97 bathroom ideas to inspire a refresh
Our bathrooms need to feel both nurturing and joyful, energising us in the morning and helping us decompress in the evening. As the place you start and end each day, the bathroom is at least as important as any other room in your house. Yet too often, it can feel out of step with the rest of a home, invested with less love and personality. What’s more, the demands we put upon them, including water-friendly surfaces and bright, IP-rated lighting, can translate into a cold, unflattering atmosphere. Lighting, texture and colour are the key points to consider when designing a bathroom, and don’t forget to punctuate the space with something that piques your imagination and lifts your mood.
With bathroom lighting, careful planning is key. I always suggest having more than one circuit, fitting dimmers and using warm-white bulbs throughout. It is also fun to experiment with different heights of lighting: keep spotlights to a minimum and think about adding low-level fittings that wash the floor with light. ‘Mast Lights’, by Davey Lighting from Original BTC, fitted above skirting level will cast light downwards, instantly creating atmosphere. Hastings-based homeware store Dyke & Dean offers a great range of affordable bathroom lighting.
It is all too easy to end up with lots of hard, shiny surfaces. To avoid this, introduce a variety of textures. You can do this with a hand-finished bathroom tile that has an uneven glaze or shape, such as Emery & Cie’s ‘Zelliges’ range. Rather than tiling the floor, consider a waterproof, woven vinyl – I love the mustard colourway by The Unnatural Floor Company. Instead of painting the walls in flat emulsion, try using matchboard panelling or a patterned bathroom wallpaper, or an uneven limewash effect, such as ‘Fresco’ finish from Pure & Original. Where possible, I try to squeeze in some aged wood for texture – a wall-hung bathroom cabinet or a stool next to the bath, or the frame of a mirror or artwork. Adding fabric is another way to introduce texture: it also affects the acoustics, softening how sound bounces round the room, which makes the space feel cosier.
Colour is a powerful tool for injecting personality, and different colour combinations will create different moods. For a bathroom that you use every day, pink is hard to beat, because it is a nurturing colour that feels cosy at night and fresh in the morning. A soft pink combined with a muted green will have a calming effect. To create a more vibrant space, consider colour combinations that have a greater degree of contrast or slightly clash: think pink and mustard, or apple green and chocolate. In my own small shower room, I have ‘Eldblomman’ wallpaper by Josef Frank from Svenskt Tenn, bright yellow tiles, a ceiling in yellow gloss, and a red and white check curtain below the sink. In any other room it would be overwhelming, but in a small space, you can be a bit braver. For heating, consider having an electric mat under the flooring. These are straightforward for a builder to install and not wildly expensive. There is something very comforting about a warm bathroom floor underfoot. Don’t be tempted by expensive towel rails – they are rarely big enough. Instead, I prefer a chunky radiator with hooks above it; it will give off more heat and your towels dry faster if they aren’t folded up. Cologne & Cotton sells excellent towels, some with interesting detailing.
Any room will be endlessly frustrating if it is not user friendly and, in the case of a bathroom, that means provision for storage. This could be a vintage wall cabinet for medicines and sun creams, a chest of drawers for clean towels, or colourful baskets for corralling bath toys – such as those from The Basket Room, a female co-operative of African weavers. Tinsmiths in Ledbury is my first port of call for quality loo-roll holders, toilet brushes, hooks and ceramic shelves.
Lastly, think about how you can make your bathroom personal to you – perhaps with art, books or a riotous mix of family photos. In my own bathroom, I have a framed poem by an anonymous 17th-century nun. It’s about the art of ageing gracefully and was given to me by my parents when they moved house, so has a double meaning for me. Find something that makes you smile and points your mind in the direction you want it to travel.
Bathroom design ideas
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Christopher Horwood1/96Stripey tiles are all the rage these days, and this bathroom in a 1960s flat in west London by Natalie Tredgett is the perfect example. European Heritage ‘Metronome’ tiles set off brass Crosswater fittings and wall lights from Alfies Antique Market.
