Although it’s hard for many people to remember due to the
extremely cold and snowy weather (hi, polar vortex), spring will be here in
just a few weeks. This might not mean much to states that never get snow, or
should have gotten snow, but didn’t (hi, California), but to a lot of people,
this simple demarcation means they made it. Snow will continue to fall in March
and maybe even April, but it’s spring snow. And spring snow is good for
flowers, right?
Rites of Spring
It’s the idea of rebirth, renewal, and refreshing oneself.
There’s Easter, Ostara, and lots of other ways to mark the coming of spring.
One of the more practical ways to mark the coming of a new season, and what
might also be called tradition in many homes, is spring cleaning.
While everyone has their own ideas about what spring cleaning
means, every culture has something with regard to how you can change, or even
improve, where you live with a shaking off of winter’s chill. Again, this is
probably more popular where it gets cold, and it isn’t necessarily all in March
or April. Still, if you’ve been tracking in dirt, leaves have been sticking to
your shoes, and winter clothes are piled up for easy access, it’s time to think
about cleaning house.
Along the lines of cleaning house, shaking out the drapes, and
getting ready for some warm weather, adding to or improving the home itself is
an annual event. Rites of spring can be a many tiered event.
Maybe it’s the cold, but showers and baths are longer during the
fall and winter, which means you’re spending more time in the bathroom. Whether
you’re simply soaking in your bathtub or luxuriating in a steam shower, it
gives you time to look around and really take in the room. Are you happy with
it? Maybe it’s time to update the bathroom in part or in whole. Regardless,
it’s time to change.
Chalk up this change to the Wheel of the Year making another
partial revolution. Things age, fall apart; people grow, evolve, and want
different – and new – things. What seemed like a perfectly reasonable
traditional room when you moved in might now be better suited as a modern room.
When thinking of updating or renovating your bathroom, think of form and
function. Where is the eye drawn, and what do you want to be seen?
The Vanity
One of the central pieces in any bathroom used daily is the
vanity. This is usually a focal point, as well. Vanities come in many different
forms that are perfect for whatever size bathroom you have. Half baths and
master bathrooms both need a vanity. We use them as storage, counter space, as
a base for the sink, and all of these combined.
Vanities are one of the most versatile pieces you can have in
your bathroom. Wall mount or floor mount options depend on your preference, as
do the addition of double or single sinks. They can be matched to compliment
mirrors and medicine cabinets directly above them, giving the area, no matter
how small, a way to stand out. The variety of finishes and colors allow
homeowners to go with a theme or make the room stand out separate from all
other rooms in the home.
Bathtubs and Showers
Spring cleaning and bathroom renovation wouldn’t be complete
without considering your bathing options. If you live in a house with a shower
and tub combo, but have never used the bathtub (or only use it rarely), perhaps
it’s time to upgrade to a walk-in shower with body spray jets. Timers,
aromatherapy, and massage are only some of the options here.
On the other hand, maybe you want to increase the function of
your bathtub because you enjoy soaking in it regularly. Soaking tubs are made
for this activity, and also include jets as an option. This turns soaking in a
tub into more of a luxuriating experience.
Depending on the size of your bathroom, you might even have the
room for both a walk-in steam shower and a soaking tub – or even whirlpool.
Like vanities, tubs come in a variety of styles to fit with your traditional or
contemporary ideas. There are many solutions to bathing and beyond when it
comes to bathroom renovation ideas.
For how long it seems the cold sticks around throughout the
autumn and winter, it’s important to keep in mind, if only to ease your mind,
that spring will come. As surely as the sun will rise, a new season will come
and bring with it possibility. Whether it’s because we’ve opened the curtains
and windows to let the sun and warming air in, we also grow expansive in the
way we see our living space. As you consider what to give up, give away, clean
out, and square away with the approach of spring, consider how things might
change with a bathroom renovation. Let the light in and see what happens.
