“I find the bathroom energy in a house really calming," says Alex Brownsell, co-founder of Bleach and the favourite hair stylist of London's style set (especially those with a preference for a bold dye job). "I like the acoustics of the enamel and even the fan whooshing!”
And while it's little wonder that the capital's beauty and haircare gurus have put some serious thought into their bathrooms, the unstoppable rise of wellness and self-care mean an ever-growing number of us are adding spa-style luxury to our own homes.
Here Brownsell, veteran catwalk stylist Sam McKnight and natural haircare expert Charlotte Mensah let us into the unique bathrooms in their London homes to show us how it's done.
'It's a bit weird having an office in your bathroom'
Alex Brownsell is an influential hair colourist and the co-founder of salon and haircare brand, Bleach London. Leading the dip-dye revolution since 2010, Brownsell also styles hair for photoshoots, recently collaborating with Valentino on its ad campaigns, and editorials for i-D, Dazed & Confused and AnOther Magazine. She lives in Islington.
The bathroom was a big selling point of this house. It’s quite quirky — the guy we bought it from was an antiques dealer and used to have the space set up as a shop. This space was added in the 1970s and it’s accessed by steps from the main bedroom. There’s a balcony too.
It’s a split-level space and I’ll use one part to work from home. I’m quite easily distracted and don’t sit at a desk very much, so I’ll take my laptop onto the armchair for Zooms and emailing. It’s nice — it sort of feels like you’re in a conservatory. The natural light is really good so if I need to check packaging for our latest Bleach products or if the kids or a friend wants a haircut then I’ll do it there. It is a bit weird — like having an office in your bathroom! I do also have an office in the Bleach salon in Hackney where I’ll see VIPs: Georgia Jagger came in to get ready for the British Fashion Awards, and Naomi Scott popped by recently too.
We’ve been here a year and I don’t plan to change much: the bathtub is enormous and covered with original handpainted marbling. I’ve added an antique chest of drawers which is where I keep all my skincare, masks and hair products. I'm obsessed with face lights and the LED masks and the wand things. I’d never really been into bathing rituals until I discovered Sharmadean Reid’s new brand 39BC, which is a range of bath oils inspired by ancient Egypt.
My biggest thing, because I've got super tangly hair, is brushing it. I use a Mason & Pearson brush and a great one that my mum randomly bought me off Amazon.
I go through a whole rigmarole of brushing my hair out and I spritz it down with Bumble and Bumble prep. I’m pretty militant with my washing routine: as my hair is bleached I’ll use our full Reincarnation range: the shampoo, conditioner, mask, elixir… though I still think it's low maintenance for a hairdresser with long hair.
Sometimes I’ll add a color on a whim, based on if going out and what I'm wearing. If my outfit is quite simple, I'll dye my hair as part of the look. I do a lot more with my hair color than make-up; hair has always been the way I've expressed myself since being at school.
Whether it’s clothing, cosmetics, or hair, colour really can enhance and change your mood. At the moment I lean towards red because it makes me feel intense and really bold. People should feel free to experiment a bit more with their hair.
'I can spend three to four hours in the bathroom'
Award-winning hairstylist and author, Charlotte Mensah is the founder of Hairlounge salon on Portobello Road and creator of the Manketti Oil product range. Named Afro Hairdresser of the Year three times at the British Hairdressing Awards, she has been a leading figure in the natural haircare movement for over 20 years. She lives in Notting Hill.
Doing my hair is like a ceremony, it gives me confidence on the inside, and when it looks beautiful, I’m putting that out to the world. I love to detox my scalp so about once a week I’ll use my Manketti Oil Salt Scrub to lift all the impurities and build-up. Because there’s more oxygen coming to the scalp, there’s increased blood flow and I’ll feel so relaxed.