Paul Massey2/96Cath Kidston has mastered the art of the decorated bathroom in her west London house. Walls in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Plaster II’ showcase artwork collected by Cath over the years. A rug from Caroline Marcq Interiors tones with the holland linen blind from The Blinds Company.
Mark Roper3/96An unmodernised house in Sussex, dating back in parts to the 15th century, has been given a fresh, vibrant look by interior designer Phoebe Hollond, with playful elements creating a distinctive yet comfortable family home.
In the children's bathroom, the blind in a Pierre Frey check and woodwork in Farrow & Ball's ‘Yellow Ground’ create a sunny feel. The walls have been painted with a mural depicting the owners’ two boys, inspired by the work of The New Yorker cartoonist Saul Steinberg.
Owen Gale4/96Clever colour combinations form a thread that runs throughout the suites at 8 Holland Street Townhouse in Bath, where wall tiles by Balineum set off an antique cast iron bath, a Vico Magistretti ceiling light and an artwork by Man Ray.
James McDonald5/96When it came to restoring his Bruton house, the antique dealer Jack Laver Brister was careful to remove incongruous additions and source exquisite historic pieces to create an inviting home. Jack’s collection of seashells and coral is displayed in an Edwardian case on walls in ‘Euphorbia’ by Paint & Paper Library. A Victorian pot cupboard stands beside the salvaged bath.
Owen Gale6/96Returning to the UK from New York, trend forecaster Samantha Palmer bought her perfect home on the south coast, a flint-fronted cottage where she has installed quiet, contemporary interiors informed by her time designing accessories for Ralph Lauren.
Bespoke panelling, a free-standing bath from Devon & Devon and an elegant arched shower set with ‘Paint Box’ gloss tiles in ‘Bone’ from Mandarin Stone make this bathroom a quietly opulent space.
Boz Gagovski7/96This glamorous bathroom in Verbier is designed by Vanessa McDonald. In it, a blind and lampshade in Soane’s ‘Coquelicots’ linen tone with the frame of a Vaughan ‘Belvedere’ mirror in bronze. The shower is lined in Calacatta Borghini marble.
Paul Massey8/96A 1940s gilded rope-framed mirror, which came originally from a Cannes hotel, and a woven lampshade and rustic baskets add characterful touches to this pared-back space, in an Arts and Crafts-style cottage, which has its original door.
Mark Fox9/96In Rixo co-founder Orlagh McCloskey's house, wooden frame doors conceal built in shelves on either side of the sink. These are decorated with ‘Marbleised Feather Scroll Wallpaper’ from Lee Jofa Kravet.
Michael Sinclair10/96Decorative details have been cleverly combined with practical elements by interior designer Lucy Hammond Giles, of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, to transform this classic Victorian house in west London into a pleasingly distinctive but eminently comfortable family home. CFA Voysey’s ‘Lioness & Palms’ wallpaper from CommonRoom was the starting point for the scheme in the family bathroom, its colours echoed in the Fired Earth tiles, custom paint on the vanity unit and Verde Jade marble from Vitruvius.
Mark Anthony Fox11/96From the predominantly pale palette of natural hues to the layering of antique textiles, Anna Haines' choices have brought harmonious charm to the interiors of this 19th-century former rectory on the outskirts of Bath. In the main bathroom, a ‘Soho’ basin on ceramic legs from The Water Monopoly is paired with ‘Zellige’ tiles from Mosaic Factory. The flatweave rug is from Francesca Gentilli.
Mark Anthony Fox12/96In the Gloucestershire farmhouse of Thomas Dane, a striped wool rug, picked up by Thomas in Transylvania, is set off by natural sisal flooring and introduces an element of colour and pattern to the mainly monochrome scheme. The photographic portrait of Samuel Beckett above the bath is by John Haynes.
DAVIDE LOVATTI13/96The rolltop bath stands opposite a shower area with a back wall in Lumachella marble in this Umbrian country house by Retrouvius. Curtains made from Lithuanian sheets and an armchair re-covered in hand-dyed Hungarian sheets soften the look.
