Splish Splash: it’s time to update the bath!

Photo: Pottery Barn Kids.

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network-Florida

We’ve all had one. A bathroom in our home that we try to ignore.

It’s the one that was left until last to renovate and the day never came. Or you moved into a home that had builder grade everything and you just never got around to ripping out that huge mirror and long bar of big glass lightbulbs that top it off. Or maybe you moved into a new home years ago and it’s time for a major bathroom refresh.

What I’ve learned from helping interior decorating clients in the Southwest Florida area for the last 20 years, is that bathrooms are often the last in line for attention. Like laundry rooms. But the truth is this: if you aren’t ready for a complete top to bottom renovation, there is a lot you can do to give this (important) room a mini redo. Whether it’s a primary bath, kid’s bath, guest bath or powder room. Here are a few of my tips from the small-on-a-budget bathroom refresh to more of an investment, depending on your time and budget.

Bathroom redux: from drab to fabulous

There was a time when the bathroom was the most unmentioned room in the home. No longer. Today, bathrooms, as much as any room in house, reflect the style of the owners. It’s the most personal space in your home. It’s typically the smallest room and yet you begin and end your day in your bathroom. Next to the kitchen, it’s the most important room in the home.

Have some fun with your bath makeover with this jelly fish bloom wall covering from Thibaut Design’s summer house collection. Photo: Thibaut Design.

And honestly, it’s the most fun room to redo and with a little creativity, it can be spectacular!

Come up with a plan

If you have a bath that you’ve been thinking about redoing, you first need to come up with a plan and answer a few questions.

How long do you plan to stay in your home?

Are you planning to sell soon?

Will you be in your home for 10 years or more?

These are important questions and will help you decide the following:

What is your budget?

Does your bathroom need a little refreshing? Maybe just new hardware? Or a complete makeover?

Think about these questions and consider the following tips for your own personal situation.

Quick refresh

This is a quick mini redo and can be done on a weekend. It will make the room pretty and you will be much happier with the space.

Wall treatments and accessories play a huge part in a bath refresh. From Serena and Lily, Sealife wallpaper sets a coastal tone in blue and white with a Larchmont rattan mirror. The look is comp-leted with two raffia wave sconces. Photo: Serena and Lily.

What to do: Paint the room or wallpaper. This is a game changer that will transform your bath. For something different, paint the walls a bright white, paint the ceiling a blue and accessorize with sea glass colors. Recommendation: Benjamin Moore’s Aura® Bath & Spa paint. It’s mildew-resistant and is Low VOC/ low odor so you can return to using your room quickly.

But there’s more: If you have a large (outdated) mirror across the vanity, remove it and hang a single mirror (or mirrors, depending upon the size). If it’s not possible to remove the mirror, frame it. My favorite go-to source to make a large mirror look better is mirrormate.com. Simply measure, order a custom frame and install it over the mirror. Easy.

Finishing touches: New rug, yes a rug, not the small bath mats, new shower curtain, new piece of artwork, update accessories on countertops (but not too many), repair caulking and have tile and caulking cleaned. Purchase a set of hotel-style bath towels. Add candles or aromatherapy and you are all set to enjoy. Welcome to your new bathroom.

Bathroom makeover

Beautiful Pottery Barn Miller double sink vanity made of mango wood with shaker fronts gives the look of a custom built-in. Accented with pops of matte black in drawer pulls, widespread faucets and mirrors for a modern edge. Top is white quartz. Photo: Pottery Barn

Maybe you have builder’s grade finishes and fixtures. Or perhaps you are planning to sell your home in a couple of years. You don’t want to go overboard but it’s time to spiff it up for eventual resale and for your enjoyment until that time comes. Remember: When it comes to resale, a bathroom gives a potential seller a hint about the condition of the rest of the home.

What to do: Depending upon budget, replace flooring, vanity, lighting, countertops, mirror, hardware, faucets, showerheads, hand shower (kids and pets, not to mention cleaning) light fixtures, tile around tub and shower. Paint walls and trim or add wallpaper. Replace showerhead. Replace toilets if needed. If possible, leave all plumbing in place to avoid additional expense. You are replacing what currently exists with all new and upgraded.

