Bathroom Beautification

Just like any other room in the house, a bathroom needs a stamp of personality. With just the bare necessities, and even a lovely set of sanitary ware, pretty tiles and nice flooring, you’ll always needs a few extra things to make the room feel comfortable and lived-in. From practical items like hand towels, to fun accessories, there are all sorts of way to add your own personal touch a bathroom.

A quick update of your hand towels, bath mats or shower curtains can be an easy way to give your bathroom a fresh look and create a scheme that matches the aesthetic of the rest of the house. Patterned shower curtains can sometimes look a little garish, but this soft toned curtain from H&M Home has a relaxed, bohemian style that gives a bathroom an interesting look.

Patterned Shower Curtain from H&M Home

Adding some new textures to a bathroom really help to make the room feel less stark. A bare bathroom, especially one that is modern can feel a little clinical, so adding in textures can soften the room and give it a more diverse colour palette. These hand towels from Amara, have some metallic flair to give you bathroom a touch of fun glam.

Lark Hand Towels from Amara

A few candles in the room can not only help to add some ambiance, (there’s nothing worse than trying to have a relaxing bath in bright, glaring light), but they can also add style if you find the right ones. This candle wall sconce has a beautiful Moroccan style to it, and would look good as a pair framing a bath, or basin.

Medina Wall Sconce from Angel & Boho

If you have a large window sill, or a shelving area, a few pretty lanterns can make a really nice feature, as well as being a handy source of relaxing light. This lantern from India Jane has an aged iron frame, add it to a collection of mismatched lanterns for a romantic, bohemian look.

Bertucci Iron Lantern from India Jane

Sometimes little touches like keeping your liquid soap in a nice dispenser can make your bathroom feel clean and tidy as it means getting rid of all those mismatching and ugly branded bottles. This contemporary set from H&M Home is rather smart with the tinted glass and white label front.

Soap Dispenser from H&M Home

A mirror is not only a practical item in your bathroom but can be a decorative one too; finding a design that matches the look you’re going for will enhance the overall feel of the room. If the person who designed the layout of your bathroom rather stupidly put the basin in front of the window, you’ll need a standing mirror. I like this simple one from Maison du Monde with a thin, black frame.

Metal Table Mirror from Maison du Monde

Keep things like cotton balls in a stylish container like this one from Nkuku; it’s a great way to add instant style and personality to the room and to mundane household items.

Bequai Star Pot from Nkuku

The accessories don’t always have to accommodate items or have a practical use, just like in any room a few trinkets and treasures in your bathroom can really give it the finishing touch. A few glass vases that you can add plants and flowers to will help lift the room; if you get a lot of light go for fresh, but if not faux will do the job nicely. I like these jar vases from Pale and Interesting matched with these faux leaf branches from Angel & Boho.

Glass Jar Vases from Pale and Interesting

Leaf Branches from Angel & Boho

Or something like this zinc stand, with a colourful boutique in it, or you could use it as decorative storage, like storing soaps or bathroom paraphernalia.

Zinc Stand from Pale and Interesting

Artwork isn’t always something you might remember to include in your bathroom, but it’s actually a great place to hang it. You may want to go for something a little wilder than you might put elsewhere, as you don’t have to look at it call the time, or you might want to use your art as a way for your bathroom to stay in keeping with the rest of the house. This cactus print would make an interesting piece to have in your bathroom, or these little Hare blocks would look lovely on a window sill or shelving unit.

Limited Edition Botanical Art Print from Rose & Grey

Hare Standing Block from Cox & Cox

Bathrooms, just like any other house have a purpose but also need to feel like they have a personality and a uniqueness to them; adding in the perfect accessories to suit you, your taste and your bathroom means you will create a great space in your home.

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Dear Santa

If you’re looking for a few extra presents for a loved one this Christmas, or in fact you’re still collected ideas for your own list, there are some really fun and interesting homeware pieces that’ll make wonderful presents. Whether you’re looking for a few stocking fillers, or that special something, take a look at these last minute Christmas ideas.

Lustre Curve Vase from West Elm

These painted, hand-blown glass vases from West Elm are the perfect dazzling Christmas present for someone with a glamorous style. The rich blue and bronze mixture of colour will stand out from the crowd and make a beautiful centrepiece.

Sticking to the rich midnight blue theme, this inky coloured whale from Rockett St George is a triple threat, it’s stylish, practical and makes for a great present; perfect for displaying a few favourites on the windowsill or on a sideboard.

Cast Iron Whale Bookends from Rockett St George

Christmas is mainly about two things; presents and family, but mainly the presents, so combine the two with a beautiful picture frame that you can keep a treasured photo in. These faux shagreen photo frames from Oka will add extra style to a contemporary setting. Equally, these duck leg frames from Graham & Green are a fun way to add some style and show off a beloved memory.

