Feel the Florida

I have often written about growing up in Florida and spending the day at Beverly Beach. As the tide moved in, the waves would swell and break with a mighty whoosh and hiss as they died out on the shore line. We would spend hours riding the swells of the waves hoping to catch the crest and ride it all the way in until we would skid to a slippery stop on the sand. Scraped up knees and arms were quite common but salt water heals all wounds. So we would suck it up, grab our body board and march back into the ocean ready for the next big one. Pelicans would fly low across the water and occasionally we would jump when something felt weird beneath our feet in sandy bottom of the sea. Finally, that night just before falling to sleep you still could feel the waves pulling and pushing you in the ocean that was left behind hours ago. What a wonderful life to be raised in Florida under sunshine and with ocean on each side of the state. In the world of decorating, it does not matter the geographical location, my clients want their guest to feel like they are in Florida so let’s take a peek into two guest bathrooms that will make you feel wrapped in Floridian sun and maybe if you are lucky a little sandy grit between those toes somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Bathroom 1
The first bathroom is a bathroom in a Villa that will be a rental. The key to this bathroom is to make a statement when the guests walk into the space. The statement that says, “Hello I am in Florida” is the shower curtain. We purchased a shower curtain that is printed with shells, coral, starfish, and sea fan. This curtain works great because it uses only three colors; teal blue, indigo blue, and white as the background. Restricting the colors to three in the print keeps the curtain calmer and more uniform.

• Bathroom 1 towels
Since this is a renter’s guest bathroom we wanted to keep the space simple and easy to clean as well as, visually stimulating. We chose to pull out the teal blue because we used that color throughout the rest of the house. The bathroom towels are a mixture of solid teal and a printed towel that matched the shower curtain. Keep the towels simple and easy to clean or replace. For the rental or for personal use, I would buy extra towels in case something happens to the print and you cannot get them any longer. We chose a solid teal bath mat that pops on the floor and visually ties into the towels and the curtain.

• Bathroom 1 art
The item that is most forgotten in a guest bath is statement making art.
The art does not have to be expensive but is should look great. It does not have to be bathroom specific art. We chose a framed canvas from a local retailer that depicts flamingos on a beach with palm trees. I like the picture because it has “Florida” written across the bottom. This picture reminded me of vintage art posters all about Florida that have become so popular as an homage to the great tourism days of the fifties and sixties.

• Guest bathroom 2
The second guest bathroom is for guest in a personal home. This bathroom has a bit more décor and counter space. We started with an extra tall shower curtain. We purchases two of the same shower curtain and had a local seamstress combine them for a more custom look. The curtain is 96” inches high. We hung it high to draw the eye upward. If you install an extra-long decorative shower curtain remember to buy the extra-long shower curtain liner as well.

• Big art above the toilet
I love to make a huge statement over the toilet if we have the space. The homeowners chose a large print by Gene Rizzo entitled, “Hey Back Away From My Fish”. The picture shows a very large blue heron poised to catch a fish. The water color makes a great visual impression and the height of the picture works with the height of the shower curtain. We also hung two framed seashells on the wall opposite the vanity. The two seashells completed the art collection for the bathroom.

• Towels in a basket
Extra towels are always needed in a guest bathroom. We rolled up lots of extra towels and washcloths and displayed them in a basket. The display looks great and provides the function of storage and accessibility.

• Lantern
The lantern on the counter contains an arrangement of sea fan, shells and barnacle. I like that the display stays in place because it was made by a professional. Also, the enclosed lantern keeps the arrangement inside from getting dusty so maintenance is easy.

• Bathmats
The bathmats are small and easy to wash as the homeowners requested but they provide a pop of color in front of the shower and the sink.

Call Ruth your full service decorator at: 352-804-2056
or Contact Us

Images Below