Small changes, big impact
Give your bathroom an instant facelift with these nifty ideas.
#1 Smell the roses
A fresh scent always adds a luxurious touch. Raid your garden, buy a bunch of blooms or invest in a beautiful diffuser, as residential interior designer Nikki Zigras, owner of Studio Do Cabo, has done in her small Victorian cottage in the Bo-Kaap.
#2 Tray chic!
Instead of letting your lotions and potions stand around, group them on a pretty tray and see how clutter can be transformed into a stylish display. Take inspiration from this arrangement in Craig Olckers’ Cape Town home.
#3 SNOW WHITE
White on white on white will make your space feel more modern and give it a classic feel. Invest in white storage baskets for open shelves and keep your linen and towels monotone. Combining textures within your scheme will keep the palette from becoming dull.
#4 In the nude
Keen on a more romantic bathroom but don’t want to scare your partner with pink? Choose a subtle blush, shell tone or nude shade such as Duram Classic Matt in Ceres Blush. “A soft nude pink is a perfect backdrop with which to match almost any colour. A rosy glow emanates from the paint and makes everything and, most importantly, everyone around it look pretty – which, after all, is the biggest decorating success,” says designer Martyn Laurence Bullard. >>
#5 Green fingers
Use plants to create a spa-like environment. Those that work well in areas with high humidity include orchids, mother-in-law’s tongue, elephant’s ear, delicious monster and ferns. Let your greenery take pride of place on a table; if space is limited, display your favourites on the windowsill or install brackets and hang them up!
#6 In the locker room
Create a chic industrial look with a colourful wire locker – perfect for storing all your necessities. Give a second-hand locker a new lease on life with a lick of bright paint or consider having it powder-coated (it’s tougher than regular paint and available in a variety of colours). >>
#7 HIT THE CEILING
The colour of the ceiling dramatically affects the mood of a room. While white is often the obvious choice, a dark colour on the ceiling and walls in a well-lit, neutral space can create a playful and dramatic style statement.
#8 Arty farty
A bathroom is probably not the first place you think of in terms of displaying art but it’s a great way to brighten up the space. Use a collection of inexpensive prints in classic frames, colourful or vintage plates, artisanal tiles, framed photographs or a single striking piece in an ornate frame. Black-and-white watercolour print from Victoria Verbaan; frame from Country Road; Space Bunny plate from Sonja Kastner Ceramics
If I don’t have red, I use blue.
– Pablo Picasso