Faux Shagreen Photo Frames with Curved Edges from Oka

Duck Feet Frames from Graham & Green

If you want to continue the fun, these ceramic planters from West Elm will put a smile on anyone’s face. The different animals can be used to match personality and taste, I think I’d go for the llama design myself! Keep them up on a dresser or add to a windowsill display.

Ceramic Animal Planters from West Elm

For someone will more glam taste, this gold embellished vases from The Estate Yard will make a great collection to display and show off single stem flowers.

Gold Vases from The Estate Yard

Or if you want to help someone house a slightly larger botanical friend, this graphic pot also from The Estate Yard is a fun, modern way to keep a plant.

Graphic Plant Pot from The Estate Yard

This little cactus is super cute, and works as a jewellery box, which would make a sweet addition to someone’s dressing table.

Cactus Jewellery Box from Maison du Monde

Our little cactus friend would go extra nicely with someone of these bamboo trinket boxes from Rockett St George.

Bamboo Trinket Boxes from Rockett St George

Finally, if you know someone who just loves throws, these little ones from West Elm have a dappled pattern and come in five different colourways, a lovely thing to snuggle into after all that Christmas lunch.

Cosiest Space-Dyed Throws from West Elm

If you find yourself a little stuck for ideas, or know someone in need of some homeware inspiration, send them a few thoughtful pieces that’ll make them smile this Christmas.

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The Downstairs Loo

The downstairs loo is often the smallest room in any given house; tucked away by the front door or under the stairs, it’s all too often a space that goes a little neglected. Due to the general size of downstairs bathrooms, there is sometimes a hesitancy when it comes to decorating, with people believing that a small space cannot take on a heavy design scheme. However, I believe that the downstairs loo is the perfect place get a little creative when decorating it. Since you don’t tend to spend an excessive amount of time in the area, it can afford to be designed in a dramatic and exciting way. Once you have your basics, a toilet and sink, you can really begin to play around with the scheme, creating your own little paradise that you get to visit a few times a day.

To make a big statement in a small space you must first be decisive about which direction you want to take. Big features can look amazing but include too many and the space may become a little claustrophobic; here are a few ideas to get your thinking about how you could best design your downstairs loo.

When you have guests over for an evening, often the cloakroom will be the only bathroom they see, so creating a show stopping space will really make a strong design statement. Adding a patterned wallpaper to your loo can be a great way to give the space its own sense of character. On a recent project we decorated a client’s downstairs bathroom with this fun Manuel Canovas wallpaper, L’envol, which really gave a bland space a bit of impact.

‘Manuel Canovas L’envol Wallpaper’

There are so many styles you can opt for when it comes to choosing a wallpaper with flare for your loo. I’m head over heels for this flamingo print from 17 Patterns in pink. It’s a fantastically designed pattern that will look amazing in a downstairs loo, really giving the space a strong, bold look without being overbearing.

‘Flamingo in Pink Wallpaper’ from 17 Patterns

If you’re general aesthetic is more traditional, but still vibrant and colourful, a charming design like this Secret Garden pattern from Juliet Travers in midnight blue will help create a sweet but dramatic effect in the small space. The enchanting pattern teamed with the perfect lighting will create a fairy-tale like space.

‘Secret Garden Wallpaper’ from Juliet Travers

If you have the advantage of additional floor space on your side, a few plants strategically placed will really transform the place. If you have a few different surface heights, for example the floor a countertop and maybe some shelving, building your own small jungle of plants in different varieties and sizes will give a depth to your space, making a strong statement. When it comes to plants, of course it depends on your preference, but I believe more is more, and an overflow of bohemian style succulents, cacti’s and tropical pieces will really create an impact as opposed to one, lonely plant. If you’re short on sunlight, a quality faux plant can look just a good as the real thing, plus if you’re opting for a plant of the spikey variety there’s no chance of a painful accident! Abigail Ahern does some of the best artificial plants and flowers around, I love this array of cactus; they’ll really help to build up your plant portfolio.

‘Artificial Plant Selection’ from Abigail Ahern

A lack of floor or surface space shouldn’t deter you from adding some foliage to your bathroom. This wall garden from Rockett St George is a great example of how you can really get creative with plants in your home, and in your loo. Vertical gardens are a fantastic and innovative way of using your space selectively but still keeping a fresh and current aesthetic. You can buy a readymade one, real or faux, or if you want a project, creating you own one is the perfect way to include everything you want to and design with you own vision.

‘Faux Vertical Garden’ from Rockett St George

Sometime the downstairs loos is fitted into a rather tight space in the home, which might make you think that there is only room for the bare necessities, but you can always create more space with the use of carefully planned shelving. The trick is, in a small space making sure you put up your shelves somewhere where you won’t be knocking into. Once you have this figured out you can pick a shelf that matches your style and begin to fill it with a mix of ornamental and usual items, creating the perfect design balance. These industrial style shelves from Cox & Cox are sweet; their light design means that they won’t feel like they take up more room than they actually do, and the open nature of them makes them ideal for carrying objects of various heights and sizes.

