Dreamy Little Bathrooms, Part 1: Classic White

I’ve been casually flipping through my big-fat-favorite-things-file (more like pile) this week – the one I’ve been compiling for about 187 years – trying to find a little inspiration for our upcoming living room re-do.  Much to my surprise, some of the photos I found myself swooning over the most had nothing to do with sofas and throw pillows, and everything to do with commodes (that’s Nanny code for “toilet”).  So, get ready!  Cause here comes a bonanza of bathroom posts, and we’re leading off with the Big White Bath.

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My M.O. in the bathroom has always been to keep it simple, classic, and neutral.  Check out the picture below – nothing fancy, but it’s divine.  Crisp white paint, simple linen shades, white towels folded in a wicker basket, and monochromatic accessories.  Gurl, you can get all that in one cart load at Wal-Mart!  And look at that sweet little green bud vase…  bah (!)  Snag a tumbler like this or this this, pop a single stem in there, and you’re in business.

Here’s another pretty white palette:  they cranked up the glam with that aflippingmazing little antique brass chair and mosaic tile floor, but kept it down-to-earth with a potted plant and those simple glass containers on the shelf (which, ps, I see all the time at TJ Maxx and Marshalls for about $10 bucks a pop).

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And, behold…  a mélange of the two:  (neutral palette, wicker hamper & a teeny pop of green) + (gold sparkle, the rich warmth of the antique rug & that marvelous little footstool) = perfection.  It looks upscale, but it still feels cozy & inviting.

(via InStyle Home)

Below are a few more dreamy white bathrooms…  cues to take?  Splashes of black make for gorgeous contrast, wicker keeps it warm and fuzzy (warmer and fuzzier = towels rolled neatly in wicker baskets), and plants give it life, home slice.

(via my idol, Jessica Helgerson)

(via Domino)

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(via Martha Stewart, I think)

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Classic white bathrooms will forever remain near & dear to my heart….  largely because they remind me of movies like Sleepless in Seattle, to the tune of Louis Armstrong.  They always seem unpretentious and lovely.  Plus, they’re easy to do on a dime, which means they’re good to keep in your playbook.

Now that I’ve laid on the white bathroom’s horn for 10 minutes, let’s switch gears and give you a sneak peek of what’s to come, cause honey, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.

Meaning: the stellar thing about le salle de bain is that it can be an excellent opportunity to get outside the box and dabble in something more daring than you’d normally go for.  A bold paint color, some loud wallpaper, a crazy chandelier – whatever.  The relatively small size of bathrooms affords us that luxury. So, stay tuned this week & next for a series of ballsy bathroom installments, oodles of pictures, shopping links, and easy ways to deconstruct them so that you can achieve the same effect in remodeling the bathroom, minus the gigunzo price tag.

xoxo,