I spend a lot of time in my bathroom — specifically, in the bath. Not being a shower person, I find that a bath is ideal for winding down after a long day. It’s where I do some of my best thinking. When it comes to decorating bathrooms, I’m drawn to childhood memories. As a young child, bath-rooms are where you tend to spend time with your parents, have scraps with your brothers and sisters and hold important conversations about the day that has passed. The memories are (almost all) magical. My childhood bathroom in Norfolk was filled with characterful details: a series of illustrations decorated the wall above the bath, mounted on orange towelling. The bath itself was turquoise enamel.

Subconsciously, these memories have informed the approach I take to designing bathrooms in adulthood. First and foremost, despite being a functional room, it doesn’t have to be decorated in a perfunctory way. It should be wonderfully spoiling and can be decadent. The American decorator Nancy Lancaster is credited with spearheading this approach in English interiors. Before she arrived and tore up the decorating rulebook, guests in country houses had to set off, sponge bag in hand, to find a lino-floored room located somewhere down a corridor and heated by a single-bar radiator. Following her insistence for comfort first, bathrooms started to adjoin their accompanying bedrooms and were decorated like small sitting rooms, with pattern at the heart of them, artwork, blowsy fabrics at the windows and somewhere comfortable to sit.

Cecil Beaton believed it was important to live surrounded by what you like, so why should bathrooms be any different? Decoratively, I like to take a ‘more is more’ approach. The first bathroom shown here was designed for a busy family of six in a house designed by Quinlan Terry in the 1970s. It has the best out-look of all the rooms, overlooking the park beyond, with the bath positioned to take advantage of these views.

It’s the picture hang that underlines the bathroom-as-family-room approach, as well as the assorted bookshelves, cupboards and wallpaper. Many people worry about books and wallpaper in a bathroom, but it simply needs plenty of ventilation. We also put a protective varnish on our hand-blocked wallpaper designs, which helps. I also love having an armchair next to the bath, which makes it a place for everyone to come together.

The bath alcove in the second scheme has a sense of theatricality that I like to introduce to bathrooms; somewhere slightly decadent that encourages one to luxuriate a little longer. Out of sight is another alcove for a shower that, despite not being visible here, is a firm fixture in my designs and as chic to decorate in its own right. The marble splashback plays to the shape of the opening, as well as the original Edwardian bath fittings.

My instinct was to keep adding layers to this room. The blind, slipper chair and alcove are in my Dahlias design, whereas the auction-sourced wall sconces were originally intended for the drawing room, until they found a home here. The spotted voile curtains were spontaneously rescued from an old tester bed. I often include a little stool or a fabric skirt around the sink to add softness in contrast to the hard surfaces. Do consider the lighting, too: wall lights at face height are much more flattering than those fitted overhead.

Flora Soames — 01747 445650; www.florasoames.com

Sometimes you come across a picture which is entirely bonkers, makes no sense, and yet is so perfect that you just accept it as it is.

And that's what we have with this image of a timber bathtub, a stunningly beautiful piece of work from Anselm Fraser, a company run by father-and-son pair Anselm and Tom Fraser, who have created an extraordinary line in wooden bathtubs.

Don't worry about where the taps are coming from, or how you'd plumb this bath in to the middle of the woods, or how you'd keep the leaves from falling in. Just enjoy the glorious idea of forest bathing in a literal sense.

Tom set up as an antique furniture restorer 40 years ago, and the company is now run by his son, Tom, who came up with a technique for steam-bending timber in such a way as to create a sculptural shape that is strong and relatively lightweight. The example at the top of this page is made from steam-bent olive ash with a walnut roll top and base.

If you want to find out more, Anselm shares his steam-bending technique on his Instagram page. But you might not wish to know how the sausage is made; instead, merely enjoy the wonder of an everyday household object turned in to a piece of functional art.

If wood isn't your style, here are a series of other different and beautiful looks, as picked out by Amelia Thorpe.

Steel style

From C. P. Hart’s exclusive collection of cast-iron baths, the classic Islington tub is given a modern edge with a sleek Polished Stainless Steel exterior. From £11,274 via www.cphart.co.uk.

My grandfather's clock was too tall for the shelf... so we turned it into a loo

Bespoke joinery specialist Artichoke now offers an interior-design service provided by an in-house team. This throne-style loo was created from offcuts of walnut doors and was inspired by the design of an imposing grandfather clock. See www.artichoke.co.uk for more details.

Shapely model

From the new bathroom collection by Fired Earth, the Elizabeth freestanding bath is designed as a statement piece, shown with a striking floor of Blends Verde and Grigio marble triangle tiles. Bath from from £4,675, tiles £135.45 per sq m from www.firedearth.com.

On the slant

New from Victoria + Albert Baths is Ledro, a freestanding tub made from smooth and durable Quarrycast composite. Its tapered shape is designed to use 30% less water than an average model, so you'll recoup some of the £2,832 cost every time you run a bath. From www.vandabaths.com

Luxury touch

The Connery freestanding bath, from £5,758, is a new addition to the C. P. Hart portfolio. The classic tub is shown with Cora vanity units, from £5,233, and brassware, all by Italian manufacturer Park Avenue, known for its luxurious and glamorous fittings. 0345 600 1950; www.cphart.co.uk

Focal point

Made in a Kentish foundry, the 1,700mm Copper Bateau bath with Silver Nickel interior, £7,500, creates a striking centrepiece, with the English bath-shower mixer on standpipes, £2,400, and High Level Deluge Cistern Ensemble, from £3,000, all by Catchpole & Rye. 01233 840840; www.catchpoleandrye.com

Natural look

From Lapicida’s range of marble-inspired designs, Marmi Extra tiles, from £82.80 per sq m, team the beauty of natural stone with the easy maintenance and durability of porcelain. 01423 400100; www.lapicida.com

Suite dreams

The Armstrong brass-ware collection by Perrin & Rowe www.perrinandrowe.co.uk has a distinctive industrial feel. The taps and shower fittings, £6,617, are shown with the Mozzano bath, from £3,856, available in a choice of 199 colours from Victoria + Albert Baths. 0333 800 0011; www.vandabaths.com

Hot tub

Handmade in Essex by The Albion Bath Company, the Geminus Linea bath is available with an exterior painted in any Farrow & Ball or Dulux colour, shown here in Farrow & Ball Picture Gallery Red, from £3,797. 01255 831605; www.albionbathco.com

Drummonds bathrooms: 35 years of timeless luxury

Drummonds has redefined classic bathrooms through an unswerving focus on the highest level of craftsmanship, design and detail, as well

The best new looks in bathrooms, from storage and sinks to Philippe Starck’s 'White Tulip' bathtub

Amelia Thorpe picks out some of the best new looks in bathrooms.

Credit: Mark Nicholson / Victoria Wormsley

Making a bathroom that's cosy as well as beautiful: 'Furnish a bathroom as you would any other room, to create a relaxing and inviting feel'

Victoria Wormsley has added a decorative feel to the bathroom of her Hampshire home. She spoke to Amelia Thorpe.

How to create a warm, decorative bathroom for a country house

Interior designer Nicole Salvesen, co-founder of Salvesen Graham, offers advice on adding warmth and decorative detail to a bathroom.

Sophie-Elizabeth Thompson brings her ideas to life in a range of materials, including bronze, marble and resin. Exhibited all over the world, particularly in China and Japan, her striking conceptual pieces are, she says, the result of ‘an instinctive process where no thoughts can penetrate the subconscious mind and allows inspiration to flow into form’. Abstract in the purest sense of the word, her work is inspired by both the natural and the man-made; delicate bone forms, industrial architectural structures, fluidity and negative space between objects.

For this exciting project, it was the light and shadow on rippling water that provided artistic inspiration. ‘I live by the sea and took photographs of how it rests against the sand. It leaves beautiful, calm, flowing indents,’ she adds.

This was a new type of artistic collaboration; instead of delegating the design to the artist, the design team at Victoria & Albert Baths asked her to conceive sculptural forms that would provide inspiration for a bath, a vessel basin and podium basin. These were brought to life in Quarrycast, a world-class stone composite developed by the company to deliver unrivalled beauty and durability. It’s made from pure, white volcanic limestone that is used for other iconic pieces in the Victoria & Albert collection, including Amiata, Eldon and Ionian.

Look at the history of bathroom design and there’s a tradition of form following function, with the occasional nod to classicism, Art Deco and minimalism. This landmark endeavour for the first time fuses sculptural form with beautifully conceived bathroom furniture to create a truly contemporary classic.

For further information, please visit www.vandabaths.com

Le Vingt-Neuf roll-top bath in Polished Cast Iron, £12,000, Catchpole & Rye. 01233 840840; www.catchpoleandrye.com

Ex.t Nostalgia bath in Blue Grey, £11,207, C.P. Hart. 0345 873 1121; www.cphart.co.uk

Usk bath in Hammered Brass, £14,340, Drummonds. 020–7376 4499; www.drummonds-uk.com

Qatego bath by Studio F. A. Porsche, £7,110, Duravit. 01908 286680; www.duravit.co.uk

Atlantic cast-iron panelled bath painted in Wenge, £6,445, Fired Earth. 0345 565 2032; www.firedearth.com

Portman marble top painted bath, from £5,634, Porter. 020–3355 1817; www.porterbathroom.com

Antique Copper boat bath, £5,221, Ripples. www.ripplesbathrooms.com

Lussari 1500 bath in Gravel Grey Blue Gloss finish, £4,226, Victoria + Albert. 01952 221100; www.vandabaths.com

Albany bath, £4,239, West One Bathrooms. 0333 011 3333; www.westonebathrooms.com

The best new looks in bathrooms, from storage and sinks to Philippe Starck’s 'White Tulip' bathtub

Amelia Thorpe picks out some of the best new looks in bathrooms.

Credit: Mark Nicholson / Victoria Wormsley

Making a bathroom that's cosy as well as beautiful: 'Furnish a bathroom as you would any other room, to create a relaxing and inviting feel'

Victoria Wormsley has added a decorative feel to the bathroom of her Hampshire home. She spoke to Amelia Thorpe.

Breathtaking new looks for bathrooms, from linen and lights to a truly spectacular nickel bathtub

Elegant baths, vanities and accessories to add a touch of luxury to your bathroom, selected by Amelia Thorpe.

Credit: Jan Baldwin / Neptune

Six simple ways to add character, style, drama and warmth to your bathroom

If you're looking for ways to spruce up your home, the bathroom is a great place to start — and

How to create a warm, decorative bathroom for a country house

Interior designer Nicole Salvesen, co-founder of Salvesen Graham, offers advice on adding warmth and decorative detail to a bathroom.

Barbara Van Teeffelen and her partner, Giles Godfrey, bought Keythorpe Hall in Leicestershire just over 10 years ago. Having renovated it, they now run the house as a fully catered let for up to 20 guests, with an on-site team that cooks with locally sourced produce, much of which is grown in the nearly two-acre walled garden.

The adjoining bedroom had been altered in the 1920s and, during work to restore the room to its original shape, the couple removed a boxed-in chimney to reveal hand-painted wallpaper featuring leaves, flowers and butterflies. ‘We knew we wanted to replicate its look, then we found this design by Watts of Westminster, which is very similar,’ explains Miss Van Teeffelen.

The next find was the freestanding shower in antiqued brass that was sourced through Drummonds. ‘We wanted to leave the architecture of the room intact and this was ideal, because it meant there was no need to tile the wall.’

Taps, washstands and the towel rail were deliberately chosen in an unvarnished brass, because they will gain a patina of age as the years go by. ‘Of course, there were no bathrooms in the original house, but the aim was to design a space that looks as if it could have been original — with modern and unseen comforts, such as pressurised showers and underfloor heating.’

A crimson-painted claw-footed bath from Hurlingham — based in nearby Grantham — picks up some of the colours in the wallpaper.

Antique markets and shops in and around Rutland were scoured for mirrors and light fixtures, whereas the light shades were bought from Pooky.

Keythorpe Hall — www.keythorpehall.co.uk

Credit: Keythorpe

Keythorpe Hall: A beautiful country house and walled garden to call your own (for the weekend, at least)

Teresa Levonian Cole checks in to Keythorpe Hall, a refurbished Georgian house a few miles outside Leicester that's perfect for

In the late 1980s, Drummond Shaw, the founder of Drummonds, was working as a commodity broker while restoring a country house and found it hard to source good-quality classic fittings. In 1988, he decided to leave his job, swap his Porsche for a forklift truck and establish a reclamation yard. Driven by growing demand, he moved into the manufacture of high-quality classic bathroom fittings.

