10 Steps to a Luxurious Bathroom

A luxurious bathroom invites you to come in and spend some time in it. Most people aren't quite sure how they can go about creating that perfect bathroom, though, and spend their time poring over design magazines and planning. Just what does it take to turn an ordinary room into an extra-ordinary one?

To really create the perfect environment for your daily routines, you need to maximize the space you have and be sure to include the little things that make a bathroom comfortable. God is in the details, after all.

One: Start with Color

Choosing a color scheme at the very beginning of your project will allow the entire room to become a coordinated space. Start with the walls of the bathroom. It's a good idea to avoid white, which is one of the dullest colors around. Instead, opt for something more exciting, such as marine blue or lilac. The color scheme you select for the bathroom will determine the end result. A soft, soothing color will help the room become a luxurious haven, while a brighter tone will tend to energize and create eagerness.

Two: Keep it Clutter Free

Any small room will feel cluttered if you have everything out and in sight. That's why it's a great idea to tuck everything except the necessities into a vanity or stylish cupboard. Things that need to be out include soap and towels, but really, everything else can be stored.

Wall storage makes even a compact space more easily navigated and lets you store extras out of sight. There are plenty of options for beautiful cupboards. Look for light colors to keep the visual impact to a minimum. Frosted glass doors let the room seem brighter without revealing just what precisely is being stored.

Three: Make it Easier to Perform Tasks

Many men prefer to shave in the shower, since it provides the ideal environment for this task. Unfortunately, a mirror is needed and these tend to fog up during a hot shower. However, you can invest in a fogless mirror that mounts on a pull out arm right in the shower stall . . . which means you'll be able to see what you're doing easily and the mirror will swing back out of the way when not in use.

Keeping a stylish shower rack where you can keep things like soap, shampoo and other toiletries in neat order is also helpful. It makes it easy to keep things where they belong, as well, instead of lined up precariously on the edge of the tub.

Four: Set the Mood

Music and scent are just two ways to completely change the mood of a room. Since there is such high humidity in the bathroom, you'll want to invest in a waterproof shower radio, which can be attached to the shower wall, allowing for great music while you bathe.

Scented candles are often too irritating to the nasal passages and don't last well in the moist environment of a bathroom, but reed diffusers offer a safe alternative and last for months, requiring only the turning of the reeds from time to time. This can help diffuse a relaxing scent like lavender through the bathroom.

Five: Make It Worth Your Time

Some showers are so tepid and have such poor pressure that it isn't even worth spending more than the necessary amount of time in the shower. For a truly luxurious bathroom, the shower and tub should be something that makes you want to stay forever.

How you go about this is entirely up to you. An instant hot water heater will make it possible to spend hours under the hot shower, while multiple showerheads can be a wonderfully relaxing experience. For the tub, you may want to install one with jets to increase bathing pleasure.

Six: Turn the Mundane Into Something Special

When purchasing something for your bathroom, consider how it will fit in with your visual philosophy. A scale needn't be just a scale, for example. While you may wish to weigh yourself on a daily basis, there's no reason to stick with a plain ugly white scale. Instead, take the time to find something more elegant or that fits your style. Contemplate each addition and ask yourself, "Does this add to the room visually?"

Seven: Don't Forget Sensation

We've covered what you see, hear and smell, but what about sensory experiences? Bathrooms need to be well heated in order for them to stay comfortable after you've stepped out of the shower. That would be a regular bathroom, though . . . a luxurious one would include a towel warmer so you can step out of the hot water and wrap a pre-warmed towel around your body. Eight: Luxurious Details Add to the Room

There are a dozen small touches that can be added to a bathroom to help it come to life and provide a luxurious experience. Things like a linen shower curtain with an anti-mildew liner, an antique glass bowl to hold bath fragrances or organic cotton bath towels will make the room feel more chic immediately.

Nine: Add More Color

Little details like a collection of floral paintings clustered on the wall or a glass etching on the mirror are what really add to a room. Look around for ideas and then try different ones out in your bathroom to find out which is the best look for your style. These should incorporate more color into the room, to turn it into an inviting space.

Ten: Keep it Safe

If anyone with limited mobility will be using the bathroom, you'll need to install support rails which can ruin the mood you've worked so hard to create. However, if you take the time to find some bars that are actually stylish and go with the bathroom, as opposed to the regular steel ones, the room will be safer and still gorgeous.

Creating a luxurious bathroom takes time. You'll need to assemble all the bits and pieces that make it a special room worth going into and spending some time in. However, the end result will be well worth the effort.