3 Simple Ways to Transform Your Bathroom & Kitchen

Our bathrooms and kitchens tend to be the most utilitarian and perfunctory rooms in our home. But they deserve to be as beautiful and relaxing as the rest of your space. Here are three simple ways to transform your bathroom and kitchen into captivating and calming areas to enjoy.

Elevate by Playing with Textures

Mixing and matching different textures is a great way to put a unique touch on your space. In addition to adding a splash of your personality, different textures advantageously leverage principles of design elements such as emphasis and contrast. Textures like wood and cement or fur and glass can help to create space and add dimension to your kitchen or bathroom because of the opposite nature of the materials themselves.

Marble is a sleek, strong, and classic texture. Beyond beautiful countertops, marble also makes for excellent accent pieces in a room while feeling natural and organic. Take your soap dish or spoon rest and turn them into stylish statements. Or you might prefer to utilize the neutral tone and texture on a plate or bowl for a chic but understated aesthetic.

Another great way to mix up the textures in your space is to have fun with your towels and dish cloths. If your space is relaxed and neutral, mix in a pop of colour with an Olivier almond green tea towel. If your walls are a bolder hue such as navy or a deep terracotta then you might consider using a simple, elegant neutral tone to provide some contrast and balance. Try a handmade linen towel to give a natural and earthy feel with the added bonus of being extremely durable.

Interchangeable towels, placemats, and drying mats are a great way to quickly change up your space and play with different aspects of your personality (we are extremely partial to cute dogs on a drying matt) with minimal commitment.

Create Interest & Emphasis with Patterns

Patterns are deeply personal, and most people have a strong like or dislike of the exact same pattern. For that reason, committing to a pattern can be intimidating as trends change or your taste evolves. In fact, our brains are trained to constantly look for patterns and play a key role in our ability to learn.

However, there are many ways to add patterns to your space that you can switch out and replace without worrying about time or pondering over a permanent engagement. 

Our go-to instant space revitalizer are BeauMont vinyl floor mats. These bold designs are created in France using a perfect blend of French tradition and modern aesthetic. They are phthalate free with anti-UV finishing so the sun won’t dull their design impact over time. With a textured non-slip backing, they are easily maintained with just soap and water. Best of all, if you decide to change up your space again, BeaMont mats are one hundred percent recyclable. Good for you, and great for Mother Earth.

An oldie but a goodie, add pattern impact without needing to tile or hire painters by purchasing a classic tablecloth. Easily storable, you can take out your beautiful tablecloth from Provence whenever the mood strikes you, and bring a piece of France into your kitchen. Le Cluny Teflon coated cotton tablecloths are beautiful conversation starters while also acting as a visual centerpiece.

Or, better still, make yourself the topic of conversation with an adorable, patterned apron! Now is the time to have your own Julia Child’s moment. Take advantage of this lockdown to experiment with new recipes and play around with your chef aesthetic with a pattern that speaks to you. After all, Julia said, “People who love to eat are always the best people.”

Use Scents for Atmosphere

While we certainly associate rooms like the kitchen and bathroom with all kinds of smells, we can also influence the scents in those spaces to achieve a new atmosphere to enjoy.

Smell is one of our most powerful senses. In fact, in the womb, smell is the only fully developed sense a fetus has, and it remains the most developed sense well into childhood, according to Dawn Goldworm . Goldworm, an olfactory branding expert, goes further to suggest that most of the smells we like and dislike are defined as children. Neuroscience research makes clear that humans hardly ever perceive odors in a neutral or purely objective way, but rather smells are loaded with strong feelings and can help to instantly recall a past event or memory.

We can use this connection to our advantage by leveraging our memories and our moods when selecting a fragrance diffuser, room spray or candle. Maybe, you’re like me and lavender reminds you of someone like your aunt or grandmother. Pick up an olive and lavender fragrance diffuser to trigger your happy memories as you’re attempting one of their favourite recipes.

You could also experiment with aromatherapy. While the jury is out on the cause-and-effect relationship of essential oils and their ability to affect your mood, there is some positive correlation. Lavender may help to decrease anxiety. Peppermint may help to wake us up, and could be useful in invigoration. Lemon and rosemary are said to be able to enhance focus and help with cognitive performance. Cedar and orange smells could help to reduce tension. After the year we’ve all had, burning a beautiful citrus-scented candle certainly can’t hurt.

Or if you interested in eliminating scents to help achieve your desired setting, you can also use a Maison Berger Lamp. In addition to its system of diffusion by a catalyst, the lamps themselves act as an art piece with designs from many renowned artists, making them the perfect hyrbid of function and style.

Don’t be limited by pure function or intimidated by a complete makeover or renovation, there are so many fun, simple ways to change up your space.

What are some of your favourite décor items in your home? We’d love to hear from you.