Daniel Schafer14/96In her basque house, Cristina Lorenzo covered the walls and blinds in Gastón y Daniela’s ‘Calobra’ stripe in agua, paired with a chandelier from an antique shop in the Cotswolds, a rolltop bath and bespoke basin stands and mirrors. It has an elegant country-house feel.
Milo Brown15/96The family bathroom in this Lonika Chande project is a bright, large space with encaustic cement floor tiles from Marrakech Design and a vintage Swedish rag rug used as a bath mat. From a practical point of view, Lonika added a wide marble surround to the bath as the bathroom is used by three children and so needs to function well.
Paul Massey16/96Botanical prints from Odyssey Fine Arts tone with ‘Jaisalmer’ wallpaper by John Stefanidis in this bathroom by Rita Konig.
Eric Piasecki/Otto17/96In this elegant Atlanta home, the bathroom is pure luxury. A marble tub takes centre stage in the ceiling-height windows, offering unparalleled views of the foliage beyond. Sheer curtains soften the look.
Owen Gale18/96Taking inspiration from grand American bathrooms, though with Italian materials mixed in, the main bathroom in Sara and Will Fuller's house in Bath is a deeply calming space. The bathtub is from Porters, and the floor is covered in Carrara marble basketweave tiles from Ca’Pietra.
Chris Horwood19/96Patrick O'Donnell, brand ambassador for Farrow & Ball has warmed up the bathroom in his Worcestershire house with the discontinued Farrow & Ball wallpaper pattern ‘Orleans Stripe,’ with a ‘Pearl’ border from Adelphi Paper Hangings running round the top. The side table and the Spanish lebrillo plates are from Brownrigg Interiors in Tetbury.
Paul Massey20/96The entrance to the loo of this Sussex rectory designed by Emma Milne Watson is clad in brass. It makes for a glamorous and contemporary feature.
Chris Horwood21/96The bathroom of this architect's house in Shoreditch is tiled in Domus ’Seta’ mosaic tiles with ‘illustrations’ created from colour samples. Taps and fixtures are by Zazzeri. Recycled plastic sconce lamp is by James Shaw and the hand towel is from Missoni.
Dean Hearne22/96In the ensuite bathroom of a London penthouse designed by Nina Litchfield, fixtures from Lefroy Brooks and lights from Original BTC provide notes of glamour against black and white marble.
Paul Massey23/96In the bathroom of this 17th century cottage in Oxfordshire, Fee Greening’s ‘Climbing Curios’ wallpaper from CommonRoom and her mural around the ‘Coral’ wall light from Balineum provide a unique backdrop.
Photos: Owen Gale, Styling: Rachel Moreve24/96There are no doors between the primary bedroom, the wardrobe and the bathroom in this West London family home given a new lease of life by Polly Ashman. The space is open, serene and, for Polly, 'full of joy'. ‘I wanted to keep it really calm here, so the wall colour is the same throughout.’ In this setting, Edward Bulmer's ‘Clover’, is almost a neutral, and it acts as a canvas for the display of artwork and ceramics on the walls.
What might have been a third bedroom was transformed into a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite. 'Wherever I can I will always try to make the master bathroom as big and light as possible' says Polly. ‘Even if that means borrowing a little space from a bedroom.’ In keeping with the light, airy feel of its neighbouring rooms, the bathroom is clad in large slabs of marble, and a huge mirror fills one of the walls.
Christopher Horwood25/96The bathroom of this charming thatched country house is equally sweet, including floral paintings and even bookshelves. The primary bathroom has woodwork painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Lulworth Blue’. The blind is Bennison's ‘Liliana Light Blue'.
Owen Gale26/96Alix Reynis designed the bathroom in her Paris family house based on the ‘New York loft’ style of interiors, though she was also heavily inspired by the bathroom at the Ned, in London, designed by French interior designer Marianne Evennou.
27/96While not originally in the design plans for this colourful Toronto house, Ashley Montgomery recommended adding an arched architectural detail over the Victoria + Albert tub in the primary bath to make the tub “feel more special” under such high ceilings. The wallpaper is Michael Smith, the plumbing fixtures are Perrin & Rowe, the chandelier is vintage, the drapery is Pierre Frey, and the tile is Saltillo.
