We all spend a lot of quality time in our bathrooms, so it’s worth putting some effort into making yours a special place. Make it a talking point, make it a thing of beauty, make it something you’ll be proud to show off to your guests.
Whether you’re planning a whole new look, or just after tips and tricks to beautify your restroom, we’ve collected some ideas to help you make an impact with your “smallest room”.
If you like a clean uncluttered look that uses natural materials, then a Nordic style bathroom could be just the thing. A Nordic look is well suited to light, airy spaces. Natural woods combine with white tiles and toilet furniture to create a simple, but warm feel.
This Scandinavian theme can be achieved relatively inexpensively. White enamel and plain woods being among the less costly bathroom materials. If you already have an all-white bathroom, you have a head start. Simply add some wooden shelves or table-tops and - just like in the famous Beatles song, Norwegian Wood - you’ll be well on your way to a Norwegian bathroom.
A rustic style is really something you can create to your own taste. It is implicitly a bit rough around the edges, typically with antique accessories and fixtures, and doesn’t contain neatly fitted furniture. In fact, the most authentic of rustic styles is somewhat “thrown together” and contains stand-alone furnishings.
If your current bathroom is feeling a little sterile and bare, you can easily warm it up with the addition of a few older wooden pieces. Hang a roughly-painted cupboard on the wall, perhaps a distressed-wood mirror as well, or replace your modern melamine unit with an older chest of draws.
If you’re a secret diva, too modest to pursue your bling-dreams in the rest of the home, then you should really go to town on your bathroom. There’s no such thing as bad taste in the bathroom. Here, gaudy becomes ironic - a fun joke.
So, get out the chandeliers, the baroque-style mirrors, the diamond-studded taps, and the plush embroidered “thrones” and turn your toilet into a palace of convenience. Your very own mini-mini Versailles.
Tidy room, tidy mind, tidy toilet. If you like an uncluttered existence, then a minimalist approach to your bathroom is easy to achieve stylishly, and easy to keep clean. Simple lines, minimal surfaces, stand-alone basins and bowls, monotone colourings, all typify the minimalist look.
Minimal means ruthlessly de-cluttering. Clear out all the unnecessary accessories, put the rugs and mats in the cellar and apply clean, simple colours to the wall and floors. To work, a minimalist look needs to have clean, sharp lines and be neatly executed.
Indoor plants are a great way to spruce up any bathroom and, if you have enough of them, they can define the overall theme of your privy.
This is a relatively easy and inexpensive way to create something unusual. What’s more, many plants thrive in the moist bathroom climate and their sweet smell can help cover up any nasty odours.
Do be aware, however, that plants take a lot of looking after. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance bathroom, this is not for you.
If you’re really pitching for the imperial-suite of restrooms, then an elegant bath can give your chamber a truly regal air. Victorian style baths with ornate feet and polished piping are back in fashion. They speak luxury and bring style and grace to your bathroom.
This is a décor choice that really only suits a large space. That bath wants to be admired from all angles and should be complemented by basins and furniture all in the same period style.
If you're still undecided which style is for you, or not ready to refurbish, then clever placement of smaller decorative items around your restroom can also make a big difference - without requiring a lot of time, money or effort.
From one-off feature pieces, such as a mirror or new shower curtain, to tiny day-by-day efforts, such as bringing in fresh flowers, you only have to start thinking about your bathroom to start improving it.
A colourful shower curtain can transform your bathroom.
Potpourri can make a big visual impact as well as smell nice.
Vases and flowers can brighten up any bathroom.
Reflect a colour from your décor with the colour of your towel – easy!