Today, Drummonds has showrooms in London and New York and collaborates with some of the world’s leading designers, including Martin Brudnizki, Susie Atkinson and Marc Newson.

This spring sees the launch of a new range of lights designed by Suzy Hoodless and, in June, Drummonds will collaborate with Barlow & Barlow on a room in the WOW!house at the Design Centre, at Chelsea Harbour in London. Bathrooms by Drummonds feature in castles and palaces around the world, as well as historic houses, such as St Giles House, in Dorset, and at Annabel’s, the iconic London club.

The best of old and new

Drummonds is guided by a belief that its products must be a joy to use, beautiful and timeless, as well as having a capacity for longevity. The classic good looks of its designs go hand in hand with cutting-edge technology — the company is constantly evolving both form and function.

A growing presence in the US has precipitated a greater focus on water-saving technology, while collaborations with designers such as Marc Newson provide a contemporary twist on its products.

The beauty’s in the details

The work of the human hand creates characteristics that could never be achieved in a mechanised process. One such is the lost wax technique that has been used to make highly detailed artefacts such as jewellery since the 5th century BC, which is enhanced by the painstaking process of polishing and finishing by hand. Drummonds’ finishes age over time, developing a lovely patina, and the enamelling process on their baths means they last a lifetime.

The benefits of longevity

The company believes their range of products will become tomorrow’s classics. This has both sustainability and financial benefits: some of Drummonds’ customers take their bathrooms along when they move.

For further information, please visit www.drummonds-uk.com, or telephone 020-7376 4499.

Credit: Finn Beales

The hard work, time and craftsmanship that goes into a Drummonds bath

James Lentaigne of Drummonds spoke to Country Life's Giles Kime about how his company create baths that will last for

The marble bath so beautiful the rest of the room was designed around it

Giles Kime admires a pared-down space capped off with an antique marble bath that sets the tone.

Why we’re renewing our love affair with traditional bathrooms

Modern bathroom design has thrown the baby out with the bathwater, says Giles Kime – but the classical fittings we used

In 2021 we bought our fourth house in little over two decades. Each of them has presented its own set of challenges. The first was a tired south London terrace, the second a similarly weary townhouse, the third an Arts-and-Crafts house on a river untouched in 50 years and, now, we’re knee deep in the business of dragging a 17th-century cottage, with later additions, into the 21st century.

All four have provided a learning curve, the steep trajectory of which has been suppressed by a combination of experience and growing faith in our own convictions.

It was probably easier a generation ago when there was much less choice: terracotta or cork? Sanderson or G. P. & J. Baker? Dulux or Crown? Stripped pine or paint?

Nor was there the internet or social media, only a handful of magazines and the brilliant Terence Conran’s The House Book to hold our hand.

We’ve found that experience teaches you what lasts, what falls to pieces, and why. Because creating a busy home full of people and pets is rather different to creating a pretty picture for Instagram.

1. Ignore your friends

Isn’t it amazing how friends reveal hidden depths of expertise when you show them around a project? Magically, they all transmogrify into Kevin McCloud, Kirsty Allsopp and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen all rolled into one, dispensing advice about every aspect of a project you’re embarking on.

Most of these pearls of wisdom are couched in rhetorical questions. Should the staircase be there? Have you thought about removing that wall? Have you seen this new paint colour on Instagram? Have you thought of knocking the house down and doing a new-build? Of course, it’s all offered with the best of intentions. Well, most of it anyway. Ignore it all: trust your architect, your builder and your instincts.

2. Remember that you don’t live in a museum

The best interiors are those that serve the needs of the occupant (a quality known in the trade as people-centric) rather than offering a showcase for your own extensive collections, unless they happen to be both comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and you don’t trip over them when you are trying to find the remote.

The master of the art of using antiques and textiles in a disciplined way was my namesake Robert Kime, who died recently. Another was David Hicks, who succeeded in using antiques in a way that made them feel refreshingly modern. The benefits of restraint in interior design are not only practical, but also aesthetic.

3. Invest in fitted joinery

In the pecking order of priorities, good joinery comes right after effective sanitation and just before central heating. In most cases, it might also be more expensive, but the transformative impact on an interior provides an opportunity to make a house your own (and hide your clobber out of sight). The only possible exception is if you have bought a significant pile with huge rooms that will accommodate the sort of vast wardrobes that often go for a song at auction houses (but then there will be plenty of other calls on your cash).

For the rest of us, cramming the impedimenta of our lives into period houses built for people whose worldly goods didn’t run to more than a milking stool, butter churn and a smock or two requires a feat of logistics and aesthetics.

As well as focusing on the obvious places such as utility rooms, seek out storage opportunities in every last nook and cranny that yield spaces for everything from books to walking boots.

However, at the same time as chucking money at the problem, also chuck stuff away or secret it in a garage or lock up; less stuff requires less storage.

4. Don’t kill the spirit of a house

It’s easy (and fun) to rip out walls, shove in floor-to-ceiling windows, add extensions and hotel-style bathrooms, but the hard bit is to do so at the same time as preserving the intrinsic character of a house. It’s a balancing act; of course you want creature comforts, plus light and space, but ask yourself if that has to involve throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Thoughtful, experienced architects will suggest subtle interventions that make the most of internal space and find opportunities to bring light into an interior without extinguishing the period charm of a house. There’s much that can be done with antiques and materials to add texture, but sometimes it simply won’t be enough to save an interior that has been stripped bare or poorly extended.

5. Paint small rooms in dark colours

There was a period in the 1990s when ‘light’ and ‘airy’ were the two most oft-repeated buzzwords in the design world. It precipitated a ubiquitous new look that involved painting everything white; walls, floors and furniture and even the family dog if it stood still for long enough. It’s a great vibe on a Greek island, but can be pretty bleak on a chilly afternoon in the northern hemisphere.

Nowhere is it bleaker than small, white north-facing rooms that look so much better in a rich cosseting hue that creates a womb-like feeling of loveliness on a cold winter evening. Also note: there’s a popular misconception that pale colours make rooms look bigger, but this has yet to be scientifically proven.

6. Decorate in haste, repent at leisure

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Credit card in one hand, a second brimming glass of wine in the other, we settle down to a quiet evening with our laptop to do some sourcing (also known as googling furniture and materials). It’s a voyage of discovery, the deeper you get into your search for a new sofa/eiderdown/bathroom tiles, the more your head swims with images encountered on Pinterest and Instagram. Then you take the wrong turning down an aesthetic rabbit hole that leads to an option you would never consider in the real world.

Down there, with your Chablis goggles on, that ‘ironic’ sofa covered in a patchwork of jolly fabrics or ‘faux zebra’ seems like such a ‘fun’ choice… until it arrives a few weeks later. In the cold light of day, it’s not quite so ‘fun’ and you spend the evening not on Pinterest, but googling ‘what can I do with a brand-new sofa I can’t stand?’, like Dr Crippen planning what to do with the body of a victim. Do your research in the morning with a cuppa in your hand — and your wits about you.

7. Love your builder

Your builder — or, at least, a good one — should be your guiding light. Firms such as those listed in the Country Life Top 100 have spent years at the cliff face, learning what works and what doesn’t and history tends to relate that they are usually right. Of course, it’s tempting to question possible motives behind any advice they might proffer (money and their convenience being the chief causes of concern), but, if they’re professional, have worked with you before — and want to do so again — they’ll share your desire for the best possible outcome.

8. Seriously question the need for overhead lighting

Few things invade your retinas or drain your skin quite as effectively as massed ranks of low-voltage spots. It’s hard to know exactly why some electricians over-spec them; fear of under spec-ing them? Lack of knowledge? A revenue opportunity? The fact is that you will probably need far fewer than the number an over-zealous spark will suggest.

The chances are you might not need any at all; in most cases, your money will be better invested in plenty of low-level light in the form of table lamps and floor lamps that are significantly easier on the eye and create a pleasing atmosphere. A few strategically placed spots can undoubtedly serve a purpose, but, a year into our fourth project, we haven’t specified one.

9. Avoid anything even remotely fashionable

Trust me — and I speak from bitter experience — you’ll regret it. The idea of interiors being fashionable was a conspiracy dreamt up in the 1990s by retailers and breathless PRs, aided and abetted by journalists who should have known better (myself included). The aim was shifting more merchandise/finding more things to write about and, ultimately, it did nothing but contribute to landfill.

Peddling trends is an iniquitous business and most fads have a habit of dying a death before you’ve paid for your latest folly on a credit card.

10. Relax

Finally, remind yourself that projects should be fun. If you spend too long with your head immersed in Pinterest, your head will be full of other people’s ideas and none of your own. Although imagery can be helpful in formulating ideas, remember that you’re creating a home for yourself, your loved ones and your pets, not a pale imitation of a scary stylist’s overthought home, usually in a converted warehouse or beach-front villa in some part of the world where the light and lifestyle are far removed from yours.

The two are very different; your own home is very real, whereas those on Pinterest are a heavily edited fantasy. And remember: there are few things more boring than perfection.

The interior trends of 2022: 'Maximalism is here to stay — minimalists would be advised to emigrate'

Giles Kime offers his top interior trends for the year.

The special magic of rattan, the furniture which almost forces you to recline languorously and have fun

A new book extols the virtues of rattan — and Giles Kime is absolutely sold.

Blending antiques, colours and design to create a beautiful room

Giles Kime takes a look at the work of Max Rollitt, focusing on this beautiful room in an 18th century

Eye catcher

Enjoy the best views as you relax in this elegant centrepiece—the William Holland bateau bath in nickel, £5,741, from C. P. Hart, shown here with the Samuel Heath Style Moderne floorstanding bath-shower mixer in polished nickel, £4,090 — www.cphart.co.uk

Deep design

Designed for a deep and relaxing soak, the Avon is a contemporary take on a traditional bateau bath. Made from cast iron and shown here with a polished exterior, it costs from £4,950, with the Bestwood crosshead floorstanding bath and shower mixer, from £3,372, both Drummonds — www.drummonds-uk.com

Flower power

The handle of the White Tulip basin mixer is inspired by the elegant shape of a tulip as it starts to bloom. Designed by the widely admired French architect and designer Philippe Starck for Duravit, the tap is available in a choice of heights and costs £319.20 for the medium size —www.duravit.co.uk

Grey gloss

Paintbox Ash gloss ceramic tiles, from £39.60m sq, are designed to add a touch of understated beauty to your bathroom walls, available with matching pencil and cornice mouldings to complete the design, from Mandarin Stone — www.mandarinstone.com

Art Deco design

The distinctive shape of Perrin & Rowe’s Deco basin mixer, £961, is inspired by the glamour of 1930s style—designed to make an elegant addition to any bathroom or cloakroom setting — www.perrinandrowe.co.uk

Bathtime bliss

Integral to the perfect bathing experience is a towel of just-so plumpness and softness. Made to order in Lancashire from 100% Egyptian long-staple cotton, Peter Reed’s monogrammed bath linen costs from £35 for a hand towel and from £142 for a bathrobe —www.peterreed.com

Classic elegance

Specialists in classic bathroom fittings, Porter’s offer includes this elegant Carter double vanity with marble top, from £3,486, Kew Drop lights, £456 each, and Everdon tall mirrors, £612 each — www.porterbathroom.com

Centrepiece

The Boat bath, from £2,358, can be customised in the colour of your choice, enhancing its role as the focal point of a bathroom design. It is shown here with an Axor freestanding bath shower mixer in a bespoke finish, £5,565, both from Ripples — www.ripplesbathrooms.com

Subtle beauty

The chic Knightsbridge vanity unit with honed Carrara marble top and undermounted basin, £6,539, is set against Warehouse Décor porcelain tiles, £106 per 60cm by 120cm tile, introducing a touch of faded beauty to soften the look, from West One Bathrooms — www.westonebathrooms.com

Bathroom wall lights

Compton bathroom light in Antiqued Brass, £178.50, Jim Lawrence — www.jim-lawrence.co.uk

Octagonal bathroom wall light, £349.20, and 7in Empire Pale Cream card shade, £72, both Vaughan — www.vaughandesigns.com

Mullan Kairi wall light in Antique Brass, £264, West One Bathrooms — www.westonebathroomsonline.com

Soap dishes

Ana soap dish, £15, Anbôise — www.anboise.com

Arabescato marble soap dish, £114, Drummonds — www.drummonds-uk.com

Cara Guthrie hand-thrown soap dish, £25, Toast — www.toast

Bathroom cabinets

Bisazza Wanders wall-mounted bathroom mirror cabinet, £1,945, C.P. Hart — www.cphart.co.uk

Chichester bathroom wall cabinet in Shell, £475, Neptune — www.neptune.com

Aid medicine cabinet, £353, Skandium — www.skandium.com

The best interior designers in Britain

Of all the decorating trends that have been in vogue over the last 50 years – be it Scandi, Minimalism

Credit: Getty

Britain's best interior designers on the paint colours you just can't go wrong with

People across the country are using their time to decorate, and with the big companies still running delivery services you're likely

Credit: Salvesen Graham

'A bathroom should be somewhere you spend time and relax, rather than a purely utilitarian space'

Interior designer Nicole Salvesen, co-founder of Salvesen Graham, offers advice on adding warmth and decorative detail to a bathroom.