Mark Anthony Fox28/96In the bathroom of a former groom's cottage in the Cotswolds with deeply personal interiors, walls painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Parma Gray’ set off a ‘Hanley’ bath from The Water Monopoly.
Christopher Horwood29/96In the bathroom of this former tannery transformed by Howark Design, the panelling is painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Arsenic’. Bert & May's 'Maison Decor' tiles line the floor.
Owen Gale30/96In Joanna Plant's west London house she used a now-discontinued vintage wallpaper by Laura Ashley, which Joanna collected roll by roll from Ebay. The wallpaper stretches around her bedroom and bathroom, and continues up onto the ceilings for a cocooning effect.
The roll-top bath is from Fired Earth. The chair is one made in the Plants’ workshop, upholstered in Bennison’s ‘Rosevine’.
Alexander James31/96Following the client's brief for something ‘really quite graphic and black and white,' Studio Peake created this thoroughly modern bathroom in this pied-à-terre in Notting Hill. Designed to contrast the ‘country’ bathrooms in the client's house, the stone is from Stone Age, the Basin Taps are from Porter Bathrooms and the wall lights are from Waterworks.
Simon Brown32/96The washstands in this bathroom by Beata Heuman are from Drummonds, with matching nickel taps, with hidden cupboards behind the mirrors above. A Dodo Egg pendant takes centre stage.
Alexander James33/96In the more playful bathroom in the same flat, the brief was to offer a French country feel, to contrast with the marble ‘jewel-like bathroom.' The bathroom is entered through the joinery in the corridor, so it ‘almost feels like a secret bathroom!' laughs Sarah. The Floor Tiles are Series S Ibiza Variato by Balineum and the wall tiles are Zellige by Mosaic Factory.
Paul Massey34/96The owners of this Thirties Georgian-style house were keen to give it an established look while avoiding any stuffiness. So they asked designer Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay to conjure distinctive interiors full of idiosyncratic details. In the main bathroom, woodwork in ‘Copper Beech’ by Paint & Paper Library tones with the Habibi wall tiles and the Breccia Pontificia marble surrounds for the bath and the basin from Romagno Marmi. Mirrored walls help to make the space feel larger.
Mark Fox35/96The wallpaper in the main bathroom in Katie Glaister's London house is Busted’ by Work & Sea. “I love the art and the depth of this paper and have surprised myself by finding it incredibly peaceful,” says Katie. The vanity was a serendipitous find at Sunbury Antiques market, modified with marble from Mander and Germain by her contractor D3Lux. Lights from Waterworks are fixed on either side of a mirror from Retrouvius. The floor is covered in zellige mosaic tiles.
Paul Massey36/96The panelling round the bath inside the founder of edit58's charming converted Cotswold barn is in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Lichen'.
Mark Anthony Fox37/96The bathroom, set off the studio in artist Haidee Becker's house, is lined with art, as well as plants. The hanging paper mobile was created for Haidee by her daughter, Rachel.
Dean Hearne38/96A small bathroom on the first floor of this charming, colourful seaside house in Deal has been enlivened with Little Greene's ‘Orange Aurora’ paint, while an Ottoline fabric creates a skirt for the vanity. The fabric on the mirror is 'Inaga', and is part of a collaboration between Nicola Mardas Interiors and the Colombian fashion & homeware company Mola Sasa.
Mark Anthony Fox39/96In the bathroom of a contemporary Cornish cottage with spectacular views of the sea, ash panelling, a vintage Hungarian table and a hessian-lined door add texture. The bespoke circular, brass-backed mirror was inspired by the work of Olafur Eliasson.
Ollie Tomlinson40/96At Anahita Rigby's design of a Regency house in Marylebone, the walk-in shower features bespoke taps made from unlacquered brass. The tiles are ‘Paintbox’ from Mandarin Stone.
Lucas Allen41/96A serene bathroom in a 17th-century house designed by Rose Uniacke, with panelled walls, wide wooden floorboards, and elegant sconces - bathroom ideas designed to make it feel less clinical and more comfortable.
