Southampton - Here are some questions you should ask yourself before undertaking either a total bathroom renovation or just a refluff of what exists.

How Can I Miss You If You Don't Go Away?
We tend to take bathrooms for granted, until such times as it's in disrepair for some reason and the plumber is indisposed. Conducting your "toilette" in the kitchen is awkward at best. How can you go out to make rain, slay dragons and capture the bacon to bring home, if you can't even get a decent shave and/or a shower?

Ask yourself if you can you get what you want if you just show it some love.

 • Even if the pipes are in perfect working order and all the basic functions of the toilet, sink and shower/tub have been covered, bathrooms tend to be not only a design after-thought, but also a sad story of missed opportunity. With some thought and planning, this little room can become your personal oasis…and who doesn't need one of those every day?

What's The Real Deal?
Times have changed. For most of us it's no longer the overwhelming process of deciding which and how many extravagances can be shoved into a small space. More likely, it comes down to two questions:

 • Does your bathroom actually need a total gut job or can you get what you want if you just show it some love?

 • How much do you want to spend?

If the answer to the question of "How much do you want to spend?" is "Not much,"
you are still in luck.

The Basics: What's What And What You Need
Bathroom fixtures are fixed (attached to the floor) such as the tub, toilet and sink.

 • Fittings refer to the useful things we fit around and into the fixtures: faucets, tub fillers and shower bodies, towel racks, etc.

 • You need storage somewhere.

 • And please, let there be (adequate) light.

 • A single gesture can be a shout for joy. Everybody loves the look of a large glass bowl, frosted or clear, used for a sink. A fantastic chandelier (yes, in the bathroom) is an immediate eye-catcher. A beautiful and unique vanity, fabricated from an antique store find, spells Clever and Sophisticated.

Consider an update of fixtures and fittings with style.

 • Even just small changes can make a big difference and give you high style for at a low cost.

 • Replace the plumbing and hardware for fixtures and fittings with style. Both chrome and nickel are white metals but nickel has a richer, deeper luster that more closely approximates untarnished silver. In the old days, it had to be polished just like real silver. It is, of course, more expensive. Chrome is actually short for chromium. It was introduced in the 1940s as an alternative to labor intensive nickel.

 • You can use both metals in the same room but not together because up close you can tell the difference. Brass fittings are great in a traditional setting, while copper and wrought iron, depending on styling, add a rustic touch. Any style is given a completely different feel if made in oil rubbed bronze.

 • Go gorgeous with paint color. Just don't go too loud or your potential spa retreat will feel as calming as rush hour traffic. The same is true for wallpaper. Although, it's fair to say that what constitutes loud to one person is anemic to another.

 • Any painter or contractor reading this will probably argue this point, but you don't have to use a gloss finish in the bathroom. Washable matte is fine unless you conduct frequent water gun battles in the immediate area. You can use wallpaper too, as long as you open a window and leave the door ajar to allow for drying out and dispersing humidity.

Go gorgeous with paint color.

 • Have you checked your tile and grout lately? A fresh coat of grout will make the tiles look new. Is the floor tile beyond redemption? Look for an extra large area rug to use as a disguise. An indoor/outdoor rug could become your new BFF.

Add Some Personality…Yours
You don't have to keep that old ugly medicine chest. Take it out and find a fabulous mirror the size and style that would work equally well for an entryway or living room. You will have created great style in a single move and received the double bang of visually enlarging the room to twice its actual size.

 • Any beautiful chest or table of an appropriate size can be re-tooled to become the vanity/surround for your sink and faucets.

 • There's a big instant wow factor by simply switching out the old sink and vanity for a sleek pedestal sink. As a general rule, you are better off with classic white fixtures. They are cheaper and won't become dated over time, like your mom's avocado colored refrigerator did. If storage space is an issue, look outside the room for solutions.

 • If this isn't a viable option, and the old vanity is wood, consider painting it. Good color choices are white or ivory to adhere to a light and airy theme. You can experiment with colors such as dark gray or green, but be sure to think through your proposed color story. Have the new vanity color pick up the same color as the towels for example.

Let your oasis reflect your personality.

 • To pun the obvious, you can skirt the issue of an ugly vanity by attaching a skirt with Velcro, applied either to the perimeter of the sink or just beneath the counter at the top of the vanity. You can also use a clear water based sealant from the hardware store as a heavy-duty glue if the skirt in question is on the heavier side.