Extras: Again, depending upon budget. Floor to ceiling glass-enclosed shower (makes the room look larger). Freestanding bathtub is an option is space permits. White quartz countertops. Shimmering tiles as accent around tub and shower. New sinks. Artwork. Fan or ceiling light fixture. Accessories. Plants.

Finishing touches: Incorporate a piece of furniture such as a chair, vintage cabinet for storage or basket of shells on the floor. There is no limit to what is available on the market and your decorator or designer can help you select every element for the style that you select.

Quick tips and trends

Take a photo of the room before you begin and look at it with an open mind.

Make a vision board as you decide on walls and sources.

Frameless mirrors are a huge trend and offer a minimalist look.

If vanity is still good, paint it a color.

Add feet to a basic vanity to update the look.

You don’t have to spend a fortune on vanity lighting.

Black fixtures are having a big moment. Proceed with caution. Will you love it in 10 years?

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. Based in Bonita Springs with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and color palettes. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog

Thom Filicia: Finding the soul of the home

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network • Nov. 6, 2021

Home is the center of our lives in ways that we would have never expected. We’re all adapting space to maximize every square foot. Outdoor spaces, especially in Southwest Florida, have become part of the living area and exciting, new décor reflects the expansion from indoors to outdoors. Spa bathrooms have moved to the top of the list as many clients tell me they’re not going to wait to add what makes them happy. And they are thoughtfully maximizing their budgets.

As a Southwest Florida interior decorator, I’m continuously interested in what’s new in home design and I’m always looking for new inspiration to keep our homes fresh, comfortable and beautiful.

The Thom Filicia Collection for Vanguard at High Point Market includes comfortable and timeless furnishings, bold color, focal point artwork from Thom Filica for Wendover (Commune of Figures), a Giclee on gallery wrapped canvas. Use of textures, metals, glass.

And that’s why I was happy to have a chance to sit down with designer Thom Filicia at the recent fall High point Market in North Carolina. It’s one of the places I go to reboot and find inspiration. More than 12 million square feet of show space comes alive with 2,000 exhibitors along with designers, buyers, architects and educators from all over the world.

Filicia has long been one of my favorite designers. He’s a bit of a rock star but doesn’t realize it as he happily takes hordes of visitors around his collection and talks to them like they are old friends. That’s his endearing quality. And it’s also what makes him a great designer.

With Thom Filicia at High Point Market.

You may remember him from the Emmy-winning Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, as the design expert. Today he is a huge name in interior design with an impressive portfolio of residential commercial and hospitality interiors all over the world. He’s designed homes for celebrities including Tina Fey and Jennifer Lopez. He’s also a best-selling author and has some thoughts about design trends as we head in to what is hopefully the post-covid phase.

On this crisp, fall morning in High Point, we met in the Vanguard showroom and relaxed in the comfortable Thom Filicia Home Collection for Vanguard. We could have easily been sitting in his home with his trademark bold colors and comfortable designs. A collection of artwork from the Thom Filicia Home Collection for Wendover (Tampa) is perfectly curated to effortlessly accent the furnishings. High Point was a busy time for him as he also unveiled Thom Filicia collections for Feizy Rugs, hardware for Accurate and bedding for Eastern Accents.

Bold jewel tones from Thom Filicia for Eastern Accents.

Filicia says there has definitely been a shift over the past 18 months as homeowners look for ways to enhance their environments by taking action rather than dreaming about their wish list of new kitchens, bathrooms, outdoor and indoor spaces. And rethinking how we live in our homes.

“It’s important that we tell our story in our homes. In a soulful way that reflects the point of view of the people who live there and it should be done simply and timeless.”

When working on homes in Florida, he adds extra focus on exterior spaces and the “blur” where the outdoors “flows” into the outdoors.

“It should be a natural, effortless connection where there is little obvious difference as one flows into the other.”

His designs use a lot of texture to add visual interest. And it’s obvious that he is not afraid to use color. Bold color. A designer after my own heart.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solve decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog