SALLIE CHATER
Founder and director of her own interior design company, Interiors at 58, Sallie believes in creating luxurious, elegant and original schemes at affordable prices
Layout A roomy bathroom allows for a more individual layout. First, plan in space for a wet zone for the shower, bath and sink, and a dry zone for dressing, storage and seating. This will ensure that moisture from the wet areas isn’t directly in contact with any delicate finishes. Once you have the practicalities taken care of, you can be creative and play with proportion. You could position the bath in the centre of the room for a dramatic focal point, or turn a corner into a luxurious walk-in double shower with rainfall heads. If you have adequate ventilation, you can create an impressive multifunctional room and incorporate a dressing area and vanity table or a seating zone with a pretty chair and side table. Pinterest is a good online source for ideas of different layouts and bathroom/dressing area combinations.
Storage In a sizeable bathroom you will have space for a large double vanity unit with drawers or cupboards. You could make a statement with a vintage armoire or chest for keeping towels and linens. Angel & Boho has a fantastic range of chests and storage that can be painted in any colour to match your scheme.
Decor An adventurous paint colour or tile pattern will inject personality, and large-scale patterns and colourful designs are just what you need to stop the space feeling bland. Walls & Floors has an affordable selection of large-format tiles and offers a free sample service, or if you want to invest, look at the gorgeous range of high-end bold marble mosaics at Artisans of Devizes. The scale of the room will also mean you can choose a statement light fitting as it can be positioned away from the wet zone. Pick a large design that will fill the space and illuminate the entire room. Finally, with walls, although you may want to stick with vinyl wallpaper or paint in the wet zone, in the seating or dressing area you can have a more opulent wallpaper or a work of art, as they’ll be out of harm’s way.