‘Industrial Wood and Metal Shelves’ from Cox & Cox

Another shelving design I love is from Anthropologie, although these are slightly less functional then your conventional pieces, they are so pretty they’d make the perfect design feature. Often you find downstairs loos located under the stairs, these shelves would look lovely ascending in size order up a sloping wall.

‘Bloomland Shelving’ from Anthropologie

Whenever I think about inspirational bathrooms, I always think back to the beautiful image of the bathroom in Malpalquet House in East London, which I wrote a blog on some time ago. The bathroom wall was covered in pictures, frames and crucifixes, which overall created a beautiful effect.

‘Bathroom in Malpalquet House’

While you may not be able to squeeze all of this into you downstairs loo, you can certainly create something that’ll make an impact. If you have a generous amount of clear wall space, you can start to make you own mural of photo frames, prints, painting, mirrors and anything else you can think of. You may want to go down the nostalgia route and use family photos, or pick out arty prints, or even just create a miscellaneous haven. I love these Kiko frames from Nkuku, they come in a range of sizes so you can mix and match and find the perfect fit for your chosen display pieces. Unlike conventional frames, you can change what you want to go in the Kiko frame with ease and swap out or add in items as you find them. A downstairs loo wall covered in the frames will make a beautiful, comforting statement.

‘Kiko Frame’ from Nkuku

Using mirrors, in varying sizes and styles is also a good way to create an impact, and also provide a functional aspect to your bathroom. These hanging portrait mirrors from Nkuku are great to add to a collection of mirrors; with some being flatter, some more elaborate and some smaller or larger. A wall covered in mirrors or frames will automatically create an eye-catching feature in a small space.

‘Vintage Portrait Mirror’ from Nkuku

The downstairs loo is often a forgotten about space, or somewhere thought as only a functional room, but there are so many ways to great creative in a small space. It’s an area that you can confidently show off your style and really begin to design an area that’s a fun space.

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Vases for Springtime

It was always a popular opinion in my household that you could never have too many vases. Large ones, small ones, tall and stubby, wide and narrow, my mother’s collection of vases is rather impressive. Not only did this mean that my family home is constantly full of lovely flowers and plants, but it’s also full of beautiful vases to accompany them.

Now that the sun is shining away, and it’s finally starting to feel like spring, it’s time to give our homes that fresh spring makeover, and what better way to do so then by adding some amazingly designed vases and pots to your collection. Whether you have miles of space to play around with, or can just about squeeze a small pot in somewhere, walking into a room that has a beautiful plant or boutique and a decorative pot to match is always guaranteed to be a mood enhancer.

This Kali vase from Abigail Ahern really caught my eye, the aged dappled effect adds character. The pretty off-white ceramic colour will wonderfully complement some vivid green leaves overflowing from the top.

Kali Vase from Abigail Ahern

New from The White Company are these Mossed plant pots that come in a range of sizes. This look is created by coating the pots in yogurt and burying them in soil. The look has a rustic, urban feel about it and would look great with some tough, Mediterranean plants.

Mossed Plant Pot from The White Company

For more of a colourful touch, and something that would look fantastic even without flowers inside are these retro Mid-century Italian vases from Alfie’s Antique Market. They’re made to capture the attention of the room, and would make a superb statement grouped together on a side table or on top of a cabinet.

Carlo Moretti Vases from Alfie’s Antique Market

Interior Supply stock some super stylish contemporary pieces that never disappoint, including these intriguing deformed vases. It’s an interesting take on the classic glass vase that puts across a subtle yet distinctive look.

Glas Italia Transformer from Interior Supply

Not on the High Street have a wonderful collection of marbled cement pots that are a fantastic and inexpensive way to inject a dose of glamour into your interior. They’re the perfect solution if your porch, kitchen or conservatory is in need of a quick vamp, especially if you don’t want to break the bank!

Marbled Cement Mini Pots from Not on the High Street

Cactuses have been a hug trend over the past couple of years, filling up thousands of window sills and decorating an infinite amount of homes. From Abigail Ahern comes this interesting, cactus shaped vase that is perfect for all the cacti lovers out there! Pop a colourful flower or plant on top for a fun and modern feel.

Tall Cactus Vase from Abigail Ahern

Another mosey down the vintage lane to The Old Cinema, who always have a few hidden treasures within their midst, including this charming 1970s vase designed by potter Michael Cardew. I love the abstract striped effect and the almost diluting colours.

1972 Slipware Vase by Michael Cardew from The Old Cinema

If you’re into your sweet interiors, this adorable vase from Houseology is something to keep your eye on. The beautiful porcelain appears as if to be knitted, making a lovely effect.

Kinto Couture Knit Flower Vase from Houseology

For those who like to play around with historically classic decorative styles, this Chinoiserie-esque planter is something can be worked into dozens of different schemes, whether it’s to complement or to contrast, this piece could settle quite nicely into an interior or exterior of a home.

Chinoiserie Planter, Oka Direct

Fill your homes with bright and fun vases and wonderful florals and foliage to match!

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