LUXURIOUS SHOWERS
FROM COLOUR TO FINISH, SIZE TO SCREENS, WET ROOMS TO EN SUITES, OUR SHOWER GUIDE IS DRIPPING WITH DESIGN INSPIRATION
We’ve endless inspiration when it comes to designing that wet room
BALANCING ACT
The current trend for ‘out-there’ tiling isn’t for everyone, and in a country home it can jar with the more traditional architecture. ‘If you’re feeling less bold but don’t want a bland wet room,
I’d recommend restricting decorated tiles to the floor and going for designs in softer shades,’ says interior designer Rachel Cropper. ‘Putting a simpler tile on the walls will have a balancing effect. ’
RIPPLE EFFECT
Reeded glass has been a recent fashion-forward choice for kitchens. Now it’s gracing bathrooms, too, where its softly defused surface adds an element of modesty to shower screens and enclosures – perfect for providing privacy in shared en suites. Install the glass with the reeded texture on the exterior to achieve a smooth, easy-to-clean surface inside the shower. A black frame brings in a touch of modernist chic.
STEP ON IT
Not every room is suited to a level-entry shower, especially on the first or second floor of a period home where sufficient plumbing space between floor joists is often lacking. Don’t despair, raising the shower tray has its advantages – for example, all those pipes can be easily stashed and the correct drainage gradients achieved. We love this elegant solution from interior designer Clara
Jung of Banner Day Interiors.
LEVEL UP
When you’re tucking a shower room into a small or awkward space, such as beneath the eaves, it’s essential to get everything perfectly prepped behind the scenes. One of the simplest set-ups is a specialist hidden tray system that is tiled on top and makes it easy to achieve the right drainage gradients and a watertight base – we recommend Impey’s Aqua-dec. ‘Get the sub-floor 100% level so that the shower tray sits completely flat,’ says Andy Horsnell, project director at Burlanes. ‘Next, tank the walls and around the tray to form an impermeable, waterproof barrier.’
LIGHT WORKS
Adding a window in the roof can transform a gloomy wet room, particularly in the mornings when a blast of vitamin D will help kick-start your day. While perfect for loft conversions, roof windows can also be used to brighten up any bathroom with no void between ceiling and roof, such as extensions with flat roofs and mansard rooms. Provided you have decent extraction, going for a simple skylight that doesn’t open is the least expensive option.
GET PLASTERED
Wet rooms clearly need to be practical, but tiling from floor-toceiling can feel uninviting. An increasingly popular alternative is tadelakt, a waterproof plaster that is built up in layers to create an easy-clean, non-porous surface. ‘In this room we took inspiration from Moroccan baths and finished the walls and ceiling in Venetian polished plaster,’ says Malcolm Abela Sciberras, interior designer at Cuschieri Architects.
STAR POWER
Showers are often tucked at the back of the bathroom, but they can still be star of the show. Here, the same tiles from Bert & May are carried vertically and horizontally, drawing the eye into the room and putting the shower firmly in the spotlight. Placing tiles in an unstructured format is a brilliant way to achieve a softer, more fluid injection of colour – and hexagonal tiles are your six-sided friend when connecting two materials in an undulating manner. Pair pattern with plain to emphasise shapeliness. And aim for precision as untidy joins won’t cut it.
Monreale bath, £530; Victrion Superbe fixed riser kit, £784; deck-mounted lever bath shower mixer, £680, all BC Designs
LOSE THE SHINE
Polished brass and shiny copper are giving way to more muted metal finishes. ‘Dulled brass tones are one of the most significant trends at the moment, says Benjamin Peak, CEO of
The Watermark Collection. ‘The softer look allows fittings to be used as a visual lead, but in a far less shouty way than polished versions.’ Go for lacquered finishes to arrest the burnishing of time, or unlacquered for a more relaxed, imperfect patina.
COASTAL CUES
Rustic exposed beams and driftwood wall art lend the look and feel of a beach holiday at home. Add tumbled flagstone flooring and a hand-carved stone basin – try Indigenous
– for extra layers of texture and interest. Go for whites with a greenish tinge, such as Little Greene’s Slaked Lime. This works well in country homes as it is warmer and more natural than brilliant white. A heated towel rail is practical yet luxurious.