Bathroom Walls – Plane Jane or Do You Just Want to Crawl Up Them
The largest surface area in your bathroom is your walls next to your bathroom floor and ceiling. Walls can be light and neutral or bold and exciting depending on whether you want them to recede or boldly make a statement. Variations in color, motifs and texture can bring mismatched fixtures together or break your design coherence. Paints, wall coverings, tile and laminates such as wall paper can be your best friend or literally be an eye sore.
Just like floors, bathroom walls are mainly used as a backdrop to other design fixtures, to either harmonize them or create contrast. This area can logically be reduced by your choice of fixtures, storage cabinets, vanity, windows and doorways. Yet there are some practical elements that everyone should consider when planning their bathroom walls such as moisture resistance and easy maintenance.
The area in proximity to the shower and tub are extremely important because they will invariably come in contact with water and should without saying be finished with materials that are completely waterproof. Tile is commonly used for this area and the material behind it is just as equally important. When laying tile, you should skin a coat of thinset on any walls that are out of plumb and fill the depressions using a margain trowel for even coating. Before you install the backerboard on top of this base, mark stud centers on the ceiling so you know where to fasten the backerboard to the studs. With the backerboard in place you will now be able to install your tile knowing you have a solid waterproof backing. The rest of your bathroom walls can be covered with standard wallboard.
The simplest and usually most cost efficient treatment for the walls in your bathroom is paint. Typically this is applied in a light or neutral color to emphasize the other bathroom elements, though wall laminates with very subtle patterns can be just as effective because they offer eye candy by adding a subtle visual richness in the variance of color and texture. Just be careful not to overdo this or the bold wall coverings can create a cluttered, distracting and claustrophobic look that can disharmonize and shrink the visual space in your bathroom. On the other hand if you want to use flamboyant wall treatments, make sure the fixtures and other décor elements in your bathroom are neutral and unadorned to contrast the busy walls and still bring out the fixtures. Just remember, finished bathroom wall surfaces should be chosen for their good looks and dexterity in a moisture ridden environment.
Don’t forget to check out our other categories that teach you how to clean up your old bathroom through renovation techniques, design new ways of depicting your bath, alter your bathroom with remodeling ideas, see tendencies in contemporary washroom trends and everyday products for bathrooms reviewed for the latest information.
