Update Your Oak Bathroom Easily

An Oak bathroom can be very charming. At the same time, it can also look a little bit dated so you may just want to really freshen things up just a tad. This will give you a more of a modern and contemporary feeling and you won't even have to do a lot of remodeling.

Bring in color to tone down the wood. This color can seem a little bit harsh. It might remind you of the decorating style that was popular a few decades ago. You can really work with this kind of wood tone. Of course you could try staining and painting it but this is a lot of work and doesn't always really turn out that well with this form of wood. Often times Oak is chosen just because it is so inexpensive so people can advertise that they have real wood cabinetry in their space. Instead, you can just choose a very soothing and calming paint color such as gray or blue. You will still need to find a way to bring in warmer wood tones through your artwork. You might even be able to find a tile that has both warm and cool tones in it. Of course you could use this as a backsplash but you could also just hang a few large tiles on the wall.

Another decorative accessory that can really help you decorate with this kind of material is to bring in touches of copper. As copper ages it will take on a green or blue patina. This could be a vessel sink, faucet, or even metal artwork. This really gives you the opportunity to tie in the orange wood tone but also bring in a more soothing and subtle color palette in a much more updated way. Plus, this will be quite inexpensive and can also be very charming.

You can tie bathroom in with an entire theme. This will keep it from sticking out like a sore thumb. At the same time it really ensures that you get a room that you are happy with. You might not be able to choose every single element in the room but you can choose an overall feeling or theme. This allows you to incorporate what you have to use in with all of your wishes and desires. The kind of finish that you choose should really depend on the overall theme because each one will require different wood tones.

An obvious choices for this is to go with a country palette. This can be very relaxing and has a lot of character. You could display a few dried flower plants such as herbs or lavender on your bathroom vanity. Of course, you really don't want to go overkill with the accessories so your space will still be functional and it's probably pretty much on the small side as most bathrooms are.

You might just hate the look of your oak bathroom simply because it seems very masculine or like you didn’t even decorate. You could really just take this in an entirely new direction. You could refinish your wood with a pickling process. A few years ago these vanities were very popular and they had a few intricate details and carvings on them. This makes it perfect for a little bit of French style. Then you can decorate with an oversized mural. The frame should be large and ornate as well as in your favorite metallic color, whether it's pewter, gold or silver. Then just use various sophisticated color palettes and invest in a quality cloth shower curtain. This can totally make you rethink how you feel about this kind of look.

You might have this wood on more than just the vanity. It might appear on ceiling beams, door trims or even the door itself. This was considered an upgrade a few years ago but now, it might seem a little bit outdated. Instead, you can really embrace the architectural details and work them in with an overall theme. For instance you could invest in a porcelain copper sink that has been hand painted with beautiful terra-cotta oranges and cobalt blues. Then bring in a high end chandelier and keep the walls a bright white. This will especially work well with the texture and your walls can mimic mix plaster. This will give you a casual Southwest feeling that can really be bright and cheerful or dramatic and moody depending on how you style it. This way the pieces in your bathroom can really be an asset to your overall design style and be the jumping off point for your entire theme.