Your bathroom is your inner sanctum -- a place to unwind, rejuvenate and awaken the senses. Surround yourself with the comforts found in a spa to pamper your troubles away.

Set the Mood
Paint or paper the bath in tranquil shades of pink and coral -- complimentary to all skin tones. Rich details such as beadboard, marble surfaces and crown moldings will add richness. Place lightswitches on dimmers and use lots of candles for the ultimate bathing experience.

Choose Textures Wisely
Place a deep-piled area rug under foot. Keep plush, fluffy towels in thirsty weaves rolled up in baskets or perched on open shelving, within reach. Add a towel bar warmer -- a real treat. If your bathroom is large enough, set up a vanity table with terrycloth covered bench and a chaise for lounging while you relax with a facemask or read a good book. Turn your tub into a whirlpool with jet bubble bathmats easily found in department stores, and don't forget the bath pillow!

Add Plants
Plants that thrive in humid conditions, such as Boston fern and Philodendron, make perfect bathing companions. Potted herbs will not only scent the room, but will enhance your beauty routine when you snip off some lavender, mint, or lemon verbena for your bath.

Take care with details and use beautiful containers for soaps, powders, lotions and toothbrushes. Even mouthwash can look attractive if kept in a cut-glass decanter. Bath trays can hold many beauty supplies and help save room on storage as well. Wicker caddies hold towels, sea sponges and aromatherapy treatments, and can be moved when needed. Indulge all of your senses and play some soothing music, and keep a cozy bathrobe nearby to snuggle into when you're through.

When you want to relax, nothing will be more pleasurable than coming home to your very own spa -- a place of luxurious treats.

About the author: Kimberly Merritt, an interior designer and redesigner, has been decorating and designing for more than a decade. She enjoys writing about home and lifestyle for a variety of media outlets including a column for New Hampshire Magazine where she writes about decorating and New England life. She is the author of numerous magazine and newspaper articles and has written several decorating course booklets. She has taught several interior decorating classes in the area and for other design businesses. She also conducts redesign training workshops for the person interested in turning their passion for decorating into a career of their own.

Visit her online at Beautiful Living Online or Decorating and Redesign Training.

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