Here ’s what to consider when style your lavatory ( and how to ensure it ’s healthful ) .

TRACEY AMADIO

Decorating your bathroom add up with making some pretty personal pick . you may go for aspa - like atmospherefor relaxation and pampering , while others ( in particular with apowder way ) go all out with colour and pattern . No matter how you settle to design your lav , there ’s one element you ca n’t get out — the pot . All the high-pitched - remainder fixtures andplush , fluffy towelsin the world ca n’t disguise the fact that a bathroom is meant for business .

Basket with magazines on toilet in powder room

Credit:TRACEY AMADIO

So , what ’s the proficient mode to accost the flushable elephant in the room ? Should you dress it up and make it pretty or pretend it ’s not there ? And beyond the expression is the question of germ — is it even sanitary to tot interior decoration on top or behind your toilet ?

Like most pattern questions , it ’s up to the designer ( aka you ! ) . For some experts , the answer comes in the form of a toilet wardrobe , separating it from the relief of the outer space . For others , there are stylistic ways to make it merge .

“ will the throne as is , and produce a quad where the commode is the last thing you search at , ” decorator Victoria Armour toldHouse Beautiful .

black pink bathroom

Credit: Colleen Duffley

Or you’re able to go the pure other direction with colorful plumbery : With the ' seventy make a comeback in DoI , pastel porcelain fixtures offer a forward-looking , maximalist take on a nostalgic trend . Plus , you ’re creating a focal distributor point without add in any other decor firearm .

When styling your potty , there are source to debate : Decorating your toilet might not be the most sanitary . Anexperiment at the University of Coloradoat Boulder found airborne particles ejected from bathroom traveled up to over 6 feet per second and reached nearly 5 feet above the toilet , with most land behind it . hazard are , those particles will put down on your pretty flowered arrangement or , even more concerning , your tissue boxful holder .

This does n’t inevitably mean you should n’t ever add decor to the ring area — but it ’s important to be cognisant they merit some extra attention oncleaning Clarence Day .

bathroom green sink

cling a statement framed post horse or fine art piece above your commode to draw and quarter the eye up and by from it , or set a couple floating shelf with handbasket for functionality and style . Decor sitting on top of your toilet is secure , too . impart a little something to this small blank space with minimal item , embody clustercore : a wooden tray with essentials , ascented candleand a small decorative bowl .

If you desire to keep it simplestyle your toiletor the space around it , there really are no convention — just ensure you have your cleaning supplying on hand .