Credit: Joanna Wood

Beautiful bathrooms: How to design your lighting, draw the eye and make the most of your space

Bathrooms are typically the smallest room in the house - interior designer Joanna Wood shares her top tips and tricks

Two’s company

Twin basins are the secret to a happy marriage. A stylish option is the elegant Pyrford Double washstand in Verde marble with an Aged Brass frame and shelf, from £10,620, Catchpole & Rye www.catchpoleandrye.com

Pattern play

Leading premium bathroom retailer C. P. Hart recently invited a small group of designers to create room sets at its London flagship showroom in Waterloo. The striking results are worth a trip in itself and include this design by Eva Sonaike — www.evasonaike.com, who teamed her signature Odi scheme with a selection of C. P. Hart’s fittings for a bathroom inspired by beach houses on West Africa’s Atlantic seashore. www.cphart.co.uk

Fresh fragrance

Combining leafy notes with natural warmth, Neptune’s English Fig hand and body wash, £20 for 300ml, brings a touch of fresh luxury to bathtime, even in the depths of winter. www.neptune.com

Mosaic marvel

New Ravenna, the US specialist in custom stone and glass mosaics, has created Harriet, a geometric design in delicate hues, from honed Cloud Nine and Desert Pink stone. It costs £2,028 per sq m from West One Bathrooms. www.westonebathrooms.com

Bespoke freestanding heated towel rail

Yes, you could get a towel rail from Screwfix for £45. But why would you want to do that when you could have one which is a work of art? From £5,442, Drummonds. www.drummonds-uk.com

Small Floor Mounted towel rail

Yes, you could get a towel rail from Screwfix... Oh, sorry, we already did that line. Anyway, the sentiment still stands. This one is £1,224 from Porter. www.porterbathroom.com

Fleuron towel rack in Nickel

This towel stand is so elegant it'll bring a tear to the eye (as might the price tag, sadly). it's £1,018 from the aptly-named Waterworks. www.waterworks.com

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The surprising secret of marital harmony: not two bathrooms, but two basins

Michael Caine swears by separate bathrooms. You don't need to go quite so far, says Giles Kime.

'The bathroom should be an extension of the rest of your home, so don’t be afraid to treat it that way'

Interior designer James Thurstan Waterworth shares his thoughts on creating the perfect bathroom.

This is the bathroom of a Buckinghamshire house, where the new owners decided to strip back and reconfigure some of the rooms, as well as reintroduce architectural detail that had been lost.

To do so, they enlisted the help of Carmen Evans of Pan’s Lodge, who drew up new layouts, and furniture-maker Clive Christian, who was commissioned to design joinery for a number of rooms.

‘By the time we started on this bathroom, we’d already completed much of the ground floor, so I had a clear sense of what the clients wanted,’ Mrs Evans explains. The room is entered through double pocket doors and is now furnished with a magnificent pair of vanity units either side of the bath that are highly detailed, an approach that is typical of Clive Christian’s style.

The joinery is from the company’s classically inspired Architectural collection, which includes Ionic-inspired base pilasters, Doric friezes and dentil cornices. It is hand-painted in Slaked Lime by Little Greene.

As well as plenty of storage, the cabinetry features two under-mounted porcelain basins and large mirrors set within panels that offer reflected glimpses of the garden views behind. Out of shot is a spacious shower enclosure. All the bathware was sourced through Drummonds.

The floors were laid with large-panel, book-matched San Marino marble. Sourced directly from the quarry in Portugal, it has a soft veining with a hint of copper — a link to the bath that takes centre stage in the space. ‘I wanted to create a striking contrast and soften the room a little — a copper bath felt like the perfect option,’ explains Mrs Evans. Adding further glamour are wall sconces that have been set within the central mirror and overhead chandelier, both by Christopher Hyde.

Arabella Youens

Clive Christian — www.clivechristianfurniture.com Pan’s Lodge — www.panslodge.com

Cupboard love

Good storage helps create a tranquil, clutter-free bathroom, making it a modern essential. This Chichester washstand with drawers, cupboards, double basins and Carrara marble top costs £1,920, from Neptune.

www.neptune.com

Compact choice

Designed with smaller bathrooms in mind, the Regent cast-iron bath teams statement looks with compact 1,520mm by 730mm by 598mm dimensions. Shown here painted in Farrow & Ball’s Radicchio, it is finished to order, with other options including raw metal, primed metal or polished and lacquered, from £3,750, Drummonds.

www.drummonds-uk.com

Smart step

Piazza Amber and Nero matt porcelain floor tiles team classic chequerboard style with modern practicality, as they are non-porous, high-grip, hardwearing and easy to maintain. Measuring 195mm by 195mm by 10mm, they cost £58.70 per sq m, from Mandarin Stone.

www.mandarinstone.com

Ageing gracefully

Designed and manufactured in England, the Langbourn single-lever basin mixer in Satin Brass is unlacquered and will develop its own individual patina over time. It costs £762 from Perrin & Rowe.

www.perrinandrowe.co.uk

On show

In September West One Bathrooms opened a new showroom at 70 Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Triple the size of its previous premises in the town, the store has two floors of luxury fittings, tiles, paint from Mylands and a waterproof wallpaper gallery, even a four-dimensional virtual-reality theatre, so you can be ‘immersed’ in your bathroom design before purchasing.

www.westonebathrooms.com

Blooming marvellous

Inspired by the sculptural shape of a tulip in bloom, French designer Philippe Starck’s White Tulip bathroom collection for Duravit includes this elegant freestanding bath, from £3,714, and wall-hung basin console, from £1,960, from C. P. Hart.

www.cphart.co.uk

Why we’re renewing our love affair with traditional bathrooms

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Credit: Joanna Wood

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Credit: Mark Nicholson / Victoria Wormsley

Making a bathroom that's cosy as well as beautiful: 'Furnish a bathroom as you would any other room, to create a relaxing and inviting feel'

Victoria Wormsley has added a decorative feel to the bathroom of her Hampshire home. She spoke to Amelia Thorpe.

Credit: Salvesen Graham

'A bathroom should be somewhere you spend time and relax, rather than a purely utilitarian space'

Interior designer Nicole Salvesen, co-founder of Salvesen Graham, offers advice on adding warmth and decorative detail to a bathroom.

'The bathroom should be an extension of the rest of your home, so don’t be afraid to treat it that way'

Interior designer James Thurstan Waterworth shares his thoughts on creating the perfect bathroom.

Wall and floors

There’s something very charming about Moroccan Zellige tiles. Being handmade, they’re not perfect and there’s beauty in that imperfection, with wonderful movement, particularly when they reflect light. In a big bathroom, I like to lay antique timber floorboards if possible, as they also lend texture and warmth. In a smaller space, the likelihood is that there will be more splashes, so tiles or elegant marble flooring is a practical choice.

The bath

I really love an old, heavy, cast-iron tub. We tend to buy ours at auction or from our local reclamation yard (visit www.salvoweb.com to find a yard near you). If you’re fitting out a period home, it makes sense that the bath looks as if it has always been there. If there’s a big window, it’s lovely to position the bath so it has a great view.

I’m lucky because I’ve done this at my own house and have spent many happy hours in the bath contemplating the sunrise and the sunset. If privacy allows, you can position the lavatory in the same way and have a loo with a view, which can be fun.

Brassware

I don’t tend to go for brassware that is too shiny; antique brass is my go-to finish as it has a gentle sheen and feels timeless. You can always repaint your walls, but you don’t want to have to change your taps after a few years, so choosing something with longevity is key.

The Water Monopoly does a range called Bill & Ben that is based on a traditional tap, but is slightly simplified, so it feels classic, yet works well in a period home and in more modern settings.

Lighting

Lighting is incredibly important. My feeling is that you don’t want to overdo it. I don’t use spotlights unless it’s for practicality in the shower, as the last thing you want is bright light in your eyes. However, I do like to use lights either side of the mirror and I’m particularly keen on fittings with shades.

The surfaces in a bathroom can lean towards being shiny and hard, so introducing fabric in the form of lampshades, curtains, blinds or even some upholstery adds colour and softness. I repurpose vintage textiles if I can.

Storage

Planning sufficient, easy-access storage is crucial. I often include an antique piece, such as a corner cabinet or chest of drawers. Bathrooms tend to be full of brand-new fixtures, but incorporating useful storage that also has a little bit of history can make things feel inviting.

The basin

A chest of drawers or table paired with a reclaimed stone sink can look incredibly beautiful. You can get well-priced pieces at auction — I found a £300 table, for example. It’s not nearly as complicated as one would imagine pairing a chest or table with a basin.

With baths, showers and brassware, you’re more limited with the design and finish, but with a vanity you can really create your own individual look.

Artwork

There’s no reason not to have some amazing artwork in the bathroom. You spend a lot of time there and, if you’re lying in the bath contemplating the world, you may want to look at something lovely. The bathroom should be an extension of the rest of your home, so don’t be afraid to treat it that way.

Thurstan Design — www.thurstandesign.com

Why we’re renewing our love affair with traditional bathrooms

Modern bathroom design has thrown the baby out with the bathwater, says Giles Kime – but the classical fittings we used

Credit: Salvesen Graham

'A bathroom should be somewhere you spend time and relax, rather than a purely utilitarian space'

Interior designer Nicole Salvesen, co-founder of Salvesen Graham, offers advice on adding warmth and decorative detail to a bathroom.

Credit: Joanna Wood

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How to create a warm, decorative bathroom for a country house

Interior designer Nicole Salvesen, co-founder of Salvesen Graham, offers advice on adding warmth and decorative detail to a bathroom.

When interior designer Victoria Wormsley annexed an adjacent room to create an en-suite for her bedroom, she was first focused on making it as comfortable as possible.

‘In a small bathroom, the fittings are typically arranged around the walls, but that doesn’t work in a larger room because of the enormous space left in the centre,’ explains Victoria. 'Equally, you can feel rather vulnerable and exposed bathing in the middle of an empty space.’

The solution here was to bring the shower to the centre of one wall, rather than tucking it into a corner, so anchoring the freestanding bath and positioning it for the best views seen through the window.

The bath is the Paris tub from The Water Monopoly (www.thewatermonopoly.com), a generously proportioned reproduction of a 20th-century French fireclay design, chosen to suit both the size of the room and the period style of the house. A frameless glass screen prevents water splashing from the shower area and allows the beauty of the book-matched Carrara marble wall to be enjoyed.

‘I like to furnish a bathroom as I would any other room, to create a relaxing and inviting feel,’ continues Victoria, who added a richly coloured vintage Persian rug, upholstered chair and linen-silk mix curtains.

‘People sometimes worry about steam damage, but if the room is well ventilated, it is not usually an issue,’ she adds. Walls and the custom-made vanity and panelling, both designed by Victoria, are painted in a gentle, warm grey.

The antique prints are from Etalage (www.etalage.co.uk). ‘They date from 1828, the same age as the house, yet have a graphic, contemporary feel that I love,’ she explains. ‘They bring the room to life.’

French-Brooks Interiors — 020–7591 0165; www.french-brooks.com

Credit: Jan Baldwin / Neptune

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Whether you're looking for an eye-catching basin, elegant bath or beautiful tile, these delightful fittings will ensure your bathroom is stylish, relaxing and luxurious.

New classic

The Whitewater bath is an elegant, comfortable reinterpretation of a classic slipper design, created by interior designer Susie Atkinson for Drummonds. Made from cast iron with an enamel interior and exterior painted in soft pink.

£5,082 from Drummonds — www.drummonds-uk.com

Personal touch

Pure linen hand towels with red hemstitch can be monogrammed with initials or even words or dates.

From £22 each from Volga Linen — www.volgalinen.com

Compact choice

The Hal wall light has a decorative glass shade and a bracket projection of only 16cm (6in), designed specifically for a small cloakroom.

£342 from from Hector Finch — www.hectorfinch.com

By hand

Lapicida’s Mediterranean ceramic walltile collection includes co-ordinating patterns and plains. Each tile is handmade to capture a perfectly imperfect beauty.

£210 per sq m from Lapicida — www.lapicida.com

In the pink

Oska matt porcelain hexagon tiles in Powder Pink, £53.57 per sq m, create subtle interest, their delicate hue offset by patterned Tangier Bella Blue ceramic floor tiles, £46.08 per sq m.

From Mandarin Stone — www.mandarinstone.com

Metal mix

This inviting bathroom at Kilmartin Castle (www.kilmartincastle.com) mixes up the metals, teaming a copper bath and gilt-framed mirror with Perrin & Rowe’s 3581 three-hole wall mounted bath set with cross-head handles in Satin Brass finish.

£806.76 from Perrin & Rowe — www.perrinandrowe.co.uk

Bold look

This Broadway wall-mounted basin in Matt Graphite ceramic will make a statement even in the smallest cloakroom.

£1,161 from West One Bathrooms — www.westonebathrooms.com

Decorative delight

Make your cloakroom sing with colour: Marnie porcelain basin in dandelion yellow with floral motifs in pinks, blues and greens, £940, shown with a Felix single vanity, from £970, and Oscar tap in Brushed Gold, £435.

From London Basin Company — www.londonbasincompany.com

Rustic beauty

The Flora wall light has a shade made from natural terracotta, £31, with Elbow wall fitting in chrome, £47.

From Pooky — www.pooky.com

Smart take

The black finish and angular lines of the Whitehall cabinet with basin create a modern twist on a traditional design.

£1,650 from Claybrook — www.claybrookstudio.co.uk

Burnished warmth

The Gold finish of the EauZone Plus shower enclosure, £1,895, adds warmth to this bathroom design, echoed in the choice of taps and accessories and completed with Barneby Gates’s joyful Pineapple wallpaper.

From Matiki — www.matki.co.uk

A classic 1930s bathroom with exotic charm and an unexpected touch of bling

The bathroom at Upton House in Warwickshire was featured in Country Life back in 1936.

Credit: The White Company

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There’s something deeply reassuring in the fact that there is rarely much that is new in interior design, only a process of revolution and counter revolution often spanning centuries, if not millennia.

Although it might currently be considered daringly modish to paint your walls black, David Hicks was doing it half a century ago and Sir Edwin Lutyens half a century before that. Modernists may like to consider themselves rather edgy, but Modernism was already pretty edgy a whole century ago, when Eileen Gray designed the romantically named House E-1027 at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.

For those of us with long memories, there’s something thrilling about this ebb and flow, in particular the nostalgic micro revivals: cabbagey plates, Constance Spry vases, flokati rugs, lustreware, and so on. The latest is marbling, a pattern that hasn’t been seen since the heady days of the 1980s, when a whole generation of homeowners enthusiastically embraced it, together with other paint finishes such as ragging, dragging, stippling and more.

Needless to say, faux marbling has been discovered and forgotten numerous times; examples were found at Pompeii and it was popular in the 18th and 19th century — there was even a celebrity marbler, Thomas Kershaw, who exhibited at the Exposition Universelle and worked at both Buckingham Palace and Osborne House.

The art of paper marbling is thought to have originated in China in the 9th century and later became popular in the Islamic world, reaching Europe during the Renaissance. Over the following centuries, it was used in bookbinding, as well as for lining chests, drawers and bookshelves.

In the current micro revival, marbling tends to be used in moderation, but when employed as wallpaper, it can create a rich and enveloping look. Although the costs are high, the rewards for taking the plunge can breathtaking, as evidenced by the beautiful bathroom by Salvesen Graham that features marbled wallpaper from the interior designer Beata Heuman.

A more discreet decorative touch can be achieved with the marbleised shades offered by Rosi de Ruig. The chances are that this is a micro revival that could become a macro one. Let’s hope so.

The marble bath so beautiful the rest of the room was designed around it

Giles Kime admires a pared-down space capped off with an antique marble bath that sets the tone.

Credit: Charnwood

Seven gorgeous fires to keep you warm this winter, from clean and green to striking marble

Credit: Savills

The breathtaking conversion of a mansion on the edge of the Lake District, complete with marble columns, carved staircases and oil paintings

This conversion of a Victorian mansion near Ulverston has been done with rare care and attention to detail. James Fisher

What is your approach to bathroom design?

We like to treat a bathroom as if it were any other room in the house, somewhere you can spend time and relax, rather than thinking of it as a purely utilitarian space. We don’t shy away from adding fabrics and texture to a bathroom and will often include a pretty armchair or stool, covered in a soft towelling fabric, and wall lights with fabric shades to match the window blinds.

Won’t steam damage fabrics?

Not if you get the bones right first! It is important to make sure the room is adequately ventilated. The same applies to heating. We often use rugs and carpets made from re-purposed plastic bottles that are water resistant and, if laid on top of underfloor heating, will stay dry. Several manufacturers are now creating interesting designs using these materials, including Weaver Green and Jennifer Manners.

What other flooring materials do you like to use?

We rarely use plain tiles, which can be cold, hard and slippery. However, we do use encaustic tiles with a matt, patterned finish to introduce a decorative feel. Wood floors, topped with a rug, can add texture, or we might choose a painted wood floor for a children’s bathroom.

How do you choose baths and fittings?

It is important to think about shape. If we are using marble — on a vanity top, for example — we might finish it with a rounded edge. Similarly, we will choose a gently rounded shape for a free-standing bath. We also like coloured baths, such as the Rockwell by The Water Monopoly, or a traditional clawfoot bath with a painted exterior.

Our bathrooms tend not to feel ‘fitted’. Free-standing pieces will help to create a less utilitarian feel. We might bring in a brass drinks trolley or a wooden étagère to sit by a bath, as somewhere for a glass of wine or to rest an iPad. We think about how someone will relax in the space.

What about storage?

A good variety of storage, according to requirements, is very useful, so we always try to include mirror cabinets, as well as vanity units with drawers. Make sure the towel rail has sufficient width to warm enough towels: The Sterlingham Company makes towel warmers in bespoke sizes.

How do you approach shower design?

We try to make showering spaces as big as possible and will often use decorative tiles on the walls, with a marble or manufacturer’s shower tray on the floor.

What other decorative elements do you consider?

Unlacquered brass and nickel finishes tend to create a softer feeling than polished chrome. If the space is large enough, a generous, beautiful curtain can make a bathroom feel opulent and special.

What about the walls?

We also love using wallpaper, as a way of making the bathroom seem akin to other rooms in the house. Use common sense as to where you use it or choose a vinyl or special bathroom waterproof wallpaper if you are worried about splashes. Sometimes, we’ll use wallpaper throughout and cover it with glass in the shower area.

Suggestions for small bathrooms?

Use patterned encaustic tiles. If there’s not enough room for fabric. Is there room for a little antique chair or a pretty cup to hold your toothbrush?

Salvesen Graham — 020–7967 7777, www.salvesengraham.com

Credit: Joanna Wood

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Coloured tiles for character

Add character to the simplest showering space with an interesting mix of softly coloured tiles: Gelato gloss ceramic wall tiles in Azura, left, and Marine, £47.47 per sq m, with Melrose Grey porcelain floor tiles, £43.13 per sq m. Mandarin Stone — 01600 715444; www.mandarinstone.com

Arts-and-Crafts style

Taking its inspiration from the Arts-and-Crafts era, the Edwin bobbin trolley is made from English oak and stained in a choice of three shades or painted. It is made to order and costs from £1,600. Balineum — 020–7431 9364; www.balineum.co.uk



Copper-bottomed baths for a dramatic touch

Drummonds baths are available in a variety of beautiful finishes, now including Burnished Copper. Created by wrapping the cast-iron tub in sheet copper, which is then burnished and polished by hand to create a luminous lustre, the effect is shown here on the Wye bateau bath, £10,740. Drummonds — 020–7376 4499; www.drummonds-uk.com

Wood for natural warmth

Wood adds warmth to a bathroom design and is ideal if your space is feeling a touch cool and clinical. This £1,435 Edinburgh wash-stand is made of treated oak, with a Carrara marble top and ceramic basin, plus open shelves for useful storage. Neptune — 01793 427450; www.neptune.com

For a bit of fresh appeal, think about mosaics

These Confiserie recycled-glass mosaics add subtle interest to a wall; £79.88 per sq m. Claybrook — 020–7052 1555; www.claybrookstudio.co.uk)

Light touch for delicate charm

The scattered pattern of faded roses on concrete-effect background gives these porcelain floor and wall tiles a delicate charm. Available with a co-ordinating range of plain concrete-effect tiles; £118.80 per sq m. Lapicida — 01423 400100; www.lapicida.com

Credit: Joanna Wood

Beautiful bathrooms: How to design your lighting, draw the eye and make the most of your space

Bathrooms are typically the smallest room in the house - interior designer Joanna Wood shares her top tips and tricks

11 steps to creating a perfect bathroom for your house

When the interior designer Joanna Wood moved to an 18th-century manor house in the Cotswolds, she had an opportunity to

Credit: Harry Lowther/Lewis & Wood

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Fortune favours the bold – in actions and interiors. Giles Kime explains how big and bold can make a small room

Credit: Designer Susie Atkinson

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What is your approach to bathroom design?

We like to treat a bathroom as if it were any other room in the house, somewhere you can spend time and relax, rather than thinking of it as a purely utilitarian space. We don’t shy away from adding fabrics and texture to a bathroom and will often include a pretty armchair or stool, covered in a soft towelling fabric, and wall lights with fabric shades to match the window blinds.

Won’t steam damage fabrics?

Not if you get the bones right first!

It is important to make sure the room is adequately ventilated. The same applies to heating. We often use rugs and carpets made from re-purposed plastic bottles that are water resistant and, if laid on top of underfloor heating, will stay dry.

Several manufacturers are now creating interesting designs using these materials, including Weaver Green (www.weavergreen.com) and Jennifer Manners.

What other flooring materials do you like to use?

We rarely use plain tiles, which can be cold, hard and slippery. However, we do use encaustic tiles with a matt, patterned finish to introduce a decorative feel. Wood floors, topped with a rug, can add texture, or we might choose a painted wood floor for a children’s bathroom.

How do you choose baths and fittings?

It is important to think about shape. If we are using marble – on a vanity top, for example – we might finish it with a rounded edge. Similarly, we will choose a gently rounded shape for a free-standing bath. We also like coloured baths, such as the Rockwell by The Water Monopoly, or a traditional clawfoot bath with a painted exterior. Our bathrooms tend not to feel ‘fitted’. Free-standing pieces will help to create a less utilitarian feel. We might bring in a brass drinks trolley or a wooden étagère to sit by a bath, as somewhere for a glass of wine or to rest an iPad. We think about how someone will relax in the space.

'Is there room for a little antique chair or a pretty cup to hold your toothbrush?'

What about storage?

A good variety of storage, according to requirements, is very useful, so we always try to include mirror cabinets, as well as vanity units with drawers. Make sure the towel rail has sufficient width to warm enough towels: The Sterlingham Company (www.sterlingham.co.uk) makes towel warmers in bespoke sizes.

How do you approach shower design?

We try to make showering spaces as big as possible and will often use decorative tiles on the walls, with a marble or manufacturer’s shower tray on the floor.

What other decorative elements do you consider?

Unlacquered brass and nickel finishes tend to create a softer feeling than polished chrome. If the space is large enough, a generous, beautiful curtain can make a bathroom feel opulent and special.

What about the walls?

