A botanical bathroom

As we move into a colder time of year, my thoughts have moved to warming up my bathroom for the chilly mornings to come. I’ve been looking at paints and accessories, as a simple and inexpensive way of updating my bathroom to suit my current mood. But this got me to thinking: if I was to completely remodel my bathroom, what would my ideal be?

Well, I love bathroom furniture. And what’s not to love? It offers style, coordination, and more storage space than you can shake a stick at (wherever did that phrase come from, anyway?). I’m a hoarder, so those cupboards and drawers are always going to come in handy. You can choose from such a wide range of finishes – a range of wooden tones, monochrome pieces, or an array of colours - and you’ve got the option of either solid wood or else veneered or laminate cabinets. Plus, whether you love a cool and contemporary style or you’re a traditionalist at heart, there’s an option out there for you!

Warm, neutral tones are a great idea at this time of year, and really appeal to me. A neutral paint or tile palette looks great with wooden bathroom cabinets, while to keep your bathroom flooring both looking and feeling warm, try a mocha or chocolate tile with underfloor heating for the cooler months.  If you love the look of wood flooring, but are concerned about using wood in a high-moisture area (it’s not recommended), you may be interested in wood effect tiles or wood effect customised vinyl flooring such as Karndean.

Decorating a bathroom in a botanical theme could add a little of the wow factor to your warm, natural space. There are some gorgeous textured and patterned wallpapers out there which, used on the top portion of a part tiled wall (and kept away from the shower and basin splashback areas), could add interest and contrast to your bathroom. Greens manage to be both fresh and warm, while browns and russets are more traditionally warm, autumnal colours. Choose something that you love, and choose a wallpaper that will cope with the humid conditions of a typical bathroom: washable vinyl wallpaper is a good choice.

If you prefer to keep things sleek and contemporary, consider a wholly tiled bathroom where the use of subtle patterns and the application of rich hues can add texture and interest while maintaining a clean, contemporary look. Use reflective surfaces to enhance the feeling of space in your bathroom, and build upon your warm neutral theme with bronze, chocolate and gold shades. To prevent these rich colours overpowering a small bathroom, maintain a neutral base and accentuate a feature wall, or focus rich tones in key areas such as your basin splashback and shower enclosure.