5 ways to energize your bathroom experience
The condition of a room can seriously impact your mood. And no room can shift from spotlessness to squalor as quickly as your bathroom. According to a UK study, the average person spends more than two years of their lifetime in the loo. With so much time devoted to your shower, toilet and sink-side routine, a little effort and exuberance can help you start and end each day on the right foot.
There’s nothing special about the bathroom in my Chicago duplex. It’s “fun-sized,” poorly ventilated and shared with two roommates. But through creativity and collaboration, we’ve given it an affordable and adorable ambiance. Here are five areas we prioritized.
- Curtain: Shower curtains are a dime a dozen, but an alluring drape can spark conversation and put your personal style on full blast. I bought this Jeff Goldblum curtain for $10 last October and his reproachful smirk has been haunting our home ever since. Leave the drab shower curtains for hospitals and hotels!
- Lighting: No one wants to get ready in a gloomy cavern. And an industrial warehouse isn’t much better. Optimize natural light and eschew harsh lighting for a soft glow. Ideal illumination should flatter your features, not induce headaches. My roommates and I enjoy a steady stream of daylight and muted electric lighting from the sconces above our mirror.
- Music: Ain’t no party like a shower party! The latest edition to our bathroom is a $20 Bluetooth shower speaker. This waterproof hockey puck suctions to the wall and packs enough sonic punch to tick off the neighbors. From rocking playlists to gripping podcasts and pressing phone calls, a bathroom speaker is a great way to spice up your shower or shave.
- Décor: Your bathroom is a canvas bursting with artistic potential. One of my roommates is a gardener and recently accentuated our shower shelves with several potted plants. Just add steam and hot water for the greenhouse effect. Need more inspiration? Framed photographs, laminated maps and colorful tapestries make for tasteful lavatory décor.
- Grunt work: In the grand scheme of things, all these bells and whistles are window dressing compared to your bathroom’s cleanliness and organization. We demand a great deal from our bathrooms and daily grime piles up with alacrity. Stick to a weekly cleaning schedule and treat your shower like a refrigerator—toss seldom-used products and those left by guests.
A derelict bathroom can put a serious damper on your day. An eclectic bathroom experience can put a serious amount of pep in your step!