Chris Horwood42/96In her rented flat, Sally Wilkinson has added a skirt around the basin, a simple decoration fix to add flair to an ordinary bathroom feature. Wall light and shade by Howe London, custom-made vanity skirt in The Cloth Shop fabric, framed blue and white tiles by Brownrigg and striped hand towel by Zara Home.
Simon Brown43/96With a clear colour palette lifted by occasional pattern and an eclectic mix of furniture, interior designer Victoria Gray has created a Cotswold retreat for her family that marries rustic charm with minimalism, and transcends modern trends. In the bathroom, curtains in ‘Ete Moscovite’ from Décors Barbares draw the eye to the window, with views of the garden, while a CP Hart bath painted in ‘Hague Blue’ from Farrow & Ball nestles under the beams – which look different in this newer part of the house. A rug picked up in Istanbul and a chair from Robert Langford, with a cushion also from Istanbul, complete the scheme.
Owen Gale44/96The bath in the master en-suite of Georgia Cave's house is a bespoke design, with the walls and steps covered in Ruivina marble and offset with Clay Atelier handmade wall tiles from Artisan of Devizes. Riven black slate tiles line the inside of the bath and cover the floor.
Paul Massey45/96The tiles above the basin, sourced from a vintage market in Sicilian capital Palermo, were the starting point for the decoration of Rosi de Ruig's loo, which is lined in Ottoline’s ‘Pillars’ wallpaper with woodwork in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Dutch Orange’. The basin skirt is in Molly Mahon’s ‘Luna’ linen in oyster/pink.
Simon Brown46/96What was once a good sized bedroom was turned in a wonderfully spacious bathroom in this house by Salvesen Graham. The wallpaper ('Floral Trail Delicate') is a Salvesen Graham own. With fixtures from Balineum, Porta Romana and Watermonopoly, the space was finished with antiques to offset the utilitarian feel.
Magnus Mårding47/96A built-in cabinet in elm and elm burl elevates the bathroom storage in this Stockholm apartment.
Owen Gale48/96Curtains are not an obvious choice for a bathroom, but how delightful they look here in Pembroke Lodge. A local curtain maker, Elizabeth Harris at Fine Curtains in Penzance, made the scallop valances. The Delft tiles are from Fired Earth, and the mirror is by Sophie Conran.
Simon Brown49/96A ‘loo to remember’ was the idea with the guest bathroom of this house by Salvesen Graham. DeGournay's ‘Magical Mengagerie’ wallpaper, featuring polar bears and tigers, covers the walls, with the ceiling painted to match in Farrow and Ball's Oval Room Blue. The washstand is from Balineum, the ceiling light from Soane and the wall lights from Hector Finch.
Owen Gale50/96Georgina Cave of Cave Interiors chose these reclaimed patterned tiles to cover the floor and back wall of the bathroom in her London house.
Mark Fox51/96Cobbie Yates transformed the bathroom in his flat into a wetroom, using the bathrooms of boutique hotels they had visited as inspiration. The shade for the micro-cement was determined from the Acne Studios’ signature pink colour.
Owen Gale52/96The cupboards in Joanna Plant's upstairs bathroom are painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Arsenic’. The lamps are by Hector Finch, the tiles are from Bert & May, and the brass-edged mirror is one of Joanna and Nick’s own designs.
Magnus Mårding53/96A floating marble sink makes a striking feature in the guest bathroom of Marie Louise Sjogren's apartment. The fixtures are by Waterworks and the vintage wall sconce is by Josef Frank.
James McDonald54/96A hand-painted checkerboard floor adds a playful touch to a girl's bathroom in this riverside house designed by Kate Guinness. The wallpaper is Robert Kime's ‘Galaxy’ print.
Joachim Wichmann55/96The black and white bathroom tiles in Pernille Lind's bathroom are from Bert and May, and the taps and shower fittings are from Lefroy Brooks. The opaque ceiling light is from Trainspotters.
