AVOID THESE 4 OUTDATED BATHROOM TRENDS

Your home’s bathroom may be diminutive in size but it carries a big punch when it comes to your overall interior design. The small details can make or break the style you’ve worked so hard to achieve in other areas of your home, so don’t give short shrift to bathroom decor.

According to the design experts at marthastewart.com, a bathroom’s design should be conducive to the room’s functionality—grooming, bathing, getting ready for the day, preparing for sleep—as well as its aesthetic appeal as a welcoming and serene space. One of these outdated design trends, however, will thwart these objectives:

All-white. While outfitting your bathroom entirely in white—from paint to tile to towels—can certainly provide a fresh and spacious feel, it also requires an unrealistic level of vigilance to keep it clean. Designers also explain that this stark look can come off as cold and fragile. A quick fix for this pristine landscape is to introduce color in different textures. Think mood-lifting blue towels, calming green ceramics and plants, or a multi-colored floor mat. If you really do love a neutral look, weave in some earth tones, such as stone-colored linens or an earth-tone painted accent wall.

Big bathtubs. While an oversized jacuzzi tub in the bathroom was an attractive feature a few years back, these days it’s viewed as taking too much space, too much water and too much time to clean. If the idea is to use the tub as a design focal point, go for a traditional-sized tub in an unusual color or install some unique hardware. Another pro tip: Add uniquely designed wallpaper behind the tub.

Ornate vanities. Designers say that unless you have a historical home, ornate millwork in the bathroom is passe. Replace it with a more streamlined option, such as a shaker or flat-front style.

Wooden beams. While ceilings outfitted with wooden beams offer a cozy, rustic look to a room, it’s not the best option for a bathroom. Wood is notorious for absorbing moisture, which not only causes it to swell, but eventually leads to mold and mildew build-up. So unless you have advanced ventilation in your bathroom, wooden beams are not the best choice. If you’ll really miss the warm feel that wood provides in the bathroom, opt for a teak shower bench. Teak is waterproof and mold-resistant, and can last more than 10 years, designers add.