Creating An Ideal Bathroom Sanctuary in Your Own Home!

The bathroom has long been a sanctuary for people to escape to after a tiring day, with a relaxing bath or shower being the perfect tonic to soothe all your worries. However, when it comes to renovating our homes, bathrooms are often overlooked when it comes to décor as they’re typically not as glamorous as other spaces due to their function.

I disagree! Bathrooms can be fabulous, and a beautifully decorated bathroom can have a major impact on how we start and end our day. That’s why designing a bathroom that not only cleanses our bodies, but cleanses our minds as well, should be a huge priority when it comes to renovating this space.

Want to transform your bathroom into a haven of peace and relaxation? Here are some of my top tips!

Go bold with wallpaper

Gone are the days of the all-white bathroom walls; a bold, unique wallpaper pattern can turn your bathroom from drab to fab! Using a bold colour or pattern will surely draw the eye, bringing character into your bathroom and giving it that ‘Wow!’ factor.

It is also a simple way of incorporating your unique style into the room, as unless you’re very lucky to have a large at-home spa in your house, typically the bathroom is a place where space for unnecessary décor is limited, and functionality is key. No point having shelves full of nick-nacks if there’s no space for towels and soaps! That’s why I’m so fond of bold, fabulous wallpaper, as it’s an easy way to add some colour and personality into a room without the need for clutter.

Plus, if you do have a particularly small bathroom, wallpapering one wall can help make the room feel bigger as it draws the eye from the lack of space and helps a small room make a big impact. The bolder, the better!

Layer your lighting

The bathroom is where we spend time refreshing or relaxing, so using light to create the right ambience is key. However, getting the lighting right in the bathroom can be tricky, especially when bathroom windows tend to be small – if they exist at all!

When I design a bathroom, I want to highlight three types of lighting: task, for carrying out specific functions; ambient, for illuminating the space; and accent, to add a unique and special touch.

Aim for sufficient task lighting around areas such as the shower and mirror (as these are the areas where we need to see what we’re doing!), whilst using ambient lighting around the bath for a more relaxed feel. I also love to incorporate accent lighting into bathroom designs in areas such as small niches or underneath sinks and vanities, as it adds a bit of spa quality to the room and highlights those areas you want to make a feature of.

Keeping it clutter-free

Having a well organised bathroom is important when it comes to efficiency – especially on those mornings when you’ve slept in a little late and need to get ready in record speed! There are plenty of essentials we need to keep in the bathroom for convenience – big, fluffy towels to wrap up in after a relaxing bath; sweet-smelling soaps and lotions to keep us feeling fresh and clean; plus, all those personal toiletry items that are unique to each of us.

My advice: make storing those items a decorative feature in their own right! Use baskets or small trays to keep everything neat and tidy, whilst also keeping immediate toiletries to hand. The less clutter there is in your bathroom, the better, and incorporating some new wall shelving or a bathroom cabinet is a simple, easy way to make your bathroom feel more spacious.

Add those finishing touches!

So, you’ve sorted the wallpaper, lighting, and storage in your freshly renovated bathroom… now comes the best part! Shower curtains, wall art, mirrors, decorative ornaments… there’s so much you can incorporate into your bathroom as décor, but the most important thing is that you use the space to embrace your personal style and tell your unique story.

Some of my favourite tips are using big mirrors above the sink as a focal point to reflect the light and make the room feel bigger and brighter; adding a touch of greenery with house plants to help aid relaxation and promote wellbeing; and even simpler things like adding interesting ornaments and candles alongside soaps and towels to make the room feel as decorative as other parts of the house.

Overall, the key to successful interior design is getting all the elements of a room to pull together and feel natural while still achieving a personal and individual feel, so incorporate whatever feels most you in your bathroom.

So, there you have it! I hope these tips have given you some ideas on how to make your bathroom the centre of wellness in your home. Give your bathroom some TLC this year!