Paul Massey56/96In the bathroom of this classic Manhattan house designed by Rita Konig, walls painted with faux panelling conceal storage and add to the country theme found throughout the house.
Michael Sinclair57/96Fonace Brioni tiles create a show-stopping shower space in Pandora Taylor's house.
Simon Brown58/96Wipeable floor tiles are the perfect choice for this boot room bathroom. The wallpaper is Soane's ‘Seraphic Star Bastille’.
Michael Sinclair59/96In this dreamy green bathroom in interior designer Thea Speke's country house, an Audoux Minet rope mirror from 1stDibs is set off by walls in Paint & Paper Library’s archive colour ‘Both Barrels’.
Christopher Horwood60/96Tongue and groove panelling painted in Edward Bulmer's ‘Milk White’ covers the walls and ceilings in this house by Emma Ainscough, which features sanitaryware by Burlington Bathrooms. The bath is painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Olive’, with a shower curtain (and sink skirt) by Aleta Fabrics. Antique mirrors hang over the double vanity alongside wall lights by Rose Uniacke. A striped vase from Petersham Nurseries stands on a side table by Zara Home.
Tom Griffiths61/96In this blue and white bathroom in Melinda Stevens' house, the wooden wallpaper serves to ground the tile colours and create a more soothing space.
Michael Sinclair62/96A red painted floor and walls lined in Cole & Son’s ‘Sweet Pea’ create an uplifting space for visitors in the spare bathroom of Natasha James' house.
Owen Gale63/96The roll-top bath in Lucinda Chambers’s colourful west London home is painted in a joyful Little Greene yellow, with contrasting feet in Sanderson’s ‘Bengal Red’. A French macramé lampshade and an eclectic display of plates on the wall above the bath give the city house a particularly charming rustic look.
Martin Morrell64/96Adam Bentley’s Yorkshire cottage dates to the 17th century, and when he discovered Delft tiles dating to the same era incorporated into the top of a 1970s coffee table, he decided to use them over his bathroom washstand (a repurposed Pembroke table). Little Greene’s ‘China Clay’ sets off a copper bath Adam found on Ebay.
Chris Horwood65/96In the bathroom of Francesca Gentilli’s colourful 18th-century farmhouse, Francesca used a deep Farrow & Ball colour on the walls and woodwork: ‘Oval Room Blue’. An antique barley twist wall shelf from eBay adds a decorative touch, as does the nude watercolour by Julianna Byrne.
Owen Gale66/96Angus and Charlotte Buchanan of Buchanan Studio wanted the bathroom of their north-west London home to feel like part of the living space; to achieve this, they opted for wooden floors and put a vintage armchair upholstered in sheepskin in the corner of the room. The Edwardian bath – which matches the house’s Edwardian architecture – was so heavy that it required six men to move it into place. The pendant light is by Mullan.
Owen Gale67/96The bath and basin legs of the master ensuite in jewellery designer Sandra Barrio von Hurter’s north London home are picked out in Sanderson ‘Rowan Berry’, tempered by the pale yellow tiles and walls.
Michael Sinclair68/96After sensitively reconfiguring its interior to suit the needs of their family, the owners of this Welsh cottage have furnished it with an appealing mix of homely pieces gathered over the years. Yellow tiles from Mosaic del Sur brighten up the children’s bathroom, which has a salvaged ceramic sink and a glass Crittall-style screen for the wet-room shower.
Owen Gale69/96Interior designer Angelica Squire's Victorian terraced house in London is a youthful, exuberant space that combines smart artworks and fabrics with clever vintage finds and joyful colours. The blind in the bathroom is in a vintage Sanderson pattern Angelica found on Ebay. The Murano glass light was from 1stDibs. The 'Arc' bath taps and the loo are both from C. P. Hart.
Paul Massey70/96A bath from Aston Matthews painted in Little Greene’s ‘Ashes of Roses’ is one of many clever touches of colour in Lonika Chande's house, and contrasts with tongue and groove in ‘Gravel’ eggshell by Dulux. The blind is in ‘Field Poppy’ linen by Robert Kime.
