Bathroom Beauty

Valerie Sartini of Treasures Interior Design shares ideas that make a bold statement.

Valerie Sartini of Treasures Interior Design sits smiling with her legs crossed, laughing easily. “Of course, I always spend time perched on a bathroom counter in a dress and heels,” she says with a wink.

She’s front and center with a backdrop that is both beautiful and artistic—a swirl of greens, blues and greys behind her. She’s being photographed on this day because she is genuinely excited and passionate about her craft. One of the things she loves is discovering what is new and unique in bathroom wall treatments and finding innovative ways to incorporate them into her clients’ aesthetics.

“Hey, people have been hanging decorative paper on walls since 200 B.C., but it wasn’t a thing until the late 1600s in France, where the artistry of it was really honed. Can you imagine how hard that would have been—adhering paper to stone walls? And maybe if you didn’t line it up just right … well, who knows what would happen to you?” she grins.

Click, shift, smile.

“We’ve come such a long way, even recently,” Valerie continues. “Now there are so many options in bathrooms: wallpaper, tile, shiplap, paneling. We love playing around with textures, colors, fabrics and placement. We may do one wall as an accent or cover all walls and the ceiling.”

Photographed by Josh Cavallo Photography

Valerie is not one to shy away from bold. “It makes a statement and is stunning when done properly. Take the guest bathroom. It’s a place lots of people visit. And it’s fun to deliver a sense of unexpected charm and surprise in that small space—to wow your guests with a splash of style. It’s fun to be charmed and surprised as a guest too!”

Valerie discusses what’s new, describing how technology has allowed people to try new kinds of treatments on bathroom walls. “Paper is made and installed much better than it used to be. It’s more durable and can be sealed to protect it from moisture damage.” She points to beautiful vinyl wallpapers (yes, vinyl!) that look like grass cloth and are durable and long-lasting.

Recently she designed a bathroom with ice-blue glazed ceramic tile on one wall and continued it on an additional wall into the shower. She mixed the patterns of the stone and complementary glass, wood and tiles to create an elegant and beautiful retreat for her clients.

She shifts her weight and continues smiling. Almost done, she is promised.

“Another style element I use is tongue-and-groove ceilings in bathrooms,” Valerie shares. “They are warm and versatile and popular at the beach.”

Valerie is released! She jumps down from where she sits, still enthusiastic about what she’s saying. “There are so many options, different kinds of pieces that fit together when you design a bathroom that make them fun and creative to work on. And unlike other rooms, bathroom wall treatments offer so much variety. The possibilities are endless!”