If you can’t bear to spend more than the length of time it takes to brush your teeth in your bathroom, you must be doing something wrong. Not merely a place to carry out daily personal hygiene, the bathroom has the potential to become a sanctuary – a place where you can shut yourself away for a few precious minutes and focus on nobody but you. So make it count and turn your space into a luxurious pampering zone for everything from lengthy soaks in the bath to everyday routines (yes, taking your makeup off with a face wipe counts as pampering in our book.)
If, like most bathrooms in London, yours is cramped, windowless, or sandwiched into a space no bigger than a cupboard, then it's a bit more difficult to achieve that spa-like quality (without throwing a few thousand at it.) So here are six easy, low-cost tricks to give your little bathroom a first class upgrade.
Brass act
A fail-safe method for giving bathrooms big or small a luxe touch is to adorn them with a bit of bling. Don’t panic – we’re not suggesting Swarovski encrusted taps or toilet seats. Instead, a few accessories here and there in materials that exude subtle luxury – think brass, marble, copper and natural stone. Behold Ferm Living’s brass toilet paper holder (£26, Amara); we didn’t think it possible to make loo roll look sexy, but thanks to its geometric styling and combo of sleek materials, we stand corrected.
Lights, camera, action!
Harsh overhead lighting is not conducive to an ambient space and will expose the unfortunate realities of your bathroom, so ditch the ceiling light and switch to wall lights instead. Casting a flattering glow around your mirror, glass globe wall sconces will give your bijoux bathroom an air of Hollywood. Try Ikea’s LEDSJÖ wall lamps (£42, Ikea) or Cedar & Moss’ Alto sconce for a vanity fit for a starlet.
Pot luck
Beautify your make-up station and stash your tool kit in empty glass candle jars – it’ll look so much more elegant than that a battered old make-up bag and a packet of Boots’ cotton wool balls on your vanity unit. Finally – rock solid proof that £50 candles are pretty much an essential. And, you get to feel extra smug for recycling something.
Courtesy of Sköna Hem
Throw in the towel
It’s often the little things that turn daily routine into a moment of luxury to be savoured. Take towels; getting out of the bath and drying yourself off with a threadbare old towel isn’t going to put you in a happy place every morning now, is it? Neither is clapping eyes on a rail of stray, mismatched towels. Swap them for a new fluffy set (matching, obvs) such as these beauties from Anthropologie, and it’ll give you that extra motivation to drag yourself out of bed every morning and into the shower (promise).
Black magic
A crisp monochrome scheme is basically shorthand for sophisticated, so look no further than black and white to bring a classic touch to your bijoux bathroom. Use black tiles sparingly on one wall or as a border so as not to accidentally recreate some kind of Footballer’s Wives pastiche. Accessorise with bright packaging and artwork for extra impact.
No wall flower
Traditionally, the downstairs loo is the domain of the bold wallpaper, but there’s no reason a tiny bathroom can’t get in on the action too. It’s a useful trick for upgrading your space without ripping out fixtures as it’ll distract from less luxurious elements of your bathing space. Be brave and go as wild as you dare with giant florals, wide stripes or geometric prints; alternatively go down the faux route – there are loads of great wallpapers on the market that mimic expensive natural surfaces such as marble, wood, copper and brass.
Courtesy of Lonny
Match point
Oh, how nice it would be to have matching toiletry sets (surely the holy grail of grooming?) Seriously though, how normal is it to only buy ONE BRAND of shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and everything else? Answer: not very. But you can give your bathroom a streamlined, hotel-like look if you’re a little more selective with your choice of packaging. Yes, it might be a little shallow (and slightly OCD), but choosing brands with a similar colour palette and branding will give your space an uncluttered, luxe feel in an instant. If you must insist on Pantene, decant your lotions into matching dispensers (try Zara Home or Rockett St George). Nobody will ever know you use Head & Shoulders.
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