Do More With Less in Your Zen Bathroom

Most of us clutter our homes with unnecessary items, yet Zen decoration suggests a minimalist approach: Doing more with less. If you need a respite from your busy life, consider transforming your bathroom into a personal refuge. Here are some great tips for banishing clutter from your bathroom and creating a sense of calm.

Transfer bath products like shampoo, conditioner and body wash to coordinated containers that are the same color/texture as the shower tile so they disappear, says designer Jodi Fitzpatrick of Renata Resources in Fresno, Calif.

Keep surface areas clean. Stow all blow dryers and toothbrushes. Consider investing in a deeper medicine cabinet and reorganizing drawers to make space for only the necessities. A stripped-down design makes the bathroom seem more spacious.

If you have to store things outside of cabinets, do it in rush or woven reed boxes; they add natural texture and the rushes can take the steam.

Decorate by spotlighting one beautiful piece of artwork or seasonal flowers. Arrangements should be simple. Even a single flower is nice, says architect Yoshiko Sato of Morris Sato Studio in New York City.

Put towel bars on the back of a door or replace them with hooks or pegs. Coordinate towels with paint and tile so that they blend in with the background.

Display a few beautiful candles.

Keep your space open by installing the minimal number and size of bathroom fixtures, says architect Michael Morris. A sink doesn't have to be large. A nice contrast, he says, is a small metal sink with a marble or granite countertop. Undermount sinks add a nice abstract touch, he says.

Finally, you don't have to have to completely redecorate to achieve a state of Zen. "It's better to de-clutter your shower and place a large rock over the drain (it helps with feng shui) than stick a Buddha and a gazillion candles with raffia and gold coin wraps on the back of the toilet," Jodi says.