~N -NTRIORS Na wHtBY 'PfREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, OCT0 ER10. 1990,PAGE 13 Bathroorn mkoovor This article j, prouided by the Onjâ,'ii Real Estate Associat (OREA) ýfbr thue bene/Tt 6f consum ers in the real estate market'. Today -more and moÃ"re homeowners are dirècé'ting. their energy and,-<creativity twards redecorating the bathroem. 'Be it the famnily bath, or the master ensuite, the prfimary focus is -on increased luxury, comfort' "d convexùience. Many homeowners are Iookidng for new ideas ýte make their exisiting bathrooms larger. .Redec orating a, small bathroom is a common design problem., If you can'b expand the room, either by building an- addition, or by incorporating space from a nearby bedroom or closet, here are some ideas te help you get the, most out of the space you have. There are many ways te give a bathroomn a facelift. You can make it visually- larger by decorating with light ,colors. Large. prints and bold stripes tend te overpower a small room. Stick te small pri"nts whether you are painting or, wallpapering. Limit your accessories. ]Remember, less canIbe more! Try, te create a sense of continuity.. Bathrooms are chopped up enough by fixtures, so paint and wallpaper walls' and ceiling the same color. .When choosing a wallpaper ,make sureé it is a good vinyl* that isn't prepasted. Wallpaper paste is water-baÈed ýand, if the shower , st'ventlated properly, the lift from the wall . When you paste by, hand, use an oij-based glue. ,Whether you are bold, colorful, -soft'or subtie, there are fixtures available that will refiecý' your person and express youÈ,i style.- Everything, from hand-paitited porcelain fixtures complete with« ma 1tching gold plated faucets, te a variety of natural fixtures including granite, marble, onyx and teakwood are available. Leading manufact&fer s now work in harmony te, crate color- coordinated bath products., If your color fixturès are outdated, and new ones are out of the question, consider ' hgving them refinished. Pastel colors are popular these days, particularly peach, seafoam -green and teal blue. Wite is classic and an excellent choice. Shower curtains cari also make a room visually larger. Choose a clear shower curtain with a solid color fabric curtain. And, mirrors are ariother good trick te visually expand your space.* A long mirror with plenty of lights increases the visual space and prevents1having to jostie for mirror space when two people are, using the bathroom. If you are planning te change your fixtures, you may want te consider ireplacing your vanity and sink with a pedestal sink. This will, give you more floor space, but you will lose some sterage space. Storage space problems cari be solved in a variety of ways. Wall-mounted cabinets area grat way te bide bathroomn clutter, without taking up valuabie floor space. Units cari be installed above ý>-the toilet, above the mirror or in'the deck spaace below a raised bathtub. If you purchase, a low profile teilet teilet with a low tank), there will b; even more room for wall-mounted sterage above. Choose cabinets that are no more, than'six friches deep so they don't. get in the way. Extending your, countertop over the back of the teilet, is known as'a 'banjo-top" counter. ,Be sur~e there is enough clearance space'te raise the tank top should it require service. Open shelving between the toilet and vanity creates handy storage space, looks less bulky than closed sterage space, anid eliminates the need for clearance for a cupboard door. A plastic-coated wire mounted oh a pegboard above a low-profile toilet is another way te create, storage space and works well as a decorative element., If you don't have room for a shower stall, try instaling -a rounded shower base in the corner of a small bathroom, leaving no corners te jut out inte valuable floor space. A folding door eliminates the need for clearance space between the pedestal basin and door. If your bathroom is too narrow for a standard vanity, ask your designer or contracter to build a bank of cabinets half as deep. Install a bunip-out sink because a regular drop-in bowl won't fit in this type of cabinet. Since lower cabinets will be shallow, you SEE-PAGE 14 AS NOSTALGIC INTERIORS make a comeback, more homeowners are- taking advantage of vintage fixtures, basins and tubs, and are' decoratinig to eniianoe them. The romantie bath uses fabrics and wallcoverings to, create' the old-fashioned look of a Victorian bath. TI SA LMTEp E -EN!Q ANTTE sMTD 4 't t '~ I. 'LI 'ri h