We also love using wallpaper, as a way of making the bathroom seem akin to other rooms in the house. Use common sense as to where you use it or choose a vinyl or special bathroom waterproof wallpaper if you are worried about splashes. Sometimes, we’ll use wallpaper throughout and cover it with glass in the shower area.

Suggestions for small bathrooms?

Use patterned encaustic tiles. If there’s not enough room for fabric. Is there room for a little antique chair or a pretty cup to hold your toothbrush?

A classic 1930s bathroom with exotic charm and an unexpected touch of bling

The bathroom at Upton House in Warwickshire was featured in Country Life back in 1936.

Credit: Paul Raeside

A bathroom in an 18th-century farmhouse where practicality meets elegance

Nina Campbell combines comfort, practicality and elegance in this serene bathroom scheme.

Credit: Cathpole & Rye

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Credit: nicholas yarsley/www.nicholasyar

Traditionally trendy: The stunning bathroom of a completely refurbished Grade II-listed Georgian rectory

The bathroom in a Georgian rectory owes its handsome good looks to traditional joinery, parquet floor and fittings. Rachel Leedham

When it comes to conjuring schemes for her own home, interior designer Emily Todhunter confesses to being something of an un-decorator. ‘I like to live with things that are already there to see what ideas come up. In the case of this room, I left it almost exactly as it was — and am delighted with the result.’

This is the master bathroom of her Georgian farmhouse in Wiltshire. The scale and aspect of the room, together with the original panelling, fireplace and generous sash windows, combine to create a space that lends itself to switching off.

‘A bathroom is about the only place you can do that, when you have children and dogs at home,’ she says.

‘Here, I sometimes enjoy simply sitting in one of the window seats, taking in the view.’

"I briefly considered having floorboards, but, in the end, you can’t beat the comfort of carpet"

Emily was briefly tempted to use the room to create two en suites to serve the adjoining bedrooms. Instead, she decided to make the most of the space and decorate it as she would any other room — with paintings, a chest of drawers, an armchair and good lighting.

Sheer blinds in oatmeal made from her own Ultimate Floppy Linen range hang gently at the windows.

‘They are known as “Emily blinds” in our studio, because we use them in projects a lot. They are great for privacy, as well as looking pretty.’

The walls are painted in Edward Bulmer’s delicate Rose Tinted White.

White towels and a French-style bathmat from The White Company complete the room’s fresh, soothing look. ‘And I briefly considered having floorboards, but, in the end, you can’t beat the comfort of carpet in a bathroom — especially when the weather outside is foul,’ she says.

Todhunter Earle — 020–7349 9999, www.todhunterearle.com

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Called upon to design the interior of an extended 18th-century farmhouse in Wiltshire for a couple with young children, Nina Campbell turned her attention to the master bathroom with characteristic aplomb. ‘I approached it as a sitting room that happens to have a bath in it,’ she says. ‘I love the idea that someone can be sitting comfortably in the bath talking to someone in the chair, with a side table for a glass of Champagne.’

‘If you have children and are always running around, a beautiful, calm and spacious bathroom is pure luxury.’

A deep, cast-iron bath from Drummonds takes centre stage. ‘Think of it as a replacement for a sofa,’ says Nina. The room also includes (out of frame) a shower, plus a dressing table and double basins. ‘Everyone needs a shower, but there are moments in your life when you want to sink into a bath for a luxurious soak.’

Luxury is important, but so is practicality. With minimal storage in the master bedroom, a pair of fitted cupboards provide ample wardrobe space. Painted in Stone I by Paint & Paper Library, the cupboards are finished with a metal inlay detail to add a contemporary twist to classic cabinetry design. Small drawers underneath the window seat ensure that every inch of space is carefully used.

'The window seat is covered in soft towelling for comfort, the voile curtain to provide privacy and diffuse the light'

Walls are painted in Salix by Little Greene to create a calm backdrop. The window seat is covered in soft towelling for comfort, the voile curtain to provide privacy and diffuse the light and the linen blind in Bicton from Nina’s own collection (available from Osborne & Little), was chosen for its fine metallic stripe that echoes the nickel finish of the fittings.

‘Nina Campbell Interior Decoration: Elegance and Ease’ by Giles Kime (Rizzoli New York, £45)

The surprising secret of marital harmony: not two bathrooms, but two basins

Michael Caine swears by separate bathrooms. You don't need to go quite so far, says Giles Kime.

A classic 1930s bathroom with exotic charm and an unexpected touch of bling

The bathroom at Upton House in Warwickshire was featured in Country Life back in 1936.

Credit: Joanna Wood

Beautiful bathrooms: How to design your lighting, draw the eye and make the most of your space

Bathrooms are typically the smallest room in the house - interior designer Joanna Wood shares her top tips and tricks

A 19th-century bathroom in an 18th century home that works perfectly for a 21st century family

Jamb’s co-founders have created a timeless bathroom in their 18th-century London home. They showed it to Amelia Thorpe.

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The ideal 'forever home' has four bedroroms, two bathrooms and a garden that's not too big and not too small,

What makes a bathroom luxurious?

A sense of space instantly creates a feeling of indulgence. The addition of steam showers to dressing areas means that space is increasingly important in a luxury bathroom. A cramped room will not feel luxurious, nor create a sense of calm and wellbeing. I like to apply the same level of design detail to a bathroom as I would to any other room in the house. It might be a practical space, but it can also be a superbly comfortable and elegant one.

How do you begin?

Consider the floor, wall and ceiling treatments, because they will dictate the character of the room. The choice will depend on who the bathroom is for, its link to the bedroom and the style and age of the house. For a master en-suite, I might use a colour scheme and palette of materials that co-ordinate with those in the bedroom to create a sense of flow or take elements from one room to complement the other. Polished marble, mirror and glass always create a glamorous feel. There’s a vast choice, from classic white, cream and delicately veined grey marbles to bolder colours with dramatic veining or semi-translucent onyx. There’s a certain romance to selecting a stone that can never be replicated, which is why the natural material will always remain a luxurious choice, however perfect the marble effects in porcelain tiles become.

Painted wall-panelling is another good option: it adds personality to a room and can be eminently practical in concealing storage (as well as imperfections in the walls that can be an issue in older houses). I also love tiles in bathrooms, because there’s such a wide selection of colourful designs and sizes available now.

Patterned tiles used in a shower area or combined with half-height wall-panelling can add great impact.

Walls covered in fabric or wallpaper can add warmth and introduce a layer of decorative interest that is greater than plain painted walls. Provided there is a modern ventilation system to draw out steamy air, both paper-backed fabric and wallpaper can be used in a bathroom without difficulty, although you can glaze wallpaper (Decorators Varnish in Dead Flat from Polyvine test a small sample before use) or buy specialist papers for bathroom use (such as Wall&Deco from West One Bathrooms) if you prefer.

What are your thoughts on storage?

It’s essential! The amount of storage will depend on the size of room and the storage requirements of each individual, but I usually include some convenient eye-level cupboard storage behind a mirror in the basin area, plus drawers in the vanity unit below because it’s easier to see contents than there than at the back of a cupboard. Some clients will want a dressing table and wardrobe area, too, if the bathroom is large enough.

And baths?

A freestanding bath makes a strong focal point, especially if it is positioned under the main window in the room. Be wary of choosing the biggest bath, however, as most people find it more comfortable for their feet to touch the end of the tub.

I recommend trying out the designs you like, even if it means slipping off your shoes and climbing into a bath on display in a showroom. Comfort is all.

How do you choose a shower?

No one wants a dribbling shower, so go for a head that’s compatible with your water pressure. Decide whether you prefer an invigorating experience, in which case a smaller ‘club-style’ head is best, or a soothing rain shower from a larger design. Many retailers have shower troughs, where you can feel the spray patterns from a variety of heads.

How do you choose a tap?

It needs to be the right scale for the basin or bath, and complement its style. I like the interesting finishes, from copper (left) to pewter, that are now available. It’s another way of adding detail to complete a room design.

And the finishing touches?

Mirrors, a comfortable chair, lamps and towel warmers to pretty soap dishes, unusual cabinet handles, paintings and a shelf of books – they are all ways to personalise a bathroom and make it feel special.

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Credit: Joanna Wood

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When Tony O’Donnell and his wife bought a house on the Kentish coast 30 years ago, Mr O’Donnell was surprised by how difficult it was to find someone to restore its Victorian baths. His decision to do the work himself was the beginning of an exciting journey that led to him founding Catchpole & Rye, a business that now enjoys a global reputation. Over the years, Mr O’Donnell has gained an encyclopaedic knowledge of traditional sanitaryware, which informs designs that combine classic good looks and peerless quality.

Based in a former dairy in Kent, with showrooms in Chelsea and Tunbridge Wells, Catchpole & Rye manufactures baths, washstands, showers, lavatories and cisterns that have redefined the luxury end of the bathroom market. The company’s designs have been used in restoration projects all over Britain and are exported as far away as the US and Australia.

What have you learnt from the past?

As well as restoring old baths, I have amassed a large collection of antiques that informs our own designs — some of the pieces are on display at our premises in Kent. For me, the experience has taught me that it’s important to be inspired by the past, rather than to copy it slavishly. That way, you can improve designs that are relevant to the modern day.

The 19th century was a crucible of engineering innovation and much of the expertise of that period has sadly been lost. It’s only by gaining a deep understanding of Victorian plumbing that you can really create high-quality, beautifully engineered bathrooms. Compared with 21st-century technology, it might seem simple, but, in reality, achieving perfection is anything but!

Who do you regard as the heroes of Victorian plumbing?

One was George Jennings, the engineer whose flush lavatories at the Great Exhibition in 1851 kick-started the Victorian plumbing revolution (and precipitated the phrase 'spend a penny’).

The other is John Bolding, who founded the legendary John Bolding & Sons Grosvenor Works on Davies Street in Mayfair in 1891, where it remained until the 1960s (it is now Grays Antique Market and the building still bears the company’s name). Not only was he a brilliant designer and engineer, but also a natural entrepreneur. His building included workshops and a showroom, as well as a dispatch department.

I get huge inspiration from Bolding’s extensive sales catalogues, which are bound in cloth and beautifully embossed.

What are the benefits of working in Britain?

Making components ourselves allows us to benefit from the huge knowledge that we have accumulated over the past three decades. It has also enabled us to create an enormously deep skills base; some of our team members have been honing their craft for several decades and they are able to pass their experience and knowledge onto the next generation.

Those things we don’t make ourselves are produced locally, where possible, and we have developed highly collaborative relationships with manufacturers in the past two decades. That said, our aim is to bring as much of our production as possible under our own roof. The other great benefit of that it provides bespoke capability.

What are the possibilities of offering a bespoke service?

They are almost infinite. We can create highly distinctive designs in colours and finishes that are specified by the customer. There’s also a growing demand for personalised castings on baths and cisterns that bear the name of the house. It’s a unique option that creates a real sense of place.

What is your approach to sustainability?

It influences everything we do. Manufacturing our products here in Britain doesn’t only benefit Catchpole & Rye and the local community, but also reduces our carbon footprint. In addition, it allows us to recycle precious materials, particularly brass.

Other projects, such as the restoration of redundant machines, all contribute to the cause. The fact that you’ll only need to buy one of our baths is also a huge benefit to the environment!

www.catchpoleandrye.com

Credit: Joanna Wood

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When the interior designer Joanna Wood moved to an 18th-century manor house in the Cotswolds, she had an opportunity to

You don’t need to look far for examples of buildings that have been buffed with such enthusiasm that they take on an institutional air. An increasingly popular alternative solution is do as little as possible, other than making a building structurally sound, protected from the elements, functional and thermally efficient. This approach owes much to a cocktail of influences, in particular, the work of Italian architect Carlo Scarpa. He liked to allow buildings to tell their own story, notably, Verona’s magnificent Castelvecchio Museum, perhaps the most eloquent expression of this desire.

Equally influential were those free spirits who colonised New York lofts in the 1970s, who revelled in revealing the raw innards of a building. More recently, the use of reclaimed materials – a practice turned into an artform by interior designers such as Maria Speake and Adam Hills of Retrouvius – has demonstrated the exciting possibilities of living with timeworn materials.

