10 Things That Make Our Bathroom Feel Chic

Though our master bathroom is hardly my dream salle de bain (we plan to one day renovate it), there are certain elements that I can enjoy now to make this important room feel not only intentional, but also like a welcoming and beautiful oasis where we get ready each day.

Fresh Flowers and a Floral Candle

Fresh flowers, or even some clipped branches from the yard are always a must because they add a fresh dimension and an element of ephemeral beauty. Also, I always love florals for the bathroom which is why I usually gravitate towards a floral scented candle here. In other areas of the home, florals can be too much, especially if they are too close to the kitchen. So in the bathroom, I feel like you can go all out with orange blossom, gardenia and freesia. My current candle in here is Nest Orange Blossom.

Fresh lisianthus and an empty Jo Malone candle jar filled with perfume

Nest Orange Blossom candle and a piece of coral

 

Upholstered Chair

I fully believe in treating the bathroom as a room, and as such, why not add some upholstery? I have seen so many gorgeous bathrooms on Pinterest with a chair acting as a valet to hold a stack of towels. We plan to add a soaking tub in our bathroom one day, and rather than devote space to a linen closet in the bathroom, I think I’d rather just have a few good towels stacked on a chair ready for use.

White Linens

All you need is a small collection of good linens. 2-3 towels per person in your household is plenty, plus an extra set for guests and you’ll have more than enough. I love white towels because they are not only reminiscent of a spa, they are so easy to care for. If they get stained, a little bleach or bleach alternative goes a long way. I also have a few vintage French linen hand towels which are pretty, and absorbent, for drying off hands. They’re easy to care for, too. While linen is always at its finest when pressed with an iron, if you just lay it flat to dry, it will dry stick straight and be ready to fold and hang.

Upholstered chair and stack of linens

White French linen hand towel

Original Artwork

I think that of the most adult things you can have in your home is a treasured collection of original artwork. Art is so personal, and what better place to display sentimental pieces, or a personal photo collection than in your bathroom? What we have in here is an oil painting of a mangrove tree that sat on my grandmother’s bathroom countertop at her vanity for as long as I can remember, and now it lives in ours.

Countertop Lamp

Adding a lamp to your bathroom countertop adds instant coziness and ambiance, and that plus a lit candle is especially good for when you have guests.

Acrylic Tissue Holder

I refuse to have any cardboard tissue boxes on display and love the spa vibes of a chic, acrylic tissue box. It’s easily one of my most favorite under $20 Amazon purchases ever, and comes in both square or rectangle, depending on your tissue preferences.

Oil painting and countertop lamp

Clear Surfaces and Trays

‘Addition by subtraction’ is one of my favorite ways to transform a space. It’s by having less, not more, that you can make anything feel refined and elevated. Think of a spa or a fine hotel; are they cluttered with a million bathroom products and gadgets on the surfaces? Never! Keep out only what is absolutely necessary, and for the rest, corral with chic acrylic trays, glass vessels and silver julep cups.

Quality Bath Products

I live for a fancy soap, and think that a quotidian task such as hand-washing should be a delightful, sensory experience. In the shower, I love Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin and currently by the sink we have Aesop Mandarin, Rosemary and Cedar Hand Wash.

Bathroom countertop essentialsMinimal shower products

Baskets

Baskets are a great option for items that might be awkward stored in a cabinet, or perhaps you just don’t have the space. I keep my hair dryer, curling irons, flat iron, and hair products in the large and small Bolga baskets from Connected Goods. It’s also handy because I don’t always get ready in the bathroom, and more often can just tote my basket to my dressing room and have all of my hair supplies at hand.

Perfume Tray

I found this pretty, vintage perfume tray for a few dollars at Goodwill, and love keeping my little collection of scents on display. I think perfume is too pretty to hide away (unlike toothpaste, which nearly always belongs in a cabinet).

Towel valet chair and Bolga basket full of hair supplies

Perfume tray