At the other end of the spectrum, some designers like to draw attention to the storage they have chosen, instead of hiding it away. Nicola Harding, for instance, is always on the lookout for a beautiful antique which can double as a bathroom cabinet – whether freestanding or on the wall. ‘I like to use an antique cabinet – though a new one can also be beautiful. If it’s something that has open shelves then I like to put things in a basket on the shelf, so it can be easily moved around’, she says. Such pieces, such as the Regency-era cabinet pictured in the bathroom above, not only make for an impactful centrepiece, but provide ample storage for towels, too.
The interior designer Natalie Tredgett is inclined to agree, and believes that ‘freestanding pieces bring a real sense of elegance, and can add a warm, personal touch, which is far from the sterile, industrial feel that many bathrooms have’, she says. Where space is lacking for freestanding pieces, Natalie incorporates the look and feel of an antique cabinet into custom joinery, which she ‘designs to mimic the look of furniture to create a handcrafted, inviting atmosphere’.
Another way designers like to add useful pockets of storage to a bathroom is by building it into the very bones of the room. Lonika Chande is a devotee of the tiled niche in the shower, suggesting, ‘I always try to add one to save on floor space for storage’. Not only are these incredibly useful little nooks, but they are decoratively very pleasing: a space to continue the carefully selected tiles used on the walls of the shower or above the bath, and a handy little perch for soaps and shampoos.
There is no doubt that bathroom storage is tricky to navigate. You want enough of it that unsightly bottles and bathroom paraphernalia are out of the way – but not so much that it dominates the space. The trick is in striking the perfect balance so that this most functional of rooms also feels decorated. Whether you’re a discrete joinery kind of decorator, or prefer a striking antique to anchor a space, we’ve gathered many ideas from the House & Garden archive to inspire you.
Bathroom storage ideas from the House & Garden archive
SourcE: www.houseandgarden.co.uk
