The Ritz-Carlton Dallas Spa BathroomI loved the shower at the The Ritz-Carlton Dallas! Hoping to make my own home bath more like a spa bathroom! What do you think?!?!

Posted by Spa Travel Gal on Sunday, December 27, 2015

When I am staying in a nice hotel one of the things I get the most excited about are the spa bathrooms. I mean the big bed with the expensive linen that is magically made when you get back to your room is nice too, but I always find myself rushing into the bathroom to see what luxury awaits me there. Most recently while staying at The Ritz-Carlton Dallas. That big bathtub, the rainfall showerhead and the fluffy bathrobe just make me feel so pampered. It was after returning from one of these trips to my own somewhat lackluster bathroom that I realized how silly it was, that I was perfectly happy to spend money on these expensive hotels but had not invested any into making my own bathroom as nice. So I made it my mission to transform my bathroom at home into something that can go toe to toe with any 5-star bathroom. I didn’t want to spend too much money or time on it, so avoided making fundamental changes like tiling and stuck to small adjustments. I started by adding a Speakman Shower head just like the one that most Ritz-Carlton properties use in their so spa bathrooms. It was pretty easy to do and believe me, it was money well spent.

Set the right mood.

The first thing to do is probably deciding on a color scheme. There are many possible directions to go in here, but for me light beiges and browns are the most soothing. Many hotels have dark marble bathrooms and while I think they are stunning, the dark colors are a little oppressive for your home. If you like something a little more colorful, pale blues and greens work well too and give any bathroom a marine feeling.

Get all new basics.

Once you have settled on your color scheme you can start to redecorate. Get yourself a set of fluffy towels in all sizes and a bathroom floor mat that compliments the new atmosphere you are trying to establish. As the towels will be on display a lot of the time it is worth spending some time choosing just the right color for them as well. And don’t forget the all-important bathrobe!

Lighting, lighting, lighting.

You can spend all the time and money in the world decorating your bathroom, if you don’t have the right lighting it is all a waste. If you can afford it install a dimmer, otherwise make sure you have a nice lamp to hang above your mirror. Don’t shy away from a more extravagant ceiling lamp either. There is really no reason to stick to the boring, sterile lamps we often see in bathrooms and you would certain never see one of those in a luxury hotel. Scented candles are also massively important because, you know…

Have fun with accessories.

Once you have all the basics sorted you can start to have fun accessorizing. Shells are a common bathroom staple, although I can’t help but feel they are a bit of an obvious choice and not massively on trend. Plants are a fresher take on bathroom décor. Don’t forget the walls either. You wouldn’t leave them bare in the rest of your house, so why in this room? Water photography has a calming effect and lends itself well to bathrooms. You can find some stunning, but affordable options here.

Now that your bathroom can rival any luxury spa, all you need is an evening to pamper yourself with some at home spa treatments and you will feel rejuvenated!