Bathroom decor choosing a toilet seat cover

Choosing a toilet seat cover may at first seem a trivial, almost nonsensical detail. After all, one thinks, while in use, the cover is up anyway. Be that as it may, the toilet seat cover may not go unnoticed, or worse, bare.

Contrary to the aforementioned belief, the toilet seat cover is most likely the one item in your lavatory which will not be overlooked. The toilet is, after all, the primary reason for being in the room. That being said, let us review some of the most basic rules for decorating.

Rule Number One: It is not necessary that everything match. Your bathmat does not necessarily need to match your toilet seat cover or your towels. Contrasting colors complement each other, and the toilet seat cover is no exception. Review the existing colors in your bathroom. If necessary, bring home color samples from the paint department of your neighborhood hardware store and place them on the toilet seat, sampling each color to achieve the desired result.

Rule Number Two: Black, white, red, green and blue are not the only colors available. Once your color has been found, it may be necessary to hunt down a toilet seat cover in the color you've chosen. The internet is a great resource for custom and unique accessories. Don't be afraid to go bold. The bathroom is one room which will not be overlooked on any visit to one's home. Like it or not, one's bathroom leaves the most lasting impression. It is both the most personal and most public area of a home. A perfect color choice will be worth the effort to find. Outlet stores are also a good source for odd dye lots, resulting in less conventional colors.

Rule Number Three: Do not covet thy neighbor's decor. Remember, if you saw it at someone else's house, everyone else did too. Practice your individuality. Let your decorating express your identity. Make your bathroom say who you are.

Following these basic rules will give us a foundation upon which a template for successful decorating may be built.

Now, a word or two on some common mistakes in this area may be helpful. Beaded or appliqued toilet seat covers, unless one's bathroom is in serious Victorian mode, are not only impractical, they can be downright ugly. Remember, we are decorating a commode, not a hope chest. Beads make noise with the lifting of the seat, which is considered bad form for any item installed in a bathroom. Another consideration is that while seated on the commode, it may be inconvenient to maneuver around long ribbons attached to the seat. Indeed, the ribbon may become entangled with the toilet tissue, or worse, leaving your guest in an embarrassing position. Silk covered commodes are, at best impractical. Stains will necessitate constant replacement, which may become expensive.

Bright, fuzzy covers are also passe, unless the bathroom is for a child or teenager.

Using a mixture of common sense, diligence, and boldness, you may soon be on your way to having the neighborhood's most admired lavatory. Remember, understatement is the rule of thumb in personal areas, and simplicity is sometimes synonymous with elegance.