the floor. This not only reduces clutter, but it removes a trip hazard and lets your tile surface become a focal point in your design.

Now consider how you can enhance this surface further by adding bathmats and rugs that complement your room’s style and serve an essential function. Choose mats that are warm underfoot and prevent slipping when stepping out of the shower or tub.  Fluffy, luxurious bathmats evoke the feeling of your favorite hotel, while wooden varieties give off a spa vibe. They are also easy accessories to replace when you want to change the look of your room.

A carefully placed, moisture-friendly plant can also fit nicely into a corner of your bathroom design. Plants introduce nature into your bathroom, which improves air quality and brings a sense of calm to your room.  Choose easy-to-maintain plants if you are not an avid gardener so you don’t add to your stress levels!

Furniture

The vanity cabinet is an essential part of any bathroom remodel as it provides storage and a work surface for getting ready. Cabinetry also sets the tone for your bath design with the door style and finish.  Hardware is an ideal opportunity to dress up your cabinet design, accenting it with anything from shiny chrome knobs to matte black pulls, or even leather, crystal, or ceramic to accent cabinetry with color and texture. Choose cabinet hardware that matches plumbing fixtures and towel bars or select a different material that makes your vanity stand out.

Clutter-free countertops are ready for a selection of items to be arranged to bring functional elegance to your vanity work area. Use stylish containers for storing essential items you want to have readily available and add a couple of decorative items that fit your design theme. A metal or mirrored tray is a stunning accessory and can be used to keep items organized in one location on the countertop.

Small pieces of freestanding furniture fit well into a larger bathroom design, providing extra storage and a stylish accent. A small bar cart, a cocktail table, or even a rustic step ladder can be carefully placed and used to store shampoo next to a freestanding tub, hang towels, or place scented candles. Likewise, seating has its place in a luxury bathroom design, from a wooden bench outside the shower to a cushioned chair next to a window. If you have space for a makeup vanity, then a chair, pouf, or bench is the perfect addition to provide a comfortable place to sit while applying makeup.

Walls

The walls of a bathroom design must be moisture-resistant and easy to clean, but they also offer prime real estate to accent your room’s style. If this is a full bathroom remodel, consider creating an eye-catching focal point with a tile accent like a linear mosaic border or a colorful tiled niche. This is the perfect way to enhance the appearance of the neutral surfaces that are typically found in a bathroom design.

Painted walls and even wallpaper have their place in a bathroom design and are easier to change over time if you want to refresh your bathroom’s style. Make sure you choose moisture and mildew-resistant varieties to ensure the longevity of these surfaces. Another option is beadboard which gives your bathroom a beach or cottage vibe.

Towel bars, rings, hooks, and radiator towel warmers all bring your chosen metallic finish to your walls. Mirrors also provide reflection essential for shaving and styling hair but become a design accessory when framed in wood, metal, or tile like this Gainesville, Florida bathroom remodel. If you want a simple, glamorous style, go for a big mirror with backlighting that looks stunning, reflects light, and makes your space look bigger.

Bathroom storage typically centers around a floor or wall-mounted cabinet, but wall-hung storage has its place too, and offers another chance to dress up your bathroom walls. A vintage wall cabinet brings an element of traditional charm to your room and offers extra storage for makeup and medicine. Floating shelves are the ideal wall accessory as both the shelf material and the contents work to enhance a bathroom design. Shelves can be found in materials to accent any style, from reclaimed barn wood for a rustic vibe to metal or glass shelves for a sleek, contemporary feel.

Artwork has its place in a bathroom design but be sure any paintings, framed photos, or prints you hang can withstand the moisture and steam of a busy bathroom. Otherwise, leave these pieces to hang up in a less utilized guest bath or powder room. If you feature a favorite piece of artwork, use it as inspiration for the rest of your accessories and plan your style and accent colors around it.

Continue your style when choosing window treatments for your bath design. Window coverings are essential to offer privacy if your bathroom window is visible from the street or a neighbor’s home but can also complement your design with color and texture in the form of blinds, shutters, or curtains. Be sure to balance the need for privacy with the benefit of allowing natural light into your bathroom.

Light Fixtures

Lighting is essential to the functioning of a bathroom design, but did you know that your light fixtures can be decorative as well? Plan lighting carefully including task lighting that minimizes glare around your vanity area, plus lighting over your shower, tub, and other key areas. Wall sconces, pendants, and even chandeliers can be found for a bath design in a wide range of materials and styles. These range from bold metallics to shimmering glass to lampshades in bright colors or natural textures.

Plumbing Fixtures

Even a bath design’s plumbing fixtures form part of your room’s plan for accessories. Polished chrome and nickel are still popular choices, but you could change it up with striking matte black or bold brass or gold. Coordinate these practical items with your room’s other accessories to create a cohesive design that brings out your style in every aspect of your design.

Accessories transform a bathroom design from a purely functional space to a room that evokes your style. Plan carefully when choosing accessories to make sure you create a cohesive style with both functional and whimsical items that bring color, texture, and personality to your space. Our Gainesville, Florida showroom is the ideal place to find everything you need from tiles and cabinetry to decorative giftware. Talk to a member of our bath design team to start planning your stylish bathroom remodel!