A breathtaking manifestation of this approach is the Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury’s recent restoration of the 17th-century stables at Wimborne St Giles in Dorset, where they have exercised the same refreshing restraint that garnered them awards for their sensitive reinvention of the main house. The latter reveals its past with exposed brickwork, plaster and layers of wallpaper, but the Riding House features eight bedrooms among the loose boxes, with timeworn finishes that create spaces with a gloriously intimate atmosphere through the synthesis of ancient and luxuriously modern. You’ll be hard pushed to find any hint of a mezzanine floor or a steel spiral staircase.

Although all this might seem like putting a light hand on the tiller, it’s anything but. Old buildings, particularly those that were never intended to be habitable, come in all sorts of awkward shapes and sizes. An unsung example of this genre is the Hunting Tower, designed for Bess of Hardwick by Robert Smythson (the architect of Hardwick Hall, Longleat, Wollaton and so on), which towers majestically over the park at Chatsworth in Derbyshire. Consisting of four floors with a plan that would defeat most designers, it has been transformed by a healthy mix of pragmatism and gusto.

The heartening result of this approach is spaces with a charm and intimacy that would have been lost if they had been destroyed by either an obsession with period perfection or heavy-handed modernism. More, I suspect, will follow in their wake.

Credit: Chrisopher Mcgrillis

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The bathrooms of fancier hotels demonstrate possibilities our grandparents could only have dreamt of, with everything from underfloor heating and his’n’her basins to TV screens and ornate chandeliers that turn them into a mini Versailles.

But is the recent fashion for open-plan bedrooms and bathrooms a step too far? Interior designer Nina Campbell is a fan of the bathroom cum bedroom – if only when in holiday mode.

‘The best of all is in Le Sirenuse in Positano. You fill the tub with oils from Santa Maria Novella, which smell divine, and bathe while sipping something and don’t lose chatting time,’ she says.

‘We’ve just put a pretty white, claw-footed bath in a guest bedroom and it’s fun – but it’s best for holidays or for weekends away, which are for spoiling rather than for everyday use.’

Joanna Wood agrees: ‘It’s more of an experience and gives the room a real sense of luxury and is lovely for relaxing, taking time to unwind and look at the view.

'However, it’s not so great for family living and splashing children.’

Plumbing a bath into a bedroom isn’t just about indulgence, it’s also a highly effective use of space. Lindsay Cuthill who, as head of the country-house department of Savills sees more bathrooms than most, says he’s not a fan of the idea, but does concede that there are a few exceptions.

‘If the bathroom space is limited, then it might be a solution,' he says. 'And I have friends who tell me it’s a good place to catch up on the day with their husbands or wives – out of earshot of the children.’

Before embracing the bath-in-bedroom look, there are some practical issues to consider, primarily the problem of combining a bathtub with a carpeted floor.

‘A good solution is to go for a tiled area to avoid the area around the bath getting too wet,’ says Louise Ashdown of West One Bathrooms.

The weight of the bath, especially when full of water, should also be considered – a heavy- weight copper, cast-iron or marble bath might mean the floor will need strengthening.

‘And make sure you have adequate ventilation to prevent steam causing damage to bedroom decorations or furnishings,’ advises James Lentaigne of bathroom manufacturer Drummonds.

Although free-standing tubs create a bold, sculptural statement in a bedroom, they lack the handy shelf space afforded by a built-in bath. ‘We always put a side table close at hand for your book and a candle,’ explains decorator Suzy Hoodless, who remains somewhat on the fence as to the future of this trend. ‘The jury is split,’ she says, ‘but the cosiness of a bedroom lends itself to a long, hot bath.’

Pros

• Luxurious
• Effective use of space
• Provides good chatting time

Cons

• Lack of privacy
• Water damage
• Few storage opportunities

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‘Crossing the Edge Hills from east to west is rather like crossing the Cotswolds, and when the road abruptly plunges over the crest down Sunrising Hill you have the same sensation of the world opening at your feet that you get at Birdlip or above Broadway,’ wrote Country Life’s correspondent Arthur Oswald in September 1936 following a visit to Upton House.

‘From Upton the immense panorama is hidden by the crown of the ridge; but less than a mile away stands the “castle” which Sanderson Miller built to mark the spot where Charles I planted his standard, and from the summit of the tower you are said to be able to see into twelve English and Welsh counties.’

In such a home — which was mostly built in the reign of William and Mary, but extensively remodelled in 1927-28 by Percy Richard Morley Horder — you’d expect (and indeed, demand) a fine interior. And that is definitely the case in a home full of grand staircases, ornate ceilings and beautiful details throughout.

The bathroom, however, is even more extraordinary, as captured beautifully in this wonderful photograph by A.E. Henson from the Country Life Picture Library which positively drips with Silent Movie-era charm. You'd almost expect Rudolph Valentino to jump out from behind one of the columns.

Yet all is not quite what it seems; in truth the cool, clean look of this image is a product of the black-and-white photography of the time, rather than a realistic portrayal of the bathroom as it actually appeared back then. Hard as it might be to believe, those pillars were decorated floor-to ceiling in red lacquer.

If that news makes you shrug and think nothing of a touch of colour, now consider that the vaulted ceiling and the walls were covered in silverfoil intended to set off the red columns and the black marble bath. Mr Oswald refers to it wryly as as an 'amusing' room, adding that it's reached via a bedroom decorated with Chinese lacquered furniture – no doubt in such a context this quirky example of pre-war 'bling' would have been less jarring.

What does this tell us about modern interiors? Simple. Never be afraid of a touch of whimsy here and there, for your house is yours and yours alone.

In 1936, Upton House was the seat of Viscount Bearsted; today, it's owned and run by the National Trust.

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Credit: Alamy

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Plan carefully

The smaller the space, the more you need to pre-plan and think carefully about how you use the room. Remember the details, such as a magnification mirror with a built-in light, a shaver socket and somewhere to charge the electric toothbrushes, which should preferably be hidden away in a cabinet or vanity unit.

Storage matters

Make use of any spare nook or cranny for storage: shelves, drawers under basins, full-length built-in cabinets—even if they’re only 6in deep, they’re useful for loo rolls and lotions and potions.

Wider, shallower wall cabinets tend to be more practical than narrow, deep designs, because it’s quicker to find what you want.

Pullout drawers in vanity units also make life easier, because you can look in at the top to find what you need, without having to crouch down to search the back of a cupboard for the red nail varnish.

Layer the light

Do make sure you have lighting at different levels to help create different moods. Mix ceiling lights, which could include inset lights or a gorgeous chandelier hanging over the bath, with eye-level wall lights.

Take care to ensure you have adequate —and preferably flattering—light around the mirror. Low-level lights can be used to highlight a vanity unit or marble wall panel and create a relaxed, soft mood in the evenings.

Light at night

Always include a sensor to automatically illuminate the room with gentle light when you wander into the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Rugs rather than carpets

Don’t lay carpet in a bathroom—instead, choose a hard floor and lay a rug over the top if you want something luxurious and soft underfoot

Make an elegant focal point

If possible, don’t have the loo facing the door. Much better to catch the eye with a pretty vanity unit or make a focal point of a freestanding bath in front of a spectacular marble panel.

Joanna Wood - www.joannawood.com

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Credit: Cathpole & Rye

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Will Fisher and Charlotte Freemantle, the husband-and-wife owners of fireplace, lighting and furniture specialists Jamb, had a clear plan for restoring their Georgian home in south London. It was to be ‘on the cusp of grubby’, as Will says, by which he means they’ve resisted the temptation to polish reclaimed floorboards or spruce up cracked surfaces. ‘As an old mentor said, “you want everything to look as if it’s grown roots”.’

The family bathroom on the first floor, once a bedroom, is true to the plan. The 19th-century ceramic bath and antique basin console from The Water Monopoly (www.thewatermonopoly.com) carry the marks of history.

The couple uncovered the fireplace and added an 18th-century marble fire surround, chosen for its ‘sedate, not ostentatious’ design, as the room’s focal point, paired with an English grate of the same period.

The antique pieces are teamed with new items: the over-scale pillar bath taps and telephone-handset shower are from Drummonds (www.drummonds-uk.com), the loo with high-level cistern is from The Water Monopoly and the Art Deco dish light is from Jamb.

Walls and window shutters are painted in Tarlatan from Paint & Paper Library (www.paintandpaperlibrary.com), chosen for its depth and warmth, and the Carrara marble splashback co-ordinates with the fireplace.

Will says the way to avoid pastiche is to select the right ingredients and combine them with care. ‘I wanted the room to feel considered, but not contrived, and there’s a fine line between the two.’

Jamb: 020–7730 2122 / www.jamb.co.uk

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For most of us, a soak in the bath tub is a relatively rare treat. A morning shower, however, is a daily occurrence – and often more than daily, if you've been roaming the great outdoors.

Yet in choosing bathroom options it's all too easy to focus on the showstopper – an incredible bath – rather than thinking about the everyday experience. For our money, that's what showers such as this one from Catchpole & Rye (www.catchpoleandrye.com) seek to put right.

This Kent-based company started out selling antique bathroom fixtures and fittings which they'd refurbished, but over time they moved into the design and manufacture of their own products made in traditional styles.

What we particularly like about the example on this page – the Spine shower, in aged brass finish (£8,640) is how immensely practical it is: the 'ribs' that protrude form the spine offer all manner of options for hanging baskets of lotions and potions which accrue in most family bathrooms.

Yet that's not the primary function of the ribs: each one houses hot water jets to make this a shower that's horizontal as well as vertical. You'll have to ensure that your shower cubicle design works in harmony with this design. Cathpole & Rye offer design and customisation services to help on that score too, and if you get it right you'll have a shower that offers just as much sense of occasion as the finest bathtub – with the added benefit of being a luxury for every single day.

Tor Vivian trained at the Inchbald School of Design before working in the art world, including a spell at Sotheby’s. She later spent four years working in the practice of the acclaimed designer Chester Jones before establishing her own studio in 2001.

This bathroom is part of a complete refurbishment of a Grade II-listed Georgian rectory. The owner had fitted out the room a number of years previously, investing in handsome joinery, reclaimed parquet and classic fittings from Drummonds.

These were wise choices as they don’t date, so it was a case of refreshing the colours and accessories to tie the space in with the rest of the house,’ explains Tor.

The walls had originally been painted a creamy beige, which didn’t sit happily alongside the purer tones of the Carrara-marble vanity basin, so Tor opted for a warm, light grey – Skimming Stone by Farrow & Ball – picking out the cupboards in a gentle mid grey and adding bone handles to enhance the look of the traditional joinery.

‘The result is a lovely flow between the spaces.’

Above the vanity unit, she hung a pair of bespoke mirrors from Westgate Fine Art flanked by a trio of nickel wall lights from Jim Lawrence. ‘I always find that the best way to illuminate a basin area is with lights either side of the mirrors, so the face is evenly lit from both sides,’ she says.

In large bathrooms such as this, Tor likes to introduce upholstery to soften the look of the hard surfaces. Here, an antique bench is an elegant addition, providing a useful place to sit in the dressing area.

At the windows, she hung Roman blinds made from a simple cotton linen, adding a braid to the edges that echoes the blue of the cushions. ‘The adjoining bedroom has blue accents, so the furnishings carry through this palette,’ she says. ‘The result is a lovely flow between the spaces.’

To find out more about Tor Interiors, visit www.torinteriors.com.

This bathroom was photographed by interiors photographer Nicholas Yarsley. To see some of his other work, visit www.nicholasyarsley.co.uk.

The latest news in bathrooms: from designer tiles to Japanese saunas

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Easy installations

As bathroom products have become increasingly high-tech, finding an experienced installer can be tricky.

To address the difficulty, luxury retailer West One Bathrooms is, this month, launching a nationwide installation service by Five Sextillion, designed to offer a top-quality ‘end to end’ solution for your project.

Design-led tiles

Claybrook is a newcomer to the tile scene. Its first showroom – which opens its doors at 123, Curtain Road, Shoreditch, London EC2, later this month – promises a well-priced, design-led selection of natural-stone and decorative tiles, including the glazed Raku Yokohoma brick tiles (seen here above) at £2.59 each.

Minimalist makeovers

The designer Marco Williams Fagioli has given the sauna a Minimalist, Japanese-inspired makeover to create Effegibi’s new Yoku sauna. Prices start at £28,000 from C. P. Hart, the specialist in both traditional and cutting-edge bathrooms.

