Nowhere to put anything
Storage, storage, storage. It is pretty much a mantra here at House & Garden, but with good reason – it can make or break a space, especially a bathroom. ‘Everyday items need to be within easy reach, but there should also be considered storage nearby for everything else – from spare loo rolls to first aid and sun creams,’ says Clare. ‘Without it, surfaces quickly become cluttered, and clutter equals chaos. Bathrooms work best when they are both calm and practical and storage is a big part of this.’
Clare also reminds us to think about where the towels will live: ‘It sounds simple, but it’s often overlooked. Towels need to be within easy reach of the shower or bath, with somewhere practical to dry between uses.’ And don’t forget shower paraphernalia, either. ‘I wish people would not build a shower without considering where the shampoo/soap etc goes,’ says Susie. ‘If you can build in a recess, then do, if not allow for an extra-large basket for these things.’
Overly harsh lighting
‘Lighting is another common misstep,’ says Tiffany. ‘A grid of spotlights alone is harsh, whereas softer, layered lighting on dimmers makes all the difference.’ Both Susie and Clare agree, explaining that different levels are needed: task lighting at the mirror (for make-up, shaving, brushing teeth etc), and softer, ambient light when taking a a bath or for night-time use (Clare suggests a floor wash on a sensor for this).
‘Soft lighting, up-lighters in window reveals and decorative lighting are not used enough and it makes such a difference to have these on different circuits and with dimmers to create different moods,’ adds Susie. And it’s not just about how you feel, it’s about you look, too, as Adele points out: ‘You don’t want direct overhead lighting at your mirror – it causes shadows that are not flattering! Instead you want lighting directly facing you at a mirror, so wall lights with a warm glow work perfectly.’
A marble overload
It goes without saying that marble can look incredibly beautiful in a bathroom, but use too much of it (or the wrong kind), and it can start to feel a little bit OTT – and not particularly soothing. ‘On occasion a client has asked me to look at bookmatched marble, which has induced quite a strong reaction,’ says Nicholas Hodson-Taylor. ‘While I am all for encouraging details in our designs that keep the eye wandering and experiencing an interior over and over, there is something faintly psychologist’s office about the format. We tend to lean into the more calm and relaxing spectrum, steering away from the often quite aggressive aesthetic of bookmatched marble.’ Similarly, Henriette von Stockhausen, founder of VSP Interiors, tends to ‘keep marble fairly understated so it doesn’t date too quickly – you can tire of a bold marble’.
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