Cast off your most dishevelled-looking towels, it is time for spring cleaning, and there is no better place to start than the bathroom. Whether it is a quick lick of (bathroom-friendly) paint or a switch-up of accessories, there are plenty of plumber-free pick-me-ups guaranteed to lift your space.
To paraphrase Kate Watson-Smyth, the author of Mad About the House Planner: Your Home, Your Story, bathrooms have become more important as a place to escape the home office and home schooling for some much-needed me time. “As a result, we’re spending more time and effort making these spaces aesthetically and sensually pleasing,” she says.
Watson-Smyth notes that since she launched Design Storey, an interiors shopping platform, in January, bathrooms have become the most popular room category on the website. Statement shower curtains and bath mats are bestsellers, and “a fantastic way to bring in sophisticated bold colour and pattern if you have quite a plain bathroom that you can’t face to, can’t afford to or aren’t able to change”.
Splash out on a shower curtain: a thickly striped beige and black curtain from H&M Home adds graphic flair (£17.99, hm.com) while the mellow ombré-pastel Aquarelle designs from the Danish brand Hay would suit most spaces (£39, finnishdesignshop.com). With its handsewn sunset-inspired designs, the Brooklyn brand Quiet Town has elevated the shower curtain into a piece of artwork ($198, quiettownhome.com).
For bath mats, HK Living has a classic Berber-inspired pattern (£25, nordicnest.com), or add a splash of colour with Anthropologie’s Gira bath mat in a sunny shade of maize (£48, anthropologie.com).
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At Etsy, shoppers have been investing in all things soothing and sanctuary-esque. “Creating spa-like atmospheres in bathrooms is one popular way to unwind,” reports Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy’s trend expert, noting an 7,466 per cent increase in searches for eucalyptus shower bundles (etsy.com). These bunches of eucalyptus leaves are hung directly from a showerhead or hooked underneath the fixture — try water-resistant Command hooks (£3.50, amazon.co.uk). The heat and steam from the shower releases the deliciously scented eucalyptus oils, which can alleviate sinus issues and take your bathing experience from functional to fabulous.
Towels add texture and personality to soften the hard finishes and cold whites of many bathrooms. Etsy has reported a 120 per increase in searches for waffle towels — such as the half-linen, half-cotton waffle bath towel (£43, etsy.com). Arket has waffle options in grey, pink and navy (from £7, arket.com) or go all out with Lola Leopard — Anthropologie’s velvety cotton velour patterned towel with Oeko-Tex certification (£28, anthropologie.com).
“Updating hardware such as towel and loo roll holders in black or brass is a quick win for adding some style,” says Lyndsey Goodger, the owner of the homeware company Rose & Grey. She recommends Ferm Living’s smart black triangle-shaped toilet roll holder (£24, roseandgrey.co.uk) and matching towel hanger (£28, roseandgrey.co.uk) for a modern aesthetic, or the new Curvature range of hooks and toilet roll holders come in organically shaped, matt-finish solid brass (£45 each, roseandgrey.co.uk) to lend an expensive air to the space. If you’re renting and drilling into the wall is forbidden, go for a leaning ladder for towels (£39, made.com) or Urban Outfitters does a hybrid rubber wood and woven cane towel stand/shelf (£149, urbanoutfitters.com).
Slick storage is a must. George Miller, a home designer at Neptune’s Fulham branch, says: “Finding a home for all of your bathroom belongings can be a challenge, especially if you have little built-in storage. Investing in a single piece of freestanding furniture, like our Shepton cabinet with its glass-fronted door and painted finish (from £1,210, neptune.com), can be the perfect solution for creating space to store bathtime essentials and towels. Adding baskets would help with storage too; our Arbroath baskets (£23, neptune.com) will not only keep your space clutter-free, but also add texture and colour.”
If you’re short on space, tuck baskets filled with towels and toiletries under your sink (spotty seagrass basket, £10, asda.com). “When you run out of floor, use the walls,” says Watson-Smyth. She suggests black and white baskets (from £8, rockettstgeorge.co.uk).
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A chic mirror is a must. Try an art deco-inspired wall mirror (reduced to £76, johnlewis.com) or the Otto antique-silver tilting design (£215, grahamandgreen.co.uk); for a pretty yet practical option choose a mirror with hidden storage (£55, urbanoutfitters.com) or a matt black mirror with a shelf (£35, dunelm.com). Store your cotton balls in a gorgeous Gio Line fluted glass container (from £26, lsa-international.com) and once you’ve invested in a stylish soap dispenser (£22, westelm.co.uk) buy your favourite handwash in bulk to minimise plastic waste — five litres of Faith in Nature’s lavender and geranium handwash is £37.50 (on offer at faithinnature.co.uk). If you prefer old-school bars of soap, Kate Brigden makes pretty blue and white painted soap dishes from her garden studio in Sussex (£14, vigourandskills.com).
Don’t forget the scents to complete the home spa feel. Eschew artificial sprays: Aesop’s post-poo drops (£20, aesop.com) are the go-to for elegant deodorising, and to maintain a consistent fragrance choose a responsibly made essential oil diffuser from Skandinavisk (lasts three months, £45, skandinavisk.com; refills £28) — their Oy, Hav and Fjall fragrances work best in bathrooms.
