Every room in your home should evoke a feeling of well-being. While each room can provide a different feeling, each should still give you some version of the warm and fuzzy vibe that makes a house a home. Maybe the room is filled with items reminding you of great vacations or the colour palette in the room is soothing. Ultimately, each room should have its own character. Thinking in these terms may help you with your decor choices. If you find the rooms in your home don't evoke good feelings, then perhaps you have a bit of work to do.
How does one give a space character? The first thing you have to determine is what type of character you want the room to have. Do you need your bedroom to have the attributes of being comforting and supportive? Perhaps you'd like your home office to express the character of someone who is organized and an encyclopedia of knowledge. Maybe the kitchen could use an infusion of the character traits you love about a nurturing parent or grandparent. In a workout room, you might want the space to have a high-energy feel that gets you motivated and inspired. Once you've determined your needs and desires for a specific room, you can start to give the room character through colour, accessories, lighting and placement.
We'll use our feature photograph as a starting point to see how you can create a room with an inviting and relaxing persona. In a bathroom, you most likely want a spa-like feeling of being indulged, soothed and rejuvenated, so you want a room that speaks to those needs.
This lovely Moen bathroom fits the bill on all counts. It exudes loads of character and charm. From the attractive soaker tub to the country inspired touches, there's something about this space that is alluring. It makes you feel relaxed and pampered. The main feature of this room is the large, vintage-style soaker tub. If you can indulge yourself with an item like this it will go a long way to creating a personal spa-like space. If you have to work with a standard bathtub then invest in some luxurious towels, spa slippers, soaps and other sumptuous bath products to pamper yourself.
The room in our photo is spacious and open and has a great view of the outdoors through the large windows. While this is not your everyday bathroom layout and may not replicate your specific situation, you can still create the same feeling in a smaller space. Even in a small bathroom with a small window (or no window) and where the bathtub may be sitting along the wall instead of floating in the middle of the room, you can still create a room filled with character and charm. Incorporate spa-inspired accessories, luxurious linens and sumptuous bath mats. Consider putting up wainscoting that will make the bathroom seem regal. Use high-end finishes, such as stone countertops, which are affordable in small doses like in a bathroom.
Having two separate sinks and vanities supports the perception of opulence and indulgence in our feature room. The sinks are oversized and grand, furthering the sense of luxury. If you only have room for one vanity in your bathroom then treat yourself to a great vanity, sink and faucet to give your small bathroom a sense of grandeur.
Aside from the lavish soaker tub and dual sinks, the room has a homey quaintness that also offers a sense of casual comfort. This facet of the room's character is added through the vintage-style fixtures and faucets, the rough-hewn table vanities, oval mirrors, garden bench and subway tile accents. The space has an overall country-causal charm that is captivating and comforting.
If you prefer a bathroom to have more masculine character you could opt for a black soaker tub and sinks, fitted wooden blinds for the windows, a tufted leather bench instead of the white garden bench, square mirrors and perhaps darker linens and richer paint colours.
If your tastes run more toward modern or urban design and you want a bathroom to reflect that you might choose a sleek square tub, stainless steel vanities, a wall-length mirror versus two oval ones, aluminum blinds for the windows, modern strip lighting instead of two wall sconces and a splash of vibrant colour on the walls.
These are just a few examples of how to give a room specific character traits that generate feelings of well-being. If you're stumped by the direction to proceed in your current space, thinking of the room as having a persona may give you a good starting point.
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