<font size="3" color="#990000"><strong>Five savvy bathroom updates for added safety and style</strong></font> <p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">(ARA) – What’s old is new again .. and this is especially true with today’s design trends.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><span>While everyone loves to have a new look to refresh their homes, design experts report that traditional styling remains the most popular home decor choice in the U.S. — often featuring detailed, Old World accents and deep, rich colors and finishes.</span><span> </span><span>However, in today’s challenging economy, most homeowners don’t have the necessary funds to completely renovate their homes. </span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><span></span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><span></span></span><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><span>Instead, they are looking to "remodel lite" by adding simple and inexpensive updates to refresh the most frequently used rooms, like the bathroom.</span><span> </span><span>Luckily, you can easily create a new look for your bath with Old World charm and on a budget. With just a few new items – and a bit of elbow grease – your bathroom will be more stylish (and safer) in no time.</span><span> </span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><span></span><span><strong>Subtle safety.</strong> One of the most important (but least thought of) updates you can make in your bathroom is to add bathroom safety accessories. Luckily, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your sense of style. </span></span><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><span>In fact, brands like Home Care by Moen offer a variety of products, such as SecureMount Grab Bars and Hand Grips in attractive designs and popular finishes, such as Old World Bronze and Brushed Nickel, to coordinate with the rest of your bathroom. And, to help with installation, SecureMount Anchors allow you to install the decorative bars anywhere on the wall – no stud needed – so they can be placed in the most ideal and aesthetically pleasing locations.</span><span> </span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><span></span><span><strong>Fast fix with fixtures.</strong> To get the most enjoyment out of your bathroom, update the parts you touch every day – like your faucets. Retailers offer a wealth of reasonably priced, high-quality and attractive faucets in deep, Old World-inspired finishes, like Oil Rubbed Bronze, to coordinate with the rest of your newly updated bath. Look for WaterSense-labeled faucets, so your bath will not only be fashionable – but will save water, too.</span><span> </span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><span></span><span><strong>Sensational showers.</strong> </span></span><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><span>Nothing starts or ends your day better than an enjoyable shower, and it’s easy to make your experience stellar. Start with a curved shower rod to add additional elbow room and swap your current showerhead for one with a more powerful and enjoyable stream. Be sure to coordinate the finish of both to ensure you keep with the rest of your bath styling. And, for added elements of safety, add tread strips for more secure footing; or a quality shower chair, such as the Tool-Free Shower Chair from Home Care by Moen.</span><span> </span> </span></p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"></span><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span><strong>Storage and space savers.</strong> In addition to creating a style statement for your Old World bath, bathroom accessories are ideal for creating storage and organization and adding useful space to your bathroom. To pull all your finishes together, add towel bars, towel rings, decorative shelves and robe hooks in an oil rubbed bronze finish to create an easy place to keep towels and robes. And, for a unique new accessory, add new Moen towel bar hooks or shower rod hooks. These ingenious, S-shaped hooks snap right on to virtually any towel bar or any shower rod to help keep everyday items close at hand – yet off the vanity or floor.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p><span></span><span><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/3a.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/3a.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div><p> <span><strong> </strong></span><span><strong>Amazing accents.</strong> Finally, once you’ve updated the many "hard" surfaces of your bath, it’s time to add the soft elements. Soft, fluffy towels and rugs, along with a beautiful fabric shower curtain create a warm and inviting atmosphere. And, for an added tranquil feel, try placing live – or artificial – plants and flowers throughout the room. Remember, when choosing colors for these accents, feature a mix of both deep shades and neutrals for the perfect balance.</span></p></span><p><span></span><span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">Soon, with minimal budget and effort, your bathroom will be safer and more enjoyable, featuring a new look with beautiful Old World-style your guests will envy. For more information on Moen products, visit <a href="http://www.moen.com/">www.moen.com</a> .</span></p></span>