 • The skirt style is to taste: Clean line loving Modernistas will prefer a straight skirt with knife pleating at the corners, while Grand Romantics can gather their skirts with ruffles, frills and ribbons.

 • The quickest fix for a tired looking vanity is to just replace the hardware. Vintage stores and flea markets can yield little treasures. If you can't find the right handle, you can use knobs for the two handle holes instead. Use a smaller knob above a larger one.

Bathrooms should be brightly lit - naturally always helps, but so do your choices.

 • There's something about the length of a regular shower curtain and liner that's faintly reminiscent of high water trousers. The curtain(s) will look much better if they are extra long. Hang them as close to the ceiling as possible and all the way down to a fraction above the floor. The effect will seemingly stretch the height of the room. Use drapery wands to open and close if necessary. Shop on-line for longer than standard curtains and liners. Another route is to locate a fabric you love and have your local seamstress fabricate to measure.

Shed Some Light On The Subject
Bathrooms should be brightly lit but don't think "make-up table of Las Vegas Showgirl." Conversely, don't under-light with just one lonely bulb in the ceiling either. The ideal set up would be light sources above and along both sides of the mirror AND a ceiling source to contribute to ambient light AND a recessed waterproof fixture above the bath/shower areas. There is no reason to soap up in the dark. Use separate switches and make sure all these light sources are on dimmers so you can specify lighting conditions and location for any activity, such as shaving, applying make-up or luxuriating in the tub.

Clean And Simple
However small or extensive your update, keep it uncomplicated and soothing. Your solutions should also be easy to clean and maintain. Save the wild wallpaper and bold colors for powder rooms and half baths that are less frequently used than the main bathroom. We associate clean with light, bright and airy. Remember this while you are considering the overall coloration and look you want to achieve. Save the heavy brooding colors for the library/study or the dungeon as the case may be.

Be Clear
Glass shelves and Lucite accessories are to your advantage in a small bathroom as is a transparent shower curtain. Being able to see through any obstruction will make the room seem larger. An inspired idea is to use a European-style hinged glass shower barrier instead of a curtain or sliding glass doors. Any splashes are contained but the clear glass lends a more open feel.

A little personality and theme can be an inexpensive and attractive way to make a small room seem larger.

Luxury Is Convenience Spelled Differently
If you have been blessed by the housing gods with a large bathroom, don't treat it like a rented utility at a Holiday Inn. Real rooms have real furniture. A chaise with cushions slip-covered in terry cloth equals lux for a lounge lizard. Have a bookcase and/or a pair of vintage boudoir lamps for your stand-alone make-up table. You can have a fireplace too.

 • Even a tiny bathroom can often accommodate a little stool by the bath to be used for an end table. Make "Live well in every room" your guiding mantra.

 • Art belongs in the bathroom too, although you may want to display the million dollar Matisse elsewhere. Just remember to ventilate by opening a window and leaving the door ajar at least an hour after you shower or otherwise steam it up in there.

 • Make sure your towel bar is within easy reach of the shower or tub. If there is no room for a towel bar or constantly folding the towels over the bars seems too much like the task of Sisyphus, go for hooks instead. One double hook for each household member will provide a means to hang both a robe and a towel.

Will That Be Q-Tips With Your Shot Glass, Sir?
A soft rug, lots of good fluffy towels and nice soap go a long way towards making a visit to your bathroom an uplifting experience. Extra hand towels in a decorative bowl add bursts of color, combining beauty with utility…but don't stop there.

Don't be afraid to use "real" art and "real" furniture in your bathroom.

 • Even the most ordinary grooming tools look better in a pretty container. Even the hairpins look fancy in a short bud vase. Be resourceful. A great vintage ashtray could make a terrific looking soap dish. Use trays to corral loose items and create a pleasing composition on the counter or top of the toilet tank.

 • Go for the best towels you can afford - 100 percent Turkish cotton is hard to beat. Avoid the five piece plush bathroom sets…those fluffy toilet seat and tank doilies are particularly hateful.

 • A bathtub tray is indispensable for your soaking comfort. You'll want a place for those lush soaps, oils, gels, bubble bath preparations, natural sponges, foot and nail grooming tools and of course a place to hold your book.

Best Luxury Of All….Time For Yourself