Accessorize the bath
Q. We’ve done a partial reno in our main bathroom, replacing an old sink and toilet. The bath and shower are still OK. What is your advice about decorating so that everything looks new? Thanks. – Andrew
A. It is often more difficult to design a partial renovation than to start from scratch. The challenge is to join the old and new in some way so that they are synchronized. You don’t say what material is on the floor, but I am guessing that you would have laid a new floor or replaced the floor around the new fixtures to seamlessly match up, so that will help. A fresh coat of paint or paint and wallpaper in one of the new retro patterns will do wonders for the overall finished look. Pick a style that suits, and then build on that with some new bath accessories from the same or similar design groups to unify the fixtures. Ginger’s Empire collection (www.gingerco.com), shown here in polished chrome, provides a stunning selection of towel racks and rods, hooks, toiletry gallery shelves, lighting, grab bars and mirrors. The Empire’s hexagonal-shaped posts suit both traditional and modern spaces and are sure to bring a brand-new face to your entire bathroom. The finish on the accessories should be the same. You’ll find polished and satin nickel finishes in this collection as well as polished and oil-rubbed bronze in Ginger’s Circe collection. Finally, follow the decorator’s trick of camouflaging the less than perfect by emphasizing the best. A new mirror or lights, fresh towels and bars of spa soaps are always scene stealers.
Q. We want to change the style in our master bathroom. The previous owners used good white tiles, but trimmed in a floral tile pattern, which we truly dislike. Since we are working on a tight budget, could we replace the tile trim without taking down the whole wall of tile? There is a stone and glass tile trim with gray and sand colored strips that we would use to replace the old trim. – Sandra
A. It is possible to remove the trim tile, but you have to be careful not to damage the drywall underneath. Also, the new tiles should be the same thickness as the remaining wall tiles. In order to remove the tiles, the old grout must be removed. This might be a good time to examine the whole wall of tiles for any mildew or grout stains that can’t be scrubbed away. Why not re-grout the existing tile along with your newly installed ones so that the wall looks completely fresh? You will need a grout remover, and if you have a lot of grout to remove, then I recommend using an electric grout remover, as this is labor intensive. Always wear eye protection and a mask. Once you have removed the grout, score lines horizontally and vertically across the old trim tiles with a tile cutter; this will help to loosen the tiles. Tap them gently with a hammer. Use a chisel or flat screwdriver to pry away the chipped tiles. Once the tiles are off, use a sander to remove any of the tile cement left behind. Now you are ready to adhere your new trim. The tiles that you have chosen will transform your bathroom. Pick a pale shade of gray taken from the stone to paint any walls that aren’t tiled.
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