A luxurious bathroom space is a priority on many a homeowner’s wishlist, and there are a number of tricks you can try at home to layer on the luxe with a range of budgets.
When it comes to overall style, think of your bathroom as a living space rather than just a functional room. Treat its design accordingly: consider curved, delicate shapes with an organic and multi-toned colour scheme throughout both fixtures and accessories.
As tiles form a key component in bathroom design, it’s an obvious place to turn on the glamour when remodelling your space. Marble has made a resurgence in modern bathroom design, typically used either in a single, giant slab, or in unexpected tile patterns such as large-format rectangular shapes arranged horizontally, or in on-trend shapes such as the hexagon – see Refin and British Ceramic Tile for examples of both. Book-matched marble – a technique where adjacent slices of marble cut from a slab are displayed as near-mirror images of each other – can look surprisingly modern and is arguably one of the most luxurious uses of this beautiful material.
For the ultimate in luxury, you can’t beat a bit of gold. Trends’ range of Aureo 24-carat gold tiles are made by beating pure gold into a thin sheet and then layering it between two pieces of glass, to form glistening mosaic tiles which can be applied to both walls and shower enclosures. And if bling is your thing, top it off with some diamante-encrusted taps, courtesy of Crosswater, for an extra touch of glitz, or tie the two together and plump for antique gold-finish taps by Samuel Heath.
If precious stones and metals are too glitzy for you, dark woods are a great option for luxurious cabinetry within a bathroom. Walnut stands up to the rigours of a bathroom space, while its rich, warm tones scream luxury and add a sense of grandeur that paler woods fail to convey. Rencraft makes bespoke furniture for bathrooms (as well as for other rooms) using solid woods and traditional methods.
If finances are limited, you can still add an element of luxe on a budget. Opting for smart accessories and banishing the garish plastic bottles can make a huge difference – invest in pretty fluted glassware such as the Flute accessories range from Waterworks, hand-blown in Italy using ancient techniques, or the more pocket-friendly Monique and Venetian Glass bonbon jars from Brissi. And don’t forget the details: small elements, such as British manufacturer Merlin Glass’s glass shower knob, will really help set the standard for your space – and plenty of customers agree, as these have enjoyed a surge in sales in the last year.
Of course, luxury isn’t simply about what you can see – much of the overall quality of a bathroom lies beneath the surface. Poor workmanship and substandard fittings and fixtures can be the undoing of even the most glamorous-looking bathroom space, so ensure the functionality of your sanitary ware is as top-quality as can be. Consider innovative additions such as the Aquaclean 8000 Plus, which impressively combines the functionality of a warm wash and dryer.
Luckily, you don’t need to make any style compromises when it comes to choosing products from Geberit. Opt for its Duofix frames to provide world-class, reliable, concealed support for a wall-hung WC and washbasin, allowing you to decorate as you like, and choose from a range of sanitary ware, safe in the knowledge that everything is working as it should behind the scenes.
Then, for a truly indulgent finish, introduce a chaise longue to the space, from which you can bask in your bathroom’s full glory in decadent comfort.
