Whilst we’re not ready to renovate our bathroom quite yet in the “new house”, I’ve certainly been visualising what it might look like. Our current situation is a peachy-manilla wash of beige – and in the words of Austin Powers – that’s just not my bag, baby. At some point, the master bathroom will be ripped out and we’ll start again from scratch. In our first renovation, it was a necessity, after the bathroom was deemed “uninhabitable” in our home survey (see the pink loo below!)
So as we look ahead, with a bit more leisure-time and a little less “I’m sick of washing my hair in a bucket” rage, we get to truly think what we’d love from our dream bathroom – as well as where we went wrong in house one! For me, the biggest barrier as first-time homeowners was a lack of understanding as to our own personal taste, and an ignorance on the important of well-lit rooms. Here are the tips we’ll be taking forward on round two.
Spotlights are not the be-all and end-all
It’s a bathroom so you have to have spotlights right? Well, yes and no. Any builder will likely come into a bathroom project and default to spotlights in the ceiling. They’re out of the way, no risk of electrical problems in a room which is destined to be wet, and you don’t have to worry about pesky plugs. The problem is, many of us have this as our one and only source of bathroom lighting – and it sucks. If you’re in the bath, BAM, lights in your face. Not so relaxing.
Bathrooms can – and should – be a multi-functional oasis
I’m kicking myself for not realising this obvious point earlier on, but think about when you plan a bathroom, or what you might add on Pinterest. Is it baths overlooking beaches, or candle-lined pedestals? Me too! We yearn for our bathrooms to be a place to relax, but when we visit the bog-standard (see what I did there) hardware store, they’re pretty frill-freey. We’re looking for the perfect hybrid of practicality and paradise, but end up picking a one-size fits all suite. Don’t feel bad, I’ve done it myself. Sometimes, any bathroom is better than no bathroom. If you are on a budget or not sure what you want yet (because taste happens over time), instead invest in multiple light sources to fake a sense of luxury. A backlit mirror can be fantastic for getting ready in the mornings without committing to putting the ‘big light’ on before you’re ready. Wall sconces can create beautiful soft lighting, as well as character with dimmer switches offering the best way to create ambience at the same time as a decent level of shave-your legs-without-hacking-your-feet-off visibility.
Opt-in for extravagance
I’ve no experience in this area whatsoever other than a very lavish Pinterest board which I’ve had for years BUT I tell you what I’d love in my next bathroom makeover; a chandelier. Hear me out! If you have a bath (which is not adjoined to a shower), the space above the tub is practically wasted so you have a little more flexibility with low-hanging lighting. And what’s more luxurious than having a bubble bath underneath a chandelier? I’m betting, nothing and I’ve seen some seriously colourful ones with my name on them over at Lights.co.uk. A tub is a sanctuary to sit and soak, so whether it’s some of your favourite candles, monogrammed dressing gowns or an absolutely enormous chandelier, treat yourself to something that makes the bathroom a place you really want to hang out.
Location, location, location
If you’re building a bathroom from scratch in a renovation, you’ll get to play with layout. Typically, due to the practicalities of soil stacks and water pipes, you’ll find that the key elements need to be somewhere near an external wall. BUT, if you’re able, I’d urge you to place the bath in a north-facing room/space. With the gift of non-direct lighting, the natural glow of daytime will be far softer and diffused when you’re brushing your teeth.
Choose Warmer Fixtures
I’m not saying chrome fixtures are a poor choice – far from it. But it’s also quite a cool tone, for an already cold-to the touch room (*adds underfloor heating to the wishlist*). Form our first bathroom I just wished so much that we’d gone for something a little…sexier? Gold can add that bit of warmth and luxury that was seriously lacking from my first attempt at a refurb. For a real statement, try a matte black finish.
Get creative on the walls
As it’s such a moist environment (how many of you shuddered at that word), we’re inclined to just go mad on the wipeable surfaces, with tile still number one for bathrooms. Valid and foolproof. However, now more than ever, the choice of waterproof paints and bathroom-specialist wallpapers have meant that bathrooms can have better choice than ever when it comes to decorating. I’m eyeing up some patterned wallpaper for our next master bathroom plan, 100%.
Create mood by choosing cosy
The average UK bathroom is pretty small, and no amount of white paint is going to make it look like a 30k extension. Instead, embrace intimate. My current master bathroom is a wash of peach and everything will be changed in time, but one element I’ve come to love is our curtains! Id’ have never thought to include them in a bathroom but on colder days, they make an absolute world of difference.
So those are my lessons learned from personal experience! Would you agree with any of them? Have any other top tips for starting a bathroom from scratch? I want to hear all about them in the comments below.
This post is a collaboration with Lights.co.uk – Thank you so much for helping support the brands which keep this website running. I hope you feel inspired!