Maree Homer71/96This colourful house in North Sydney has been very cleverly worked, with the en suite bathroom being an excellent example. The bathroom panelling is painted the same pink as the main living space, while the yellow notes of the floor and towel hark at the bedroom and hallway colour. It ties the whole house together. A fabric curtain under the sink adds to the country house effect.
Alexander James72/96The stone floor in this bathroom in a London house by Studio Peake has panelling painted in Edward Bulmer's 'Celadon. Soane's 'Scrolling Frond' wallpaper ties the colours together. The mirror was a £10 find from Kempton.
Paul Massey73/96Woodwork in ‘Leather II’ by Paint & Paper Library balances Le Manach’s ‘Pommes de Pin’ wallpaper in céladon from Pierre Frey, in this bathroom belonging to Rita Konig's County Durham farmhouse. If the compact design appeals to you, we've got plenty more bathroom design ideas for small bathrooms.
Paul Massey74/96Pale Arabescata marble has been used for the elegant bath surround and splashback in the ensuite of a Sussex cottage by Beata Heuman. The distinctive coral-themed hanging light is a design by Vaughan. Lighting a bathroom can be tricky, but we've put together a gallery of reliable choices for affordable bathroom lights chosen by interior designers.
75/96In Gabby Deeming's pretty Bloomsbury flat, the bathroom blind picks up the colours of the ‘Sweet Pea’ wallpaper by Cole & Son. Gabby made the blind from a cotton lungi bought in Sri Lanka for less than £1. It's also a beautiful example of how to use wallpaper in a bathroom; for more ideas see our gallery of bathroom wallpapers.
Simon Upton76/96The vertical lines of the panelling in this Welsh farmhouse by Hackett Holland add height to the small, awkwardly shaped bathroom, while the window gives bathers a view of the sky. A sink curtain emphasises the country feel of the scheme and hides any unsightly pipes. Aiming to replicate this kind of feel? Take a look at our gallery of country bathrooms.
Greg Funnell77/96The bathroom in the home of artist Sarah Graham is furnished with an Italian vellum screen from Rose Uniacke, a side table from James Graham-Stewart and a rug from Shahbaz Afridi.
Lucas Allen78/96A set of botanical prints from James Graham-Stewart adds a touch of life to this bathroom in a Manhattan townhouse designed by Hugh Leslie. Hugh sourced the heavily striated marble in this one from an Italian quarry and designed the drawer unit, which is in cherry wood, cracked lacquer and nickel.
79/96Ashlar Mason supplied the dramatically striated marble for this bathroom, which leads off the vivid cobalt main bedroom in Audrey Carden's London house.
Paul Massey80/96A cast-iron Aston Matthews ‘Epoca’ bath, its sides painted in Emente’s ‘Orpiment’, provides a colourful contrast with Robert Kime’s ‘Grille Sage’ wallpaper and muted panelling in this bathroom by Ben Pentreath.
James Fennell81/96The bathroom in this beautiful Sri Lankan house is painted a soft jade green. Eggshell paint is not available locally, so a matting agent was added to Dulux Master Palette ‘Hillside View’ gloss paint for the window frames and doors
Tim Beddow82/96Popham Design supplied the floor tiles in Sarah Vanrenen's home. Sarah topped a walnut commode with marble to create a basin unit.
83/96Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Squid Ink’ paint was used on the Aston Matthews roll-top bath of Robin Muir's Cotswolds house, beside panelling in ‘Salvador’ oil eggshell by the same company. A painting by Doris Hatt from Denys Wilcox stands out against Robert Kime’s ‘Sunburst’ wallpaper in green. The curtains are in ‘Sari’ linen by Raoul Textiles and the stool is from Paul Dunn Antiques.
Davide Lovatti84/96The en-suite bathroom in Tara Craig's tiny London flat has Balineum wall tiles and brass fittings from Catchpole & Rye. The pink and blue colour scheme runs throughout the flat and so the bathroom is in keeping with the rest of the space. It is accessed via a jib door covered in the same Marialida’s ‘Urbino’ cotton in azzurro/antique white from Tissus d’Hélène as the rest of the bedroom.
