How Do You Put the Luxe into a Luxury Bathroom?

If money were no object and you didn’t need to factor in things, like tripping over vinyl laminate flooring or your dated tile grout looks rather odd yellow! (picture on left Dunelm Rustic charm collection)

According to research, 35% of Brits take just four baths each year with 47% of those admitting those soaks in the tub took place while staying in a hotel (Laterooms.com via The Metro). So would your dream bathroom mimic the very best boutique hotel bathroom complete with a beautiful bath or would you select a sophisticated shower? This post looks at what’s now and next in the world of luxury bathrooms where old school glamour combined with modernism are creating home bathing areas to rival those at spectacular spas.

Himalayan Morskaya sea salt

Spa soaks and showers

Amara luxury toothbrush holders

While the primary function of a bathroom, as a space to clean ourselves at the beginning or end of the day, there’s no reason it can’t be done in a superbly indulgent pampering way.

As a nation we love showers because they are more time efficient, in the laterooms research that’s the reason 35% of Brits said they were more likely to include a shower in their schedule. Baths are seen as a leisure activity, something to be enjoyed on a more laidback weekend with a book in hand and candles lit. But what if you mixed things up a bit?

If a morning shower is an absolute must, you could introduce a shower with the capacity to do so much more than rinse and go. This spa shower offer the ultimate in self pampering, with special sprays to massage your muscles, a powerful monsoon shower head and a steam system and integrated whirlpool bath that can transform you to the spa whenever you step inside. Admittedly the outward appearance of this clever piece of cleaning kit means it wouldn’t look out of place on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise and style in the bathroom can be as important as substance. A cold, clinical feel does not necessarily leave you feeling calm. With this in mind, a walk in waterfall shower may be more your style and in place of that integrated whirlpool bath, a vintage roll top with art deco styling would be a wonderfully glamorous addition. This season soft metallic finishes such as copper or rose gold decorative feet are at the top of the must-have trends.

Luscious lighting

Lighting is a crucial component in bathrooms that are a bit out of the ordinary with the very best designs placing water, lighting and sound perfectly in sync for an experience that can elevate your mood to help you feel ready to take on the world or wonderfully relaxed. With careful design, you can keep your bathroom space free of harsh glare with a targeted lighting system that’s stylishly subdued to start the day more gently or help you unwind before bedtime. The American Institute of Architects ranks LED lighting as the third most desirable feature in current bathroom design. Starry ceilings have been big news in bathrooms for some time and are relatively inexpensive to fit. In fact, you’ll find plenty of YouTube ‘how to’ videos showing you how to create your own starry sky with LED or fibre optic light but your light therapy needn’t end there.

Amara Lexington towels

Backlighting your bath can make you feel like a real Hollywood starlet when you step in for a soak, particularly if you’re luck enough to have a sunken style bath. And, when you step out of your bath to carry out those final personal care tasks, a lit bathroom cabinet complete with mirror can be the perfect partner to those self-pampering steps. You’ll want to design your lighting system around the needs and priorities of you and your family but a simple place to start is with a dimmer system that allows you to turn the lights down low for an indulgent soak while let any shimmering light features you’ve added come to the fore.

Fabulous finishing touches

One of the things that separates bathroom designs in hotels from domestic spaces is that a bathroom often doesn’t look and feel strictly like a bathroom. Even those with a little more space frequently manage to merge the lines between bathroom and powder room thanks to those fabulous finishing touches. From a design perspective the addition of underfloor heating, an elegant armchair, dressing table or even a chandelier can help you achieve a similar finish in the home. Add to this a personalised fluffy bathrobe, classic candles and bathroom products in elegant packaging and you’ll soon have a space that seems extra special.

Is your bathroom more functional than fabulous? What would be your dream bathroom and additions and what features do you rate in hotel bathrooms?

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