Refresh your bathroom with Resene

From the Resene decorating blog

The bathroom is sometimes the most daunting space to renovate. However, it can enhance wellbeing and mindfulness if the environment is favourable in the spaces we spend time in.

Don’t neglect your bathroom. A refresh can make a big difference to your sense of wellbeing. Not only will you be more likely to spend more time in the bathroom after a refresh – perhaps more regularly taking the time to have a relaxing soak rather than eschewing spending time in a grungy area or making bath time with the kids a more pleasurable experience – you will also impress friends and family when they come to visit and ask to use your facilities.

Botanical print wallpaper on soft pink background

Resene offers a range of wallpapers that are suitable for wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries. This bathroom has been beautified with Resene Wallpaper Collection HX8057 which features a pretty botanical print on a soft pink background. Pair with bright walls in Resene Alabaster, trims in Resene Half Alabaster and flooring in Resene Colorwood Natural protected in Resene Qristal ClearFloor.

You can tell a lot about someone from their bathroom – the devil is in the detail. Additionally, you can improve the environment of the space by using paints that ward against mould and are easy to wipe down and, by focusing on the decor of your (often) smallest room, you will also start thinking about adding little touches that will make a big difference to daily life.

Changing the colour of your bathroom with Resene paint is probably one of the quickest changes you can make to stamp your personal style on your home and practise a little creativity or make a bold colour choice you wouldn’t want to use in a room you spend more time in.

Just add colour!

Bathrooms do not need to be clinical and white. Try a feature wall in a bold colour, a beautifully patterned Resene wallpaper, a combination of two colours, one for the walls and another for panelling or trims and doors or even an arty feature such as a trompe l’oeil (a painting that is almost a mirage and can open up the space or create the sense of a window or a view where there is none). Or if you’ve inherited a colour that, after living with it for a while, doesn’t suit you, you can easily do a refresh in your favourite shade – you’ll be amazed how much difference it makes.

While blues and greens have most often been the colours chosen for bathrooms for a fresh clean space, you can choose any colour you like.

A pop of colour on the bathroom's tongue-and-groove panelling

A pop of colour is used on the tongue-and-groove panelling of this bathroom.

Back wall painted in Resene Elderflower, floor finished in Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash, wooden bath mat and inside of the tray-table painted in Resene Mozart and vases in Resene Meditation and Resene Kandinsky. Bath, filler and handles from Plumbing World. Project by Megan Harrison-Turner, image by Bryce Carleton.

A stylish blue bathroom

The walls of this stylish bathroom have been painted in Resene Cut Glass – a refreshing and uplifting colour. This is complemented by a vanity in Resene Bermuda Grey, a French grey-blue. The wooden floorboards have been given an update by being painted in a mix of complementary colours: Resene Raven, Resene Half Raven, Resene Gull Grey, Resene Grey Shadow, Resene Regent Grey and Resene Kensington Grey. Slatted screen in Resene Half Black White, wooden bathmat in Resene Black White, ladder in Resene Silver Chalice and side tables in Resene Avalanche. Basin mixer and sink from Plumbing World, soap dispenser from Freedom. Project by Megan Harrison-Turner, image by Bryce Carleton.

Choose the right product

Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom is a kitchen and bathroom paint formulated especially for wet areas with anti-bacterial silver and MoulDefender to prevent a build up of mould. Antibacterial silver protection is internationally recognised as a safe and healthy method of deodorising and sanitising surfaces that come in contact with skin, food and water.

Use Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom semi-gloss on trims and joinery for an enamel style finish with added durability. This breakthrough product may be used in all those areas traditionally reserved for solvent-borne enamels. Non-yellowing and fast-drying with easy water clean up.

And complete the room with Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom on ceilings.

Always make sure you have treated any areas of mould before you repaint using Resene Moss & Mould Killer. If you don’t kill the mould it will grow through new paint finishes.

A luxurious bathroom update - hanging wallpaper

Sometimes an update can be achieved with just one easy action, such as hanging wallpaper. This bathroom has been given a luxurious update that will ensure an indulgent bathing experience with Resene Wallpaper Collection HX4035, a design inspired by the work of Art Nouveaux artist Alphonse Mucha. Featuring a striking lady in repose, this wallpaper suits period homes. Pair with a green-toned white wall colour such as Resene Rice Cake and flooring in Resene Colorwood Whitewash or Resene Colorwood Natural protected with Resene Qristal ClearFloor.

Revamp your cabinetry

Painting your cabinetry is a quick way to update a bathroom that has seen better times.

Give the cabinetry a good clean with Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner.
Apply Resene Smooth Surface Sealer. This helps to provide a grip coat for the topcoats to stick onto.
Finish with Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel.
If your handles are looking a little old and worn, update them with new handles.

Your cabinetry will look as good as new at a fraction of the cost and hassle of replacing them.

Added features

If your bathroom is small, create storage in a space-saving way by building a wooden shelving unit around your toilet. You can use it for storing toilet paper, toilet cleaner and other supplies and put a lovely plant on the top bench shelf. Paint it to either blend into the wall colour or stand out using a paint such as Resene Enamacryl gloss or Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel that is easy to wipe down. You can choose to have cupboard doors or open shelving depending on what you are going to store and whether you want contents to be visible or hidden.
Add a slimline wall heater to keep your bathroom cosy in the winter – some styles can be customised so you can paint it to blend in with the wall colour. A heated towel rail is another useful addition. A more major project is installing underfloor heating. You could do this if you are planning to replace the flooring anyway and achieve two improvements in one.
Don’t forget the floor when refreshing your bathroom. You can use Resene paint to create a chequerboard effect, wooden floorboard style or any pattern of your choice. Ask at your local Resene ColorShop for the best prep and painting option to suit your existing flooring.

When you’re finished your decorating, always give your bathroom plenty of time to dry before using it. Keeping windows open and the air circulating will help with this. After you have started using your bathroom you may notice small white streaks on your paint. This can be caused by surfactant leaching where water is sitting on top of your paint. This can be easily wiped off. It doesn’t affect the quality of the paint. It's more likely to be noticeable with darker paints.

Remember to check your lighting and ventilation when redecorating to make sure both suit the space. If you opt for a darker colour you may need extra lighting, or if you go from dark to light you may want to reduce the lighting a little so it isn’t too glary.

Add towels and accessories to suit your new colour palette and then it’s time to enjoy your new space.