My bathroom is…..underwhelming. The least surprising sentence a renter can utter. The bathroom is by no means gross, it’s mainly white and while no one would say it couldn’t benefit from a remodel, it’s for the most part non-offensive. Things could be worse.
This bathroom in particular isn’t taking up too much of my headspace: hang a shower curtain, get a bathmat, maybe throw a few frames on the wall, and ignore it. The easiest way to bring personality into a bathroom is the accessories anyway. Which brings me to my number one favorite thing I’ve ever gotten for any of (six?!) NYC rental bathrooms…..
A wooden bath mat.
Carpet in a bathroom is disgusting. I don’t need to elaborate. I will never equate a fabric bath mat with carpet in the bathroom. Let’s not be ridiculous. And there are some great bath mats that can really add to an otherwise bland space. But, they also need frequent washing. And no one needs something else to wash. Especially these days when life monotonous enough.
I got the idea for a wooden bath mat from the gym. Back in 2019 when going to the gym maskless without an appointment, chatting with a girlfriend and showering in a communal setting was not unheard of. We were at a new, recently renovated location, and the showers all had teak slatted floors. Very relaxing and spa-like. Why couldn’t I have that at home too? Spoiler alert: I could and now I do.
The wooden mat serves the same purpose of preventing slipping on wet tile (I live alone, the thought of slipping and hitting my head post-shower hasn’t NOT occurred to me), adds a nice natural element, and can easily be rinsed off in the shower if the need arises. Plus, there is something fairly luxurious about a spa-mat, even in a dingy windowless NYC apartment.
And so, I got one. And I love it. This is the one I have. It’s the perfect small size. It has a really nice scent when it first arrives which does dissipate fairly quickly. If you are scent-sensitive that’s great news, but, it can be a bit of a bummer if you do like that spa-like scent. My only complaint is that the slats are grooved (anti-slip!), so, they can get a little dusty. While the size/price combo was what led me to this one, there are plenty of them out there.
Below are a few of my favorites…..
