Choosing Curtains and Bathroom Accessories

Home decorating has arguably always been one of the best parts of personalizing any home - and with the advent of TV decorating shows and positively scads of upscale magazines and websites detailing trends and how-tos, home decorating is also more feasible to do on your own than ever before. It's true that sometimes, some rooms can pose specific challenges; bathrooms, for example, come with pre-determined facets around which you have to decorate. Too, you have to consider what goes into a bathroom more carefully than, say, a living room, purely because bath decor will come into contact with moisture, hairspray, and other beauty products. And then, of course, there's the desire to make it your own personal sanctuary. The home spa idea is a leading bathroom trend for 2009, said Kim Lucas, owner of Future Floors in Omaha, NE. Clean lines, bright, light colors, and soothing elements are popular right now, she said, as people want to recreate luxury, Zen-like spa atmospheres. Whether that or a more classic bathroom design scheme is right for you depends on several factors. Let's take a look at some basic considerations required for traditional bath items such as shower curtains, wall treatments, and accessories.

• Colors: If your bathroom will have wallpaper, select that first. Then, pull a color or simple pattern from it when choosing a shower curtain. If you're going to paint the walls, choose the shower and/or window curtains first, then pick an accent color to complement. Towels, rugs, and other accessories can be coordinated in the same or another accent color; try mixing them up for an eclectic look.
• Fit: Make sure to work with precise measurements to outfit your bathroom properly. Windows, showers, and tubs are sometimes oddly sized, and you want to get the right curtain, liner, rod, and rugs. Depending on the style, a shower curtain may also require hooks, which can allow you to extend small design details even farther.
• Installation: If you're going to install rods, curtains, and other elements on your own, select items that aren't outside of your technical capabilities.
• Cost: Consider how often you'll be updating your bathroom - and how costly and involved you want that process to be. "Budget is usually what drives people in deciding which way they want to go," Lucas said. "If they have low budgets, they're not going to be able to do as much trend. Classic styles will last longer, and you can change it out with easy things like paints and towels."

Choosing bathroom decor doesn't have to be tricky - just thought out. The right shower curtain, wall and window treatments, and knickknacks can give the room the visual cohesion it needs to make everything, including you, feel in its right place. That's a sanctuary.