MAY 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 69
BATHROOMS FOR TODAY’S LIVING A COZY RETREAT
BY ARLENE GROSS
Obviously, a bathroom is an integral
part of your home. But why not consider
turning a utilitarian room into an
appealing, cozy retreat?
First, decide whether you want to go
with wallpaper or paint.
For paint, go with a semigloss for both
walls and ceiling, notes interior designer
Lynn Breindel, owner of LB Interiors
of Bellport and New Rochelle.
If you prefer the look of a matte finish,
go with a flat paint made specifically for
bathroom walls and ceilings, advises
Breindel.
“It’s a little more expensive, but well
worth it,” she says.
COLOR AND TEXTURE
Color is all a matter of personal preference
and truly anything goes – except
for the ceiling, which should always be
painted white, she says.
“You can go bold in a small bathroom
with dark paint or wallpaper,” says
Breindel. “If you want more of a dramatic
effect, I tend to do that in a powder room
that you don’t spend a lot of time in.”
In small bathrooms, stick to a single
color palette to keep it simple, clean and
soothing. In a larger room, experiment
with more color in towels, mats, and
artwork.
“Any color with some gray added to
it makes it more peaceful, especially
lighter colors,” says Breindel.
With a plethora of designs and varying
degrees of texture, wallpaper gives you
many options, from grass cloth to more
tactile, high-resolution materials that
really stand out.
Breindel recommends vinyl wallpaper
for bathrooms that have showers.
“There are beautiful ones now, even
ones that look like grass cloth,” she says.
For a powder room, Breindel advises
any wallpaper, even paper backed,
as long as you make sure it stays dry
behind the sink. To protect the area
behind the sink from wetness, add a
4-inch backsplash made from countertop
material such as quartz or stone.
MIRROR, MIRROR
For a full bathroom, especially with
enough wall space, a medicine cabinet
is great for extra storage.
“My favorites now are the ones with the
built-in LED lights,” says Breindel. “You
can stack medicine cabinets next to each
other to create a wall of mirrors with
function behind it.”
Generally, you won’t have the space
nor the need for a medicine cabinet in
a powder room, but you’ll want a good
mirror, which also can have the built-in
LED lights.
“Mirrors can be used to enlarge the
space and reflect other elements in the
room, such as lighting or wallpaper,” explains
Breindel. “I also use wall-mounted
vanities to give the impression of
larger space in a small bath. It’s very
effective.”
LIGHTING AND HARDWARE
As with any room in your home, a bathroom
should have layered lighting.
At the sink or overhead, lighting can be
either recessed or a ceiling fixture. In a
large bathroom, you can have both, and
always use dimmers to control brightness,
advises Breindel.
Hardware is the jewelry of a bathroom
and there’s so much to choose from,
adds Breindel.
“Polished nickel and brass look great
in bathrooms, but do tarnish over time
and need maintenance,” she advises.
“Polished chrome is easier to maintain.”
Tiles can reflect your taste and personality.
If you have a full tiled shower,
Breindel suggests adding shiplap to the
walls to add texture and interest.
Besides adding color to the room, bath
mats are essential to give the room a
cozy feel, especially when you walk on
a tiled floor, even with radiant-heated
floors, notes Breindel.
“A Toto Japanese heated toilet seat is also
worth every penny,” she says.
INSIDE JOB
Photos courtesy LB Interiors
Tiles
add texture
and beauty to
room.
Mirror
reflects shiplap
on opposite
wall.
Wallpaper
pattern adds
beauty and
interest
to room.
A heated toilet
seat adds more
warmth.
Mirror enlarges
room and reflects
overhead light.
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
