Sometimes when shopping for bathroom accessories, impulse is more compelling than design. A showroom of gleaming fixtures can be hard to resist. With so many selections on display, the temptation is to make an immediate choice. Before purchasing a faucet or towel rack on a whim, only to experience buyer's remorse later, an understanding of the breadth of available options, and how they work with various decorating styles, can help homeowners choose accessories that will satisfy over the long term.

Finishing Touches
While homeowners typically choose fixtures in the early stages of a bathroom makeover, visually, they supply the finishing touches. Coordinated accessories can add an element of cohesion to a bathroom, helping to unify the overall decor, but matching sets won't help if their style runs counter to the prevailing design of the room. Polished chrome, the most commonly used finish, may look jarring in a bathroom decorated in golden tones.

Design choices become simpler when homeowners are clear about design goals. For a bathroom intended to look sleek and modern, sleek and modern fixtures are indicated. Challenges arise when design goals are more nebulous. Approaching interior design with the intent of creating a mood, atmosphere or specific environment, rather than with a vague wish for an attractive, functional room, can help clarify choices.

While generalizations can be made about which fixture finishes are associated with what style, personal associations count, too. Homeowners should never feel obliged to purchase a particular finish simply because it falls into the category of a particular decorating style.

Contemporary Style
Chrome is the darling of contemporary bathroom designs. Whether polished to add a sparkle of light, or brushed for a more subtle display, chrome has a modern quality that suits bathrooms designed for functionality and convenience. Brushed chrome offers a less reflective surface, darker in tone. Platinum offers the subtlety of brushed chrome, in a lighter tone. When a contemporary bathroom calls for dark and dramatic accents, bronze can be an effective design choice.

Country Charm
For decorating styles where the charm comes from a touch of nostalgia, such as country, cottage or garden styles, nickel or pewter finishes offer a subtle, retro look. Ceramic fixtures work well, too, and are especially effective in bathrooms where color plays a key role in the design. Bronze offers a darker toned option that suits a more rustic look.

Historical Grandeur
For traditional design styles, especially those decorated in warm colors, gold finished fixtures add a feeling of luxurious grandeur. Antique bronze, brass or copper are also distinctive finishes for bathrooms that evoke bygone eras, particularly when accompanied by stylized decoration.

Not only the finishes of bathroom accessories need to be considered, but their design and functionality as well. Allowing design goals to inform purchasing decisions ensures that even a simple shower rod or cabinet knob will add to the comfort and beauty of the family bathroom.

When thinking of bathroom accessories ideas, most people have in mind items other than the major fixtures, which are shower, toilet or bathtub. Just as with an outfit of clothing, accessorizing a room traditionally referred to the finishing touches to the decor, such as shelves, towel racks, cup holders and soap dishes. Presently, however, many manufacturers are offering products in the accessories category that are rapidly becoming essential parts of the bath, and include everything from special showerheads and custom decorated sinks down to the small items mentioned. To many homeowners, a modern bathroom is not complete without these elegant touches.

Coordinated Accessories
After the basic decor and color theme is decided, it is time to do a bit of research into the particular products that will work well with the room and the needs of family members. When choosing anything from faucets to towel racks, think of the overall look of the room. For instance, the new black faucets may look lovely in a home improvement store where everything is coordinated, but may not have the same effect in an all-white bath once they are installed at home. In that case, a gold or rich bronzed look may be more appropriate.

Beautiful sets among bathroom accessories ideas are available in almost any finish, including ceramic, chrome, brass, brushed nickel or satin stainless look. Cup and toothbrush holders, toilet paper holder, shelves and covered trash cans give the bathroom a tidy look when they are all coordinated and complement the general theme. Those who do not like a soap dish with its resultant gooey mess, can install a recessed liquid soap dispenser above the sink. 

Shower Accessories
Inside the shower, sturdy folding seats are available that fasten to the wall. They would be beneficial for the elderly, or anyone with balance issues or who cannot stand long enough to get through a shower. Matching grab bars are available, as well. Recessed soap dishes with a rod for the wash cloth, and shower curtain rods in the same finish complete the coordinated look. 

For music lovers, wireless waterproof shower speakers hang over the showerhead with a hook and transmit audio from an MP3 player or iPod. The transmitter on one model can be as far away at 150 feet. Other models mount on the shower wall and are also completely waterproof. For those who must have music in the shower or bath, this is a safe alternative over bringing a boom box into the bathroom. 

Perhaps the ultimate in luxury when looking for bathroom accessories ideas is the heated towel rack. Not many bathers can resist a heated towel, especially on a chilly night. The heated racks come in models from the simple to the elaborate, and are available in both wall mounted and standing racks. The wall mounted warmers come in a variety of finishes to match other accessories and give an elegant look to the bath. As with any apparatus that is hardwired into the home's electrical system, they should be installed by a professional.

Bathroom accessories ideas can modernize or refurbish a worn-out facility and create an inviting space for performing intimate personal functions. Bathrooms are places where people bare their most intimate personal secrets; accessories should be carefully selected to match a user's style and sensibilities. There are two basic types of accessories that grace any bathing area: those that provide functionality and those that are decorative in nature. Many bathrooms have limited space, so the best accessories combine the two functions.

One great way to coordinate the decor in the bathing area is by matching up all the essential hardware. This hardware includes sink faucets, showerheads, shower curtain rods, grab bars, towel racks, soap holders and dispensers, robe hooks, toothbrush holders, toilet paper holders and other hardware used in shelving. When the finishes are carefully matched or color coordinated, it brings the whole room together and fosters great warmth and intimacy. Since all of these accessories are essentials for modern bathroom function, they are a prime target for replacement in any remodeling effort. Decorators can choose from many finishes including brass, chrome, brushed nickel, burnished copper, crystal, stainless steel or wrought iron.

A grab bar provides safety and can be a very attractive addition to overall decor. When a substantial safety bar with a bronze finish is furnished in the bath, it enhances safety and actually increases the value of a home. As people age, it becomes more difficult to sit, recline or get up. Grab bars provide safe assistance and can be very decorative. When matched with towel racks and shower curtain rods, the effect can be stunning. Decorators can choose accessories with a burnished metallic finish when restoring bathrooms in a historic or Victorian style. Those people choosing an all-modern bath can select accessories with polished chrome finishes.

Whatever theme guides the decorating process, bathroom accessories ideas provide touches that complete the room. Elegant drapes and matching shower curtains can be chosen in bright colors for modern baths. For classic and historic styles, expensive fabrics such as chenille, velvet or silk can provide refinement and class. These types of fabrics should only be used in well-ventilated rooms, however. They could easily be damaged by moisture and humidity. 

Towel rings have become increasingly popular among homeowners. They are highly decorative and provide a very useful function, since they are easy for young family members to use. They provide accessibility for young children and help teach them where to place towels after use. Many people have employed these rings for classic bathroom restorations, but they work perfectly well in modern decorating schemes. They can be chosen in a great variety of finishes to match any hardware in the bath. Classic brass is the most popular style.

Painting helps accessorize the bathroom by providing an appropriate backdrop for any decorating effort. Neutral colors or pastels work well with bold accents. Bathroom accessories ideas that are subtle may be enhanced with a splash of bold color on the walls to enhance contrast. Appropriate mood lighting is also a critical component to accent decorating accessories and improves the overall function of the room.