TAP UP QUALITY FINISHES

The general rule with hardware – taps, showerheads, etc – is to go for the best quality you can afford: metal finishes that rust, chip or discolour are among the quickest ways to age and cheapen a bathroom.

‘Although they’re budgetfriendly, chrome-plated and zinc fixtures should be avoided as they corrode with time,’ says interior designer Katie Thomas (ktmdesign.co.uk), who also advises steering clear of plastic fittings, which are cheap but need to be replaced more frequently. ‘Brass and nickel are ideal finishing materials for bathrooms, as they age well and are resistant to cleaning products,

and stainless steel is a timeless material that doesn’t rust.’

When it comes to on-trend options such as black or brass taps, interior designer Edwina Boase (edwinaboase.co.uk) advises pricing everything up carefully before you decide. ‘The lead times and extra costs when you start metal-matching are something to consider,’ she says. ‘If you choose a more expensive finish for taps, and you want it to match other elements, costs can escalate once you take into account things like towel rails, and even basin and bath wastes, which often come in chrome as standard.’ One option is to look for companies that offer white basin and bath wastes that will match the bath or basin interior instead (try vandabaths.com).

Double basins are becoming more popular in bathrooms, where space allows. A vanity unit with two smaller basins, rather than one large one, gives a high-end look. Interior designer Edwina Boase