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IS THERE
A JAPANESE BATHROOM
IN YOUR FUTURE?
 The Japanese bathroom (ofuro) has become increasingly popular with westerners recently and it is easy to see why with the tranquility and simplicity these bathrooms employ.
With all the stress that so many busy westerners endure each day, this style of a bathroom provides some serenity at the end of a long, hard day.
If you're decorating a bathroom, you may want to take some ideas from the Japanese approach for a serene, simple, and beautiful room. Here are a few great decorating ideas you can use to turn your bathroom into a Japanese retreat.
Japanese Bathroom Décor ... Less is More
When you are decorating a bathroom in the Japanese style, you need to keep in mind one important theme - less is more! The approach to a Japanese bathroom is a minimalist one. While the style is not bland, the shapes, lines, and use of color, are kept simple. Often materials can be used throughout the bathroom to provide a beautiful contrast. For example, placing silk cushions near a rice paper screen, placing a stone tub on a floor of bamboo, or using straw mats on a floor of polished concrete or stone.
Usually a Japanese bathroom will have colors that are natural and neutral. Some ideas that make use of natural color include wicker, rice paper, bamboo, and black frames. As an accent color, red is often used. If you choose to use strong colors, they should be used vary sparingly throughout the room and only used as an accent.
Decorating the Walls
To achieve the style and concept of a Japanese bathroom, you want to be careful not to overdo it when decorating the walls. Remember that this style is supposed to be simple and serene.
Using one piece of art or a simple Japanese image on one wall is enough. Decorating every wall in the room can make it feel cluttered, taking away from the harmony and serenity. The image (right) represents Truth, God, Energy, Love, Peace, Music and Sun. Framed Japanese characters or masks are perfect.
More Décor Ideas
If you take a look at Japanese architecture and décor, you will find that a shoji screen is a popular option. It can be used within bathrooms as a way to divide the bathroom, providing some privacy or it can be used as a lovely window treatment, beautifully diffusing the light flowing into the room.
Another décor tip to remember is to use bold elements sparingly. You should not repeat elements or you take away from the impact. Also, to keep the space serene, clutter must be avoided. This means that plenty of storage space is going to be an important part of your Japanese bathroom design.
How to Take a Japanese BathIf you are planning to turn your bathroom into a Japanese bathroom, you may be interested in trying out a Japanese bath. The bathing style is a bit different than what you may be used to. Usually there are two different rooms for a Japanese bath. The first room is one to undress in and the other has a shower and tub. To correctly take a Japanese bath, you first thoroughly rinse your body off in a shower or washbowl.
After rinsing, get in the tub filled with hot water for a soak. Once you soak for a while, get out of the tub to clean your body with soap, then rinse off before entering the tub again to ensure that the soap does not get in the tub. Time for another soak. When finished, gently dry off. The reason its done this way is so other members of the house can use the tub as well.
For more information, search japanese bathroom, japanese bath or asian bath products using the Google Custom Search (upper right).
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