When you use oversized patterns, you trick the eye into thinking that the room is much larger than it actually is. (Cheryll Gillespie)

There’s no point in trying to change my mind, I’m very black and white, especially when it comes to design.

Last weekend, I went black and white in the bathroom. I love white in a bathroom, as it signifies cleanliness and for the perfect contrast, I threw in some black. My inspiration for the project came from a flowered patterned sink that I carried back in my suitcase from China. You just never know when or where you are going to find fabulous products for the home. I know what you're thinking, “I’m not traveling to China any time soon so I’ll never find a great sink. “ Don’t despair, there are great sink here in North America made by extremely talented artisans employing glass, ceramic and even stainless steel. Yikes, perhaps, I have a sink fetish!

Back to the business at hand, a quick and easy black and white makeover for a small bathroom.  Instead of a standard cabinet I used a former nightstand painted it with black and white strips; had new higher feet constructed to raise the dresser to standard vanity height and voila…fabulous! Next came the tile: Basic white tile laid in the shower stall, black slate on the floor- I also have a fetish for low maintenance and easy to re-do rooms. You just never know when you’ll find a new sink and want to makeover the room again.

However, for this makeover, the ‘piece de la resistance’ was the wallpaper. A black and white oversized floral pattern from Graham and Brown Wallcoverings (pattern # 55100) that coordinated brilliantly with my floral patterned sink. Who could resist such perfection? Wallpaper is the perfect solution and for me faster and easier than painting, besides wallpaper can last up to seven times longer than paint and is a more washable and durable surface. Designer note: When you use oversized patterns, with lots of negative space in a small space you will trick the eye into thinking that the room is much larger than it actually is.

After hanging my wallpaper, I added a pair of candle sconces to create a little ambiance; a towel shelf with a couple of towel; and robe hooks. Bring in a bar cart or tiered shelf to hold and display ‘bathroom stuff’ such as extra towels – in my guest bathroom I prefer a stack of wash cloths to a single hand towel. I also keep a bin (fancy wastebasket) for used towels to be placed in on the floor next to the towel cart. This bin is in addition to your wastebasket; perhaps you can buy a small and a medium sized bin of the same design to help establish their distinctive use- one for waste and one for bathroom laundry (hand towels). A little tip/trick that I learned in Laos- roll your wash clothes to look like roses and then display them on a pretty tray or in a basket. Decorative boxes or glass canisters are perfect to hold extra soaps, cotton buds, cotton pads, and etcetera. On the vanity, wall shelf or on the cart place a vase of fresh flowers or a flowering plant, not only will it literally bring the room to life but also the plant will help to keep the room smelling fresh.

In a black and white bathroom, you can keep the towels white and spa-like or bring in a fabulous seasonal colour to lift the room.  See, good design is black and white.