STYLE ETIQUETTE
Melissa Penfold sings the praises of bathroom bliss.
Melissa Penfold’s ingredients for creating bathing bliss.
BEGIN BY ASKING how much bathroom space you have to work with, and what look and feel you are after. There are great-looking and high-functioning bathwares for all settings, whether you have got a spacious, spa-size bathroom or a tiny urban space. Here’s what’s trending. STATEMENT PIECES Bathrooms can look and feel cold with so many tiles, glass and metal so add warmth, texture and character by including special pieces, from antique cabinets to vintage chairs and wooden stools. DESTINATION BATHTUBS The bathtub is a place to rest, heal, unplug and indulge in the ultimate luxury: time out. TOWELS While waffle weave, flat-woven and ribbed textures are readily available, for soft, plush towels, terry is my favourite and the best bet for adding instant luxe. VARIEGATED GLAZED TILES Patterned tiles dominate small spaces and date – go for solid-coloured tiles in neutrals with variations in glazes that are beautiful, natural, have enduring appeal and will work with successive schemes.
SOAPS Paper-wrapped, hard-milled soaps add a layer of decoration to bathrooms plus you won’t be adding to the trillions of tonnes of plastic waste. I buy pure unscented soaps at $2 for four cakes – so I can put out fresh new bars on washbasins and bathtub racks for guests. SOFT SHINE Naked light is out. Subtle indirect fixtures, such as sconces and under-cabinet lighting, are the new ultimate luxury for creating ambience.
BLACK TAPS Tapware in black offers a pure kind of design language and it looks cooler and sharper than brass and gold.
BACK IN THE LIMELIGHT Chrome is ready to shine again. It has a kind of magic liquidity that can’t be matched. DETAILS THAT MATTER New doorknobs, cupboard handles, tapware, light switches and window latches are quick ways to add very affordable class to a bathroom. ACCESSORIES Replace old, mismatched accessories: a pair of artfully placed stone dishes perhaps, or new towels, will make it look as if you have spent more than you have. BE STRICT WITH YOURSELF Avoid too many knick-knacks, or at least group them so they read as an installation. BUBBLES AND POTIONS A tray is a good way to organise potions, lotions, bubbles and unguents. It’s about making your collections feel edited and well displayed.
MIRROR MAGIC A mirrored wall doubles the light and the impression of space in any room. Give it a try – it works! LUXURY COMES IN MANY FORMS Layer your bathroom with sound-absorbing materials. Stacks of towels, curtains, rugs and art can soften the hard lines of architecture.