Sandpiper bathroom decor will be most readily achieved by starting with one focal object and building your theme around it. A picture, for example.

Find a painting, print, or photo of sandpipers. If you are working with a small budget, an inexpensive 10" x 12" print is fine. We found a delightful print with 6 small brown and white sandpipers skittering along a sandy beach. Here and there, the sand held small spots of blue-gray water. Behind the birds, ocean waves broke in varying shades of blue with white tips. It would make an excellent starting place for Sandpiper bathroom decor. It would introduce both your theme and your colors.

Sandpiper pictures and photos sometimes include a lighthouse or other maritime item. Find one that appeals to you and, if possible, includes the colors you want to use in your bathroom decor. Choose a serene picture rather than a stormy one to give a peaceful look to your bathroom decor. If you can get two or three coordinated prints, your Sandpiper bathroom decor will be off to a good start. Frame your print or prints in a narrow, silvered white frame to maintain the beach atmosphere.

Use the lightest, sandy tan from your picture for the upper walls. Paint them with washable latex, or use water-resistant, light tan grasscloth. Paint the ceiling white to go with the Sandpiper's markings and the froth of the breaking waves.

Continue your Sandpiper bathroom decor in 8" x 13" glazed ceramic wall tiles for the lower 36" to 42" of the walls. Choose one of the shades of blue from the ocean in your Sandpiper picture.

Line the top of the wall tiles with curved listello tiles in a blue and white design. Think of this as a transition between the ocean and beach.

Continue your Sandpiper bathroom decor across the floor with blue-gray tiles to coordinate with the colors in the picture. Use 12" by 12" glazed ceramic tiles on the floor. Install the tiles diagonally to give a spacious look – as though looking out across the ocean. For the most spacious look, use light blue-gray instead of darker shades.

White vanity and fixtures will make your bathroom a tranquil place that is as light and bright as a beautiful day at the shore.

Sandpiper bathroom decor will, of course, call for more sandpiper items than a picture or two on the wall. We found these examples in the "Waters Edge" collection, an ensemble of bathroom decor by the Hautman Brothers.

1. Shower curtain: Ocean waves sweep down from near the curtain's top, ending in sand at the bottom. Sandpipers dodge seashells as they scurry across the sand. Hang it with tan seashell shower curtain hooks. The shower curtain is highly patterned, and will be difficult to coordinate with your pictures. The author prefers a more peaceful look, using a light sandy tan shower curtain without pattern to blend with your walls. Alternatively, an off-white or light tan shower curtain with a pattern of sparsely scattered seashells would work well.

2. Towel sets: Coordinating towels and washcloths feature the theme of the shower curtain, richly colored sandpipers skittering across the bottom of each. If you choose to use the Water's Edge shower curtain, light tan towels would be a better choice here unless your bathroom is very large.

3. Bath rug: The "Waters Edge" bath rug features lighter shades of blue and tan, and would complement any Sandpiper bathroom decor.

4. Other Accessories: Other accessories in this collection will help you achieve a restful Sandpiper bathroom decor. Wastebasket, tissue box cover, lotion dispenser, tumbler, soap dish, and toothbrush holder all feature a base of light blue ocean waves with white tops. Above this, textured ceramic appears to be made of sand from the shore.

Add a finishing touch to your bathroom decor with greenery. Use live or quality silk plants in muted green shades typical of seashore grasses. Or find plants with the shiny green of pickleweed and other seashore succulents.

All bathroom decor themes need balance. When you use the Sandpiper bathroom decor theme, keep patterns and colors to a minimum. Let artwork set the tone. In the discussion above, we used shades of blue and tan. Use the 60-30-10 rule with your colors. Shades of tan will make up 60 percent of the color in your bathroom decor. Blue shades will account for 30 percent of your color. Green accents will be 10 percent of your color.

Disclaimer: The author is not employed by, nor does she sell merchandise from any company mentioned in this article. She refers to such only by way of example in providing educational information on bathroom decor.