Using marble

Marble is an ever-elegant choice, shown here in a mix of formats to give a modern twist to a timeless material. Alsace honed-marble tiles, 305mm by 75mm by 10mm (12in by 3in by 0.4in), £83.93 per sq m; cornice, £13.14 each; and herringbone mosaic, £137.56 per sq m, from Mandarin Stone.

Stylish bathtubs

Copper-bath specialist William Holland has introduced a Verdigris ‘living’ finish that will continue to evolve over time, shown here on the Bateau bath with white-enamel interior, £5,422.

Credit: Paul Massey

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Credit: Alamy

The best things to add to to your house to increase its value, from party barns to dressing rooms

11 steps to creating a perfect bathroom for your house

When the interior designer Joanna Wood moved to an 18th-century manor house in the Cotswolds, she had an opportunity to

If you’re having work done to your house, it should be for one clear reason – because you want to make your home .

That said, it’s always reassuring to know that what you’re having done will add value to your house – after all, you never know when an unforeseen change of circumstances will prompt a move.

And although we all know that a beautiful kitchen or bathroom can work wonders, things aren’t so clear with other popular additions. So our News & Property Editor Annunciata Elwes spoke to Britain’s top property experts to get their view on whether you’re better off adding a dressing room, conservatory, party barn, media room or gym.

The answer was clear: apparently, buyers in Britain like their party barns more than any other room, excellent for fun occasions and versatility.

Close second is the dressing room (you’ll need to get ready for the party), followed by the conservatory – another distinctly social space.

Joint last are media rooms and gyms – that’s not to say they’re unwanted, merely that most people’s priorities lie elsewhere. Read into that what you will...

Party Barns: 'If you have a large-ish family, it'll be in use the whole time'

Lindsay Cuthill, Savills

The party barn adds the most value, because it will probably be the largest extra space. We’ve seen them used for shooting lunches, fundraising events, storage etc and they also tend to be rather wonderful buildings in their own right.

Bruce Tolmie-Thomson, Knight Frank

A room that has many uses at different stages of life, the party barn is always there for the big birthday celebrations and weddings.

Alastair Summerfield, Strutt & Parker

Party barns are versatile, dry (and hopefully warm!) spaces that can be used for a variety of purposes, not just celebrations – a gym, a home office. They can also bring in extra income through letting.

Jonathan Bramwell, The Buying Solution

They have so many uses, from parties to table tennis. For anyone with daughters, they can double up as somewhere to hold a wedding reception. If you have a large-ish family, it’ll be in use the whole time. One of my clients uses his for work gatherings. Another went as far as to AstroTurf his and said it was the best investment that they ever made.

Nicholas Leeming, Jackson-Stops

Party barns provide a great facility for entertaining both young and old, while also having longer-term potential as granny or staff annexes.

Adam Buxton, Middleton Advisors

Party barns are a definite bonus – proximity to the main living space will often dictate their function. The closer they are, the more they tend to be used for dining or as a widescreen television room. Further away, they’re more flexible. A large open fire is a must and a small kitchen and loo are good, too.

Louisa Brodie, Banda Property

In the country, a party barn wins every time. Even if it isn’t used for parties, it will certainly add value in terms of further potential development.

Jess Simpson, Jess Simpson Property Search

Having a space to entertain (loudly) separate from the house is a real bonus. But it’s also the flexibility of party barns that my clients like – for children’s parties, or even as a workshop for home-based businesses such as flower arranging, jewellery-making or other crafts.

Dressing rooms: ‘A walk-in wardrobe will seal the deal’

Simon Barnes, H. Barnes & Co

Prospective buyers usually make a decision after seeing the kitchen and reception room. If you can get them to the second floor and there’s a walk-in wardrobe, you’ll seal the deal.

Giles Kime, Country Life

Not only do dressing rooms transform your mornings, but also your bedroom, which will be infinitely more tidy. It’s more than worth sacrificing a smaller bedroom. They are to a bedroom what a pantry is to a kitchen.

Nick Churton, Mayfair Office

A media room is so last year. If you need a party room, hire one. As for a gym… No, the best is the dressing room. This is the inner sanctum, the holy of holies, the most intimate of spaces that is used and loved every day.

Sophie Paterson, The W1 London

A walk-in wardrobe is now an essential ingredient of high-end development. It’s one of the main requests we get, bespoke joinery is a must and we often convert guest bedrooms adjacent to the master into two dressing rooms — they prevent marital disputes!

Conservatories: ‘They’re just so versatile – they can be an open-plan kitchen, a children’s playroom or a chill-out space’

Amy McKinlay, PFK, Cumbria

In the frozen north, a heated conservatory is fantastic. It (and its more grown-up sister, the orangery) allows you to enjoy your garden through all the seasons. It also provides additional living space. Add in a set of French or bi-fold doors and you can enjoy inside/outside living.

Belinda Hutchinson-Smith, Strutt & Parker

Although not quite the same as a conservatory, a garden room (with a tile roof) off the kitchen is easily added and creates a light, spacious sitting-and-dining area, which is the most sought after room in most house sales.

James Shaw, Prime Purchase

A conservatory is just so versatile – it could be an open-plan kitchen, a children’s playroom or a chill-out space for the family. The best examples are timber-framed morning rooms with lantern-light extensions. They can be built in a very sympathetic way to complement old buildings.

Media rooms: 'Buyers, especially those with young families, really love them'

Richard Cracknell, Strutt & Parker

These days, you can buy a large-screen tele-vision or projector for not a great deal of money. With a decent surround sound system, you have created your own movie space. Buyers, especially those with young families, really love this.

Giles Cook, Best Gapp

Media/cinema rooms remain a common feature in smart new developments throughout prime central London. Popular with the sophisticated modern purchaser, the space can be multi-functional.

Gyms: ‘It’s imperative to have a well-designed gym’

Richard Barber, JLL

Definitely the gym, but it needs to be well presented and equipped, ideally with natural light and ventilation. It can’t be dark room in a basement.

Kate Donneky, Rhodium Residence Management

For prime central London developments, it’s imperative that the scheme has a well-designed gym. Increasingly, wellness has become a priority for ultra-high new worth individuals and we have seen developments enhance this, with spas, relaxation rooms and gadget-free libraries.

Credit: Alamy

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Get the room right before you start

To create this space, we combined what had been a walk-in cupboard and a poky bathroom. We worked with Oxfordshire-based architects Johnston Cave Associates, a practice with a huge knowledge of period houses, to create a spacious triple-aspect room. I positioned the bath to benefit from the view.

Choose a bath that’s just the right size

One of my tips when buying a new bath is never to do it without actually climbing in first as most people make the mistake of buying one that’s too big. This double-ended Fired Earth model is a particular favourite because it’s splayed out from the bottom, which means my rugby-playing husband can fit in.

The all-important Champagne holder (aka the shelving)

With freestanding baths, it’s important to position a shelf at the right height – you need somewhere to put a cup of tea or a glass of Champagne, plus bath oils and books.

Fantastic flooring

As a rule, I always suggest marble for bathrooms. In the past, clients have been concerned that it might be cold, but under-floor heating has put an end to that, making it wonderfully warm in the winter and gorgeously cool in the summer.

This design in this scheme is what I call a ‘marble carpet’: the main section is covered in six large blocks of book-matched Calacatta Verde marble, which then has a border of antiqued solid-oak floorboards by Chaunceys in Bristol.

Wonderful walls

I’ve just specified this wallpaper for the American Ambassador’s residence in London – it’s a very versatile pattern by Lewis & Wood (of which I’m the Wood) called Indienne Tint Wisteria and was designed by the very talented Magdalen Jebb. It manages to be quiet and calm, but bright and characterful at the same time. The predominant colour is greige – not grey, which is gloomy, but not beige either

Admiring your art

I’m a great believer in putting a favourite work of art in the bathroom so that you can lie in the bath and admire it.

Lavish lighting

In a period country house, it’s important not to have a lighting scheme that’s too modern – even in the bathroom. The two wall brackets by Philips & Wood have been adapted for use in bathrooms and there’s a small table lamp by Vaughan at the dressing table.

Clever clothes storage

I love to combine a bathroom with a dressing room, as it means I can be cleaning my teeth and thinking about what jumper to wear at the same time. People get concerned about clothes getting damp, but now that building regulations dictate that bathrooms must be well ventilated, that’s no longer a problem.

For this project, I commissioned the Wiltshire joinery company Archer & Smith to construct two sections of built-in wardrobes with a mirror in between. The woodwork is stippled and dragged in pale ivory, with highlights in blue (it’s a technique I like that’s very much coming back into fashion). Hardly anyone knows how to do stripple and drag these days – I used a local firm called Colchester Lister Associates (01453 544846).

Delightful doors

To further the classic country feel, I’ve used gathered fabric behind small-gauge chicken wire on the doors. It’s a technique that was a favourite of John Fowler’s and is so much prettier than solid doors.

Fabulous furniture

Where space allows, I love furnishing a bathroom with a comfy chair or a chaise longue. In my bathroom, I have a pair of antique chairs covered in a stripe. At the dressing table – positioned by the window to take advantage of the natural light – I have a three-panelled mirror.

Brilliant blinds

I like simple window treatments and, in this case, they help to maintain the peaceful nature of the bathroom. A Scottish Holland roller blind – a type of stiffened linen that the Victorians used to diffuse light and protect fabric – is a good solution.

Find out more about Joanna Wood’s work at www.joannawood.co.uk or call 020–7730 5064.

Because many Modernist designers like a room to resemble a cross between a science lab and a Buddhist monastery, they set out to eradicate anything that will disrupt the glacial look they love so much (repeating, under their breath, the words ‘less is more’ like some grim, dystopian mantra).

In the kitchen, this means hobs have been reduced to black squares of glass, with doors devoid of handles and kettles that are replaced with taps that emit water at the press of a lever. In the bathroom, it’s spawned discreet buttons that have taken the place of loo handles, cisterns that have been buried in the wall and square baths that are ergonomically unsuited to the not remotely square human form.

The problem is that the process creates rooms that are pared back so relentlessly that they have all the aesthetic charm of an abattoir.

Thankfully, the Modernist revolution has been succeeded by a counter-revolution, led by plucky aesthetic rebels who have made a stand against the sensory deprivation enforced by the chilly hand of Minimalism. In bathroom design, this new spirit is manifesting itself in the popularity of baths, loos, cisterns and showers that take their inspiration from the past.

It’s a testament to the enduring appeal of Victorian-style plumbing that it can still be bought from an actual Victorian business, Thomas Crapper, which first opened the doors of its showroom on the King’s Road in Chelsea in 1870 and later gained its first Royal Warrant for supplying the plumbing (including 30 loos) for the future Edward VII at Sandringham. Other than a renewed interest in Victorian and Edwardian designs, the big stylistic growth area in bathrooms is Art Deco, a look that offers a glossy, Claridge’s-style glamour that’s hard to resist.

There’s no doubting the character and comfort that classic bathroom fittings lend to a space when compared to the chilly look of the contemporary alternative, yet the revival of interest in classic plumbing is less about nostalgia and more about quality.

The robust functionality of properly made traditional fittings make them a pleasure to use. Drummonds, Devon & Devon, Samuel Heath, Chadder, The Water Monopoly and C. P. Hart are sources of a wide range of options, from Victorian and Edwardian to Art Deco and mid century, many made using time-honoured techniques. None of the designs has a hard edge or handle-free drawer among them.

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An early idea for this photoshoot involved managing director David Pick standing beneath one of Samuel Heath’s hand-finished showers – in full flow. It was quickly vetoed. ‘I don’t have enough decent suits for that spectacle,’ he laughs. ‘We opted to use our factory for inspiration – we’re pretty proud of it.’

The Birmingham-based 150,000sq ft factory has been the firm’s home since 1850 and everything it produces takes shape under the one roof. Although its façade is listed, the interiors incorporate some of the latest technology. ‘It’s a blend of old and new that seems to work for us.’

Founded in 1820, the firm’s majority shareholders remain the Heath family; today’s chairman, aptly named Samuel, is the fifth generation to oversee its progress. The business started out as a traditional brass foundry and went on to produce a vast array of products from bedsteads to fireside accessories.

Today, it’s one of the best-known British manufacturers of high-end bathroom accessories, taps, showers and architectural hardware.