Paul Massey85/96In a 19th century house decorated by Nicola Harding, Farrow & Ball’s ‘Setting Plaster’ paint picks up on pink tiles by Emery & Cie in the bathroom. Howe’s ‘Mark Chair’ is covered in green towelling fabric.
Richard Powers86/96The bathroom at a divine Provençal house by Andrzej Zarzycki is clad in woods of various warm tones, including oak by the vanity area, fumed oak on the floors and oiled teak on the William Garvey bath. The chair was bought at the Marché aux Puces in Paris.
Paul Massey87/96Annabel Elliot chose Farrow & Ball ‘Cooking Apple Green’ paint for the bathroom of Prince Charles’s sixteenth-century house in Cornwall, which overlooks the Fowey Valley.
Simon Brown88/96A twin washstand designed by Rose Uniacke stands in the main bathroom of an airy Kensington flat. The walls are covered with tadelakt plaster, while the walk-in shower has a projecting marble base.
Paul Massey89/96The bath and sink in this eighteenth-century house in Bath are both vintage and the rag rug is from Sweden. The industrial wall lights are from Felix Lighting Specialists. Nicola chose Paint & Paper Library's ‘Deep Water Green’ in an oil eggshell finish to give the vintage bath a new lease of life (£68 for 2.5 litres).
90/96Maria Speake of Retrouvius has created bright borders of blue and green zellige tiles from Emery & Cie either side of a central Iznik-style panel in this striking bathroom. The symmetrical arrangement of the tiles is visually pleasing and frames the bath, which has a plain, reclaimed iroko-wood surround and simple unpolished brass fittings.
Lucas Allen91/96In Edward Bulmer's Herefordshire house, the bathroom features pink 'Cuisse de Nymphe Emue' paint from Edward's range, which provides a backdrop for black and white artworks.
Simon Upton92/96The family bathroom of restaurant owner Keith McNally's Notting Hill home is lined with tongue-and-groove panelling. The delicately tinted areas of the map are subtly echoed by the pastel colour scheme in the main bedroom. Map specialist Jonathan Potter is a treasure trove for antique maps, charts and atlases. A similar example recording the eight routes of the European crusades, measures 48 x 40cm and costs £380.
Paul Massey93/96Textiles dealer Susan Deliss lives in a beautiful eighteenth-century country house deep in the heart of Burgundy. Her bathroom is painted a pretty pale blue. This soothing colour works well in a bathroom - the antique tiles and oriental rug add warmth.
Elsa Young94/96Pink walls the colour of setting plaster, contrast with deep pink curtains in the bathroom of Henrietta Courtauld of The Land Gardeners'. Her London house, redesigned by architect Maria Speake of Retrouvius, features reclaimed marble running up to dado height, and finished with a band of antique bevelled mirror for a touch of sparkle. The clawfoot bath, positioned next to the window is a deep aubergine purple.
Rachel Whiting95/96The owners of this London house called on interior designer Beata Heuman to create a family home full of fun, distinctive design and punchy colours. A highly original space, unapologetically theatrical and oozing energy. 'The owners are both artists. They have quite wild tastes and they love strong colours,' says Beata. The opulent, free-standing bath was copied from a Twenties design that Beata spotted in an old magazine. 'It was quite difficult to work out how to make it. Fortunately, we had a very good joiner and we discovered a specialist timber from the Netherlands that is used in boat building and can be submerged in water for 10 years without any ill effect.'
Simon Upton96/96Shunning our throwaway culture, interior designer Patrick Williams, of Berdoulat Design used salvaged finds and traditional techniques to imaginatively restore his Victorian flat in east London in a sympathetic manner. Around the bathroom walls, above matchboard panelling, runs a narrow shelf made from oak from a table his parents had when he was a child. A bigger piece forms the loo seat. The old bath was bought for £80, and the Victorian taps were reconditioned and de-chromed, as was the shower-curtain rail and waste pipe. The basin is from Labour and Wait - Patrick got a deal on it as it was chipped; for him this is welcome patina.