I’m the sort of person that can spend three to four hours in the bathroom — I put music on, I read books, and I even have a kora (an African calabash guitar) that I’ll have a strum on. It makes sounds that were popular in the 1970s and I find it really soothing. What am I reading? Devotional books; every chapter is like an affirmation to set the day right and project myself and have a more positive light. I’m going through the menopause and combatting it naturally — sometimes I have trouble sleeping and I wake up heavy-eyed, but these books help me get on with my day.
I’ve lived in my flat for over 30 years and re-did the bathroom in 2016. I wanted it to feel light, airy and like a dreamy space rather than a standard bathroom. It’s in the quietest part of the house and when the window is open, you can see the whole of London. I find I can transport myself into another world.
I’m not really a make-up person, my thing is just a bit of eyeliner and mascara. For years I’ve used Chantecaille’s rose oil to keep my skin supple — it gives me a glow without having to apply foundation.
As a child I remember my mum having Avon soaps in the house and to this day I still prefer soap bars to wash my hands. I’m a sucker for Dove: it’s neutral with an understated scent and I even have bars of it in my chest of drawers in my clothes as it gives off a lovely fragrance without overpowering.
I launched my own line of candles a few years back and the vessels feature beautiful images of models that I styled. They’re good for repurposing: I keep the wooden afro combs that I have handmade back in Ghana which supports my charity, LOVE Naa Densua, which connects young entrepreneurs over there with opportunities for growth.
The bathroom is definitely a phone-free zone for me. Running a business, I get texts and emails and it’s just adding more when I’d rather pour out, breathe and set myself up for the day. I work so much and spending time in here helps ground me. If you don't have that balance, then there's no point doing what you do - you’ll just end up running yourself down.
'Claridges and the Ritz Paris have the best bathrooms'
Visionary hair stylist Sam McKnight MBE has styled hundreds of magazine covers and the tresses of 90s Supermodels Linda, Christy, and Naomi. He was also the man behind the late Princess Diana’s short, slicked-back look. A contributing beauty editor at Vogue, in 2017 he launched his signature haircare brand, Hair by Sam McKnight. He lives in Queen’s Park.
I remember going to Japan many years ago, where the toilets air-dry you, and came back thinking that toilet paper felt Victorian. So I said to myself: ‘The next time I move, I'm gonna get a Toto toilet,’ — and I did. The lid goes up automatically and your bottom gets washed and dried — it’s fantastic. I was going to put one in every bathroom but they're so expensive.
I renovated the house over 10 years ago and made my bedroom and en-suite out of two of the bedrooms. I don’t tend to linger — I’m an in-and-out kind of guy — but I wanted a large, luxurious space. I’ve stayed in so many hotels around the world; those old hotels like Claridge’s or The Ritz in Paris have the best bathrooms.
The decor in here is very simple: grey marble, off-white paint and traditional floor tiles as the house is Edwardian. I like dark walls in other people’s houses but not in mine — I think I’d just get fed up with it after a couple of weeks. What I do love is a brightly-coloured towel: I’ve got some Vivienne Westwood and I love those by Tricia Guild and Ralph Lauren. Zara Home does good ones too.
I tend to only wear Dior Eau Sauvage but I’ve got loads of bottles of aftershave that I’ve hung on to. I’m lucky to have lots of friends who have skincare lines, so I experiment with products by Charlotte Tilbury, Sam Bunting and Skin Rocks. My one regret is not putting a bigger surround around the sink and having a larger cabinet, so I’m looking for a new one for all the clutter.
My working life used to involve being away for up to eight months of the year; I’d be with Karl Lagerfeld on Chanel in Paris, or Dries Van Noten in Antwerp. Then a lot would happen when I was home — I’d be prepping wigs for catwalk shows. But when the house was being renovated I moved out and I realised I’d never do hair at home again, because I’d find bits of hair in everything. It took me 40 years to come to that point and it’s been heaven ever since.
I’m a bit of a homebody and in Covid I was finally able to just be at home and take back control. I travel a lot less now and I’m able to focus on my line of haircare. I use our shampoo as body wash and massage in our new scalp oil — but otherwise I have no need for most of my own products on myself — obviously!