Each piece is formed using solid Northern European brass, which is then hand-polished to create a flawless finish before undergoing a high-quality electroplating process. ‘We go against the grain by not outsourcing elements. Lead times, even for larger projects, are getting shorter and shorter, but we have to be in control of the product and its availability,’ explains David, who joined the company on the production side before working his way up through the commercial teams.

Product collections range from collaborations with Royal Crown Derby through to the company’s latest range, Landmark, which is inspired by the Bauhaus era, so historical detailing takes a primary role.

‘We like to take cues from a particular period in time, such as those of the Art Deco and Arts-and-Crafts movements, and design products that are instantly recognisable to an informed audience, but not so much that they end up being pigeonholed,’ says David.

‘The Art Deco range, for example, could work equally well in a contemporary setting as it could in a 1920s house.’

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A few country-house traditions appear to have fallen by the wayside in the past decade or so: raucous games of Ibble Dibble fuelled by flaming Sambuca, for example, and corridor creeping in the early hours – or at least not on school nights.

Another is sleeping separately from your spouse – long regarded as the height of sophistication, but often symptomatic of nothing more glamorous than a deviated septum.

There are signs, too, that separate bathrooms might also soon be a thing of the past. ‘Bathrooms are definitely becoming bigger, more communal spaces, often at the expense of bedrooms and dressing rooms,’ says James Lentaigne of Drummonds bathrooms. More space creates possibilities such as upholstered furniture and capacious showers, including the racy option of a pair of showerheads and a double enclosure (although most are probably specified more in hope than aspiration).

More discreet – but arguably more useful – is a pair of basins (known in the trade as a double vanity unit) for companionable side-by-side scrubbing, flossing and doing whatever it is that people do with cotton buds.

‘If space allows, a double vanity is now firmly at the top of wish lists,’ says Mr Lentaigne, whose recently launched Thames design in opulent veiny marble would lend a stately feel to any bathtime.

For a touch of Art Deco glamour, consider the extensive collection created by designer Justin Van Breda (also available at C.P. Hart). Neptune is another good source, with a number of designs, including the multi-drawered Chichester. Handy for all those cotton buds.

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This en-suite bathroom designed by Drummonds is in the extension of a listed 15th-century farmhouse in Surrey that was constructed with an oak frame and has walls finished with lime plaster.

The owners were keen that the structure and its interior were not only sympathetic to the building’s medieval origins, but also had a crisp, almost contemporary style.

The centrepiece of the scheme, of course, is the antique marble bath.

The bath actually came first, and guided the design of the rest of the space – including the extensive use of Carrara marble with a soft-grey vein. The skirting is also marble.

The curved, frameless shower screen allows maximum height for the showerhead, but has minimal visual impact.

Because the windows are single glazed in keeping with the rest of the building, a robust heating system was a must. The steeply pitched roof also didn’t leave much wall space to accommodate radiators, so a sophisticated underfloor heating system was chosen.

The project was designed and overseen by Drummonds bathrooms, which also supplied the basin, taps and showerhead.

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Drummonds – 0207 376 4499; www.drummonds-uk.com

The project: This is the bathroom of the master bedroom of an historic Grade I-listed house in the Chilterns.

The designer: Henriette von Stockhausen (07787 574192; www.vspinteriors.com) employs her broad experience in antiques and set design to add a touch of period drama to the restoration of historic homes.

Oscar Norton says: The brief for this project was to integrate the bedroom suites so that their style blended seamlessly with those in the rest of the house, at the same time as having a luxurious feel. The room has the benefit of a view down the Long Ride, a key feature of the surrounding parkland, parts of which date back to the 14th century.

The starting point was to restore the listed panelling and to match the wooden floors to those in the rest of the house. The bathtub sits on a wooden plinth, to make the most of the breathtaking outlook. At the far end of the room is a seating area by the fire, which encourages relaxation. The cabinetry and the shower cabinet were custom-made to ensure that they sat perfectly in the space.

How to get the look:

Furniture The pair of vanity units in this room was made by Jonathan Sainsbury, a traditional furniture-making business. It is at 26, Old Street, Bailie Gate, Sturminster Marshall, Wimborne, Dorset (www.jonathan-sainsbury.com; 01258 857573)

Bath The Water Monopoly sells a wide range of handsome traditional baths at its London showroom, 10/14, Lonsdale Road, London NW6 (020–7624 2636; www.thewatermonopoly.com)

Taps For an exquisite range of sanitaryware, bathroom furniture and accessories, Lefroy Brooks is a brilliant option. Visit http://uk.lefroybrooks.com or telephone 01992 708316

Flooring Walking on Wood, 490, King’s Road, London SW10 (020–7352 7311; www.walkingonwood.co.uk), supplies a wide range of floors, from classic options such as oak through to more offbeat alternatives

** See more interiors ideas from Country Life

Consult a Latin dictionary and you’ll find that the word ‘lapicida’ translates as ‘stone cutter’ or ‘quarryman’. this was exactly what Jason Cherrington did 30 years ago when he found himself at a roofing-slate quarry in China and had an idea. ‘My father used to deal in second-hand building materials, mainly roofing slates, and demand was outweighing supply, so he asked me to look for a new source. I found a geological map of the world in the Leeds library, which showed there was a belt of Cambrian strata running through the middle of China, and off I went.’

When he noticed that part of the extraction process produced a pretty iron-ore stained slate that could work well as a flooring tile, Jason contacted Nicholas Kneale, who was in the early days of setting up Fired Earth, and a few other tile showrooms to see if they thought that the market would bite. Lapicida was born.

Today, the company sources stone, mainly marble, from all corners of the Earth, including Brazil, namibia, India and Israel, and the range has widened from floors and wall tiles to sinks, opulent baths in limestone, Carrara-marble refectory tables and decorative items, all of which are machine-carved and hand-finished by stone masons in the company’s high-tech Harrogate workshop.

Lapicida’s two main showrooms in London and new York, both opened within the past five years, have helped to shift the business into the world of design—along the road demystifying the possibilities of stone. ‘People are fearful of stone,’ adds the company’s CEo, Xenia Carr-Griffiths. ‘It feels permanent and requires an investment, but it’s wonderfully tactile, incredibly beautiful and, today, we have the capability to make extraordinary pieces.’

For more information telephone 020–3012 1000 or visit www.lapicida.com

1. York Bath, £2,250, Victoria + Albert Baths (020–7351 4378; www.vandabaths.com)

2. JEE-O pure progressive bath mixer and hand shower

, £1,879.20, C. P. Hart (08458 731121; www.cphart.co.uk)

3. Waterproof wallpaper in Evanescence

, £160 per sq m, by Wall&Deco for West One Bathrooms Ltd (0333 011 3333; www.westonebathrooms.com)

4. Freestanding needleshower

, from £20,857, excluding VAT, The Water Monopoly (020–7624 2636; www.thewatermonopoly.com)

5. Hydrocotton towels in pearl grey

, from £5, The White Company (020–3758 9222; www.thewhitecompany.com)

6. Classic towel radiator

, available in 43 standard colours or bespoke colour-matching service, from £379, Bisque (020–7328 2225; www.bisque.co.uk)

7. Rosaline porcelain basin

, £570, London Basin Company (020– 8749 1267; www.londonbasincompany.com)

8. Bath oil

, from £23.50, Olverum (020–7630 9400; www.olverum.com)

Creating a bathroom that matches your country house’s period can be a daunting prospect—no other room has evolved so much in the past 300 years. Having made a timid appearance in the Georgian era as a corner of the bedroom, the bathroom changed beyond recognition in the 19th and 20th centuries and returning to basin-and-pitcher sets and commodes would be a tall order.

The good news, however, is that, with the right choice of bath, basins, brassware, paints and accessories, you can reproduce the feel of an antique bathroom without sacrificing any of the comforts we take for granted today.

Georgian style

‘The best way to create a Georgian-style bathroom is to use a piece of antique furniture, such as a chest of drawers or a sideboard, and replace the top with marble to create a vanity unit,’ says interior designer Joanna Wood, who also recommends adding antique-style mirrors to set the right tone.

Walls can be covered in wallpaper—Joanna has, on occasion, chosen a Georgian-print Toile de Jouy or painted in shades that are true to period. Later-Georgian schemes used dusky pinks, soft greys, greens and blues and these colours, all in a matte finish, ‘are perfect for the bathroom, because they promote relaxation,’ explains Josephine Rance, marketing director at Farrow & Ball.

Lighting is the final touch and Joanna likes to combine low-voltage downlights with antique wall brackets: ‘Vaughan Designs does very pretty period-style light fittings, which conform to regulations, and Phillips and Wood will refit period lights if needed.’

Victorian style

The bathroom as a dedicated space gained currency in the Victorian era and taking pride of place was a freestanding, cast-iron bathtub, which remains the centrepiece of today’s Victorian-style bathrooms. ‘To re-create the 19th-century look, start with three key elements: an enamelled cast-iron bath, an equally imposing loo preferably with a high-level cistern and white-china basins set within a marble washstand,’ says Drummond Shaw, director at period-bathroom specialist Drummonds. If space allows, you could also install a freestanding shower, such as Drummonds’s The Spittal.

For an authentic-looking scheme, adds Rob Whitaker, creative director at Fired Earth, consider choosing ornate mirrors and patterned encaustic floor tiles.

Brass is the material of choice for taps, which should be large, solid and gleaming. In a truly Victorian bathroom, adds Drummond, ‘these would be just one element of a more highly decorative scheme featuring richly coloured wall and floor tiles, often with geometric designs. If you don’t want to commit to feature tiling, use colour on the walls and bath sides to get a similar feel.’

Farrow & Ball suggests a deep red such as the company’s Eating Room Red or a chic aubergine such as Brinjal to create period glamour in a smaller bathroom. For larger spaces, opt for wallpaper in damask or large floral, bird or animal motifs.

Even the grandest Victorian bathroom would have been short on effective lighting, but, says Drummond, adjustable light sources will allow you to switch from a mellow Victorian atmosphere to a brightly lit space.

Edwardian style

The late-Victorian era saw the rise of the simpler aesthetic promoted by the Arts-and-Crafts movement, which then came into its own in the Edwardian period. Its hallmarks, says Rob, are timeless natural materials and superb craftsmanship. ‘Look for handmade wooden washstands, tactile stone bowls and hand-decorated tiles featuring floral motifs. Simplicity and attention to detail are key to Arts-and-Crafts style: eye-catching finishes such as polished nickel or a copper bowl with a mellow patina finish are ideal for this look.’

The Edwardian approach to interiors also called for fresh colours, such as pastel blues and cooling greens. ‘Interiors were less formal and the style was seen as a breath of fresh air,’ says Josephine. ‘There was a return to a more pared-down approach to colour. Keeping the walls light and airy gives a refreshing look, which is perfect for relaxing when soaking in the bath.’

Decorative tiles would be a suitable wall covering for a bathroom of this period. Fired Earth has a range inspired by Leslie Green, who was commissioned to design more than 50 Tube stations between 1903 and 1908.

Art Deco

The 1920s and early 1930s were the heyday of the bathroom, when it became the space of choice for Society hostesses to display their taste and opulence (see Country Life, March 23, 2011). Often vaulted and invariably decorated with a profusion of mirrors, marble and even gold mosaic, it was a master-piece of subtle ostentation.

Today, says Rob, ‘a monochrome palette, combined with strong geometric shapes and chrome and glass accents, is instantly evocative of the Art Deco era. A glamorous glass-legged washstand and dramatic metro-style tiling are perfectly in keeping with the look and a large freestanding bath, such as Fired Earth’s Atlantic panelled model, is brimming with Jazz Age style.’

Louise Ashdown, designer at West One Bathrooms, chose a similar approach when she set out to create an Art Deco-inspired bathroom at a country house near Tunbridge Wells in Kent. She picked the boldly geometric Lutetia basin unit by Oasis as the focal point for the room and surrounded it with large polished-porcelain tiles in soft-grey tones to capture the spirit of the Roaring Twenties.

Like tiles, geometrical wallpaper also provides a good alternative to the marble and murals that were common at the time. Josephine suggests Lotus and Block Print Stripe from the Farrow & Ball range, particularly in rooms where there is little natural light.

Glass is a key element of the look—opt for a feature shower door (see Matki for ideas, details as before) or the Empire Wall Light by C. P. Hart (020–3617 0820; www.cphart.co.uk).