Image copyright Clair Strong Interior Design
In part one of this series, I covered the essentials. The essentials are, well, essential but it’s the little details, like lighting and storage options that will truly make your spathroom shine. So without further ado, here are my final tips for creating the bathroom of your dreams.
Decor and Lighting
Bathroom decor should be treated like the decor in any other room; start from the bottom and work your way up.
You’ll need to give extra consideration to the decor in the bathroom because it will endure a great deal of heat and humidity. The floor will get wet, so choose water resistant, easy-to-clean tiles or floorboards. For safety reasons, choose only non-slip tiles. And remember to seal wooden floors to protect against water damage, although engineered board is a more appropriate choice than solid wood and it looks just as good. Natural materials like slate and stone look fantastic in the bathroom; they’re style classics, ultra hardy and add an element of cool, spa-like Zen to the room.
As for the walls, your options are open. Many people shy away from wallpaper in the bathroom, but it’s actually a really rewarding style choice. Avoid wall papering directly around the bath and shower and create a single accent wall (away from water sources) instead.
Paint is a great alternative and you can choose the dark, relaxing tones of a hotel spa or go for bright and breezy hues to wake you up of a morning. Don’t be afraid to experiment, bold colours look fantastic when combined with natural materials.
Finally, lighting will give your spathroom the ambience you require. Choose overhead lights that can be dimmed, so you’re always in control of the mood. Spotlights around the mirror and strip lights under the vanity add a really charming touch too.
Storage
When you’re finally ready to sink into the bath the last thing you want is to be fighting for space with the kid’s bath toys. Plucking a rubber duck from your beautifully scented, bubbly water might kill the mood a bit.
Storage is an issue in many bathrooms because they’re not naturally equipped with cupboard space and shelving. Fortunately, there are a number of bathroom-friendly options that will keep the spare shampoo, clean towels and extra loo rolls out of the way.
For items that need to be close at hand or are worthy of display consider shelving. Little alcoves cut into the wall provide a home for soaps and sponges or decorative accents like candles and sea shells. Alternatively, you could build floating shelves into oddly shaped corners and nooks, or on the wall above the toilet to make full use of the space.
Cupboards can be incorporated in innovative ways too; around or above the sink and even underneath the bath, if necessary. If you’ve got the room, a vanity along one wall, with the sink built-in, provides plenty of storage space with room for the toys too.
The Finishing Touches
A few final embellishments will bring your spathroom to completion. Small, seemingly insignificant items like candles; a vase of flowers; lampshades (if necessary) and window treatments will make a huge impact on the overall finish of your room.
It’s like accessorising an outfit, that one piece of jewellery can take the ensemble from drab to fab. But exercise caution. You can overdo it! I like to apply Coco Chanel’s infamous rule here, “When accessorising, always take off (or away) the last thing you put on”.
