Some tips on how to make your bathroom beautiful
BY MARY CAROL GARRITY Scripps Howard News Service

SHNS photo courtesy of The Gerson Companies You don't need to remodel to fill your bathroom with charm. With the right color palette, furnishings and accents, it can become your favorite room in the house.

When I've had a hard day, I trudge through my back door and beeline straight up the stairs to my own private oasis: my master bath. After a long soak in the tub, I emerge with pruned fingers and a smile, relaxed and ready to take on the world again.

Would you like to transform your own bath into a private sanctuary where you're refreshed and revived? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Pick a pleasing color palette

Sensational bathrooms have got to have a little something that makes them memorable, and a pop of color or pattern could do just the trick. When considering the hues for your bath, decide what type of overall feel you want to achieve in the space. Do you want it to be restful or spunky? Glamorous or rustic?

To make sure the bathroom harmonizes with adjoining rooms, pick a complementary palette or repeat the same colors in the rooms.

This spring, when I decided to repaint my master bathroom, I knew I wanted a bright and bold color that was so cheerful I couldn't look at it without grinning.

Since the lower two-thirds of the walls are covered in bead board painted a soothing cream, I went wild and painted the upper wall and ceiling a vibrant Gooseberry Green. It's perfect for my little sanctuary.

Add Tempting Textiles

Since bathrooms contain so many cold, hard surfaces, it's essential that you soften them up a bit with yummy textiles. Start with the floor. Forgo the rubber-backed bathmat and spoil yourself with a gorgeous area rug, like a classic Persian or funky shag.

Next, invest in a set of high-quality towels. I'm partial to bright white cotton towels because they look fresh, clean and inviting. Instead of slinging your towels over a boring old towel rod, hang them from nice hooks on the wall. Or fold them up neatly and display them in a bookcase or on a shelf so the room looks like a luxurious spa.

If your bathroom has a spot for a shower curtain, don't settle until you find one that steals the show. I love simple shower curtains that sport a large monogram. Or make a custom curtain out of a great fabric to complement the color scheme.

Bring in fabulous furnishings

Another way to give your bathroom personality is to add sensational furnishings. How about a fun table, a bookshelf or a corner cupboard? A friend gave me a darling antique end table as a wedding gift, and I've placed it next to my bathtub to hold my favorite bath salts, bubbles and lotions. Or bring in some cute seating. Upholster an ottoman or slipper chair in outdoor fabric, and use it to rest on while you dry off or dress.

Turn on to luxurious lighting

Get rid of that boring hardwarestore light fixture. Add character and warm up your bathroom with a gorgeous chandelier, wall sconces and an accent light or two. To make my guest bath more welcoming and homey, I illuminate it with a little lamp that sits atop the bookshelf next to the sink.

Finish with awesome

accents and art

The icing on the cake is killer art and accents. Cover the walls of your bath with the same caliber of art you would showcase in the rest of your home. I hung a set of lively botanical prints in my green master bath. Then finish out the space by tucking in treasures that make you smile. Spruce up a shelf with a collection of tarnished silver cream pitchers, a candy dish filled with scented soaps or a mix of antique boxes.

Mary Carol Garrity is the proprietor of three successful homefurnishings stores in Atchison, Kan., and the author of several best-selling books on home decorating. Write to Mary Carol at nellhills(at)mail.lvnworth. com. For more stories, visit scrippsnews.com.