It’s been a long time coming, but finally, here it is, my en-suite bathroom reveal. It’s been finished for quite a while, but life and work took over - and it’s taken me a long time to add those all important finishing touches.

By adjusting the original plans, I made space for freestanding bath and walk-in shower.

Back in the Summer of 2018, as we approached our moving in date (and the birth of our second daughter), there was so much to prepare, and the en-suite felt like a a luxury, so it remained as a storage room for a few months while we finished the more important jobs, but once we were more settled, we started up work again and finally focussed on getting this room functional, and I think it is my favourite room in the house (after the kitchen!).

Beautiful bathrooms are becoming more and more important for our well-being, it’s important to take time out of our busy lives to unwind, especially in the Covid times we now find ourselves in.

Read on or Go Straight To The Video.

Essential details in my book! Some greenery, a diffuser, and beautifully scented candles, this one is Honey & Tobacco, from *Oré* Mi

I think the en-suite is really a space you can show your true style, it is not often seen by guests or visitors, so make it completely you! This really is my sanctuary, a place to unwind and relax - monochrome, clean and minimal, with a few objects and plant added for softness - and free of plastic bath toys - unlike the family bathroom downstairs!

THE PLANNING

When the plans for the house were first drawn up, this bathroom was meant to be smaller, it was planned that part of it would be a walk-in wardrobe, but after some consideration and layout re-jigging, I decided that the wardrobes would be much better located in the main bedroom, there was a natural place in the alcove created by the way in which the stairs were placed, and besides, we don’t own that many clothes!

Also, I really wanted a generous walk-in shower and a separate bathtub, we had already compromised on a shower over the bath in the family bathroom as the house is quite compact, and I wanted this space to feel more luxurious.

The pale, washed wood vanity adds some natural warmth.

THE LAYOUT

Once I’d decided to relocate the wardrobes, the space suddenly seemed much more generous, I played around with layouts for much longer than was sensible! I became slightly obsessed that I didn’t want the toilet next to the bath or shower entrance, which meant we ended up and with the slightly unusual layout of having the shower in the middle of the room, and the modern freestanding bath tucks neatly under the Velux window and eaves.

The toilet and vanity are both wall-hung so you see more of the floor, giving that feeling of lightness and spaciousness. I kept the vanity area compact, although I love the look of the double sink and mirror vanity, and we probably had enough space for it, but in my own home, I though it was slightly excessive - and then there’s the thought of the extra cleaning!

The large format, dramatic, matte faux marble tile is perfect for a walk-in shower as it’s non-slip.

THE MATERIALS

Before the plans for the house were even drawn up, I knew I wanted something dramatic in here, and I decided to go bold on the tiles, and really, it didn’t need much else after that! The large format tiles are faux marble, but I was so impressed with how real they looked when I saw them in the showroom, and of course they had to be non-slip, which is an issue with real marble.
For the brassware, I used the Watermark Collection’s London range in natural unlaquered brass, which patinates over time, which would drive some people mad, but I love the tactility, and you can always polish it back, which I’ve done for these photos, but which I rarely do!

I wanted to add natural wood into this scheme for some warmth, so I decided on the pale, washed wood, wall-hung vanity, and topped it with a dark grey marble countertop sink. I designed this room before flush plates and fixings were easily found in various finishes, and I really wanted a matte black finish, so I had a chrome flush plate and all the shower fixings specially coated by a coating company.

Although I love theses tiles, I always add some painted areas in bathroom designs to stop them feeling to clinical. I went for a very light grey, Dulux Night Jewels 6, which compliments the tiles nicely. Having some untiled areas, also makes it easier to add things like artwork and shelves because drilling into plasterboard is much easier than drilling into tile!

LIGHTING & HEATING

I wanted control over the lighting in this room, lighting is extremely important in bathrooms, you need a brighter lighting option for the practical things like make-up and grooming, but you also need mood lighting for those relaxing long baths. I added spots for the practical stuff, but put them on a separate circuit, the floor uplighters and the light above the mirror are on a different circuit, and everything is on dimmers, giving total lighting control.

The en-suite has underfloor heating, like the rest of the house, but I wanted to add clean modern heating for the towels, at the time, I hunted high and low for this style of floating, electrical towel rail, and finally found one online, but it was shipped all the way from Australia! Now you can find similar in the UK a lot more easily.

The uplighters are actually outdoor lights by Astro Lighting, which make them suitable for bathroom use too.

THE ARTWORK

Artwork gives personality and makes it feels like a decorated, considered room, rather than just a functional space. The two small photos on the shelf are from the Somerset House Exhibition shop, I picked them up after the Get Up Stand Up exhibition, and I absolutely love the contrast and composition of these images, especially of the couple dancing in the photo on the right.

The print above the towel rail is a gift from my husband, it’s a map of Brugges, with a pin-drop on the location where he proposed, a suitably personal piece for this private space, and the lines of the map look great with the veining on the tile.

Artwork in the bathroom always adds personality.

THE FINISHING TOUCHES

The finishing touches in a bathroom are so important, they give warmth to the space. The small shelves are not large enough to gather clutter, but are just the right size to have some, plants, candles and keep a few useful potions to hand. I chose a few curved pieces in here, like the mirror and small table, to soften out the straight lines and echo the other curves on the shower controls, bath and basin.

Add a few felt baskets, soft towels, scented candles, and plants, of course, and your sanctuary is ready!