My taste is naturally quite sleek – especially when it comes to bathrooms. I like marble tiles, brass taps, a bit of a gleam off the surfaces that is softened only by an earthy wall color. But I was recently giving a talk to interior designers about bathroom lighting, and how to use them to soften the space and make it more relaxing and I learnt an unexpected lesson that has instantly made my bathroom more relaxing.
My co-speaker was the interior designer Lucy Barlow, co-founder of Barlow and Barlow. She’s known for a highly decorative approach to all rooms, and her use of color and layering of pattern is legendary. We got off the topic of bathroom lighting onto bathrooms more generally, and she gave me a piece of advice I’ve adopted that has totally transformed the space – inexpensively, I might add. A little trick that makes bathrooms more relaxing…
(Image credit: Project Barlow & Barlow / Photograph Jonathan Bond)
‘I always make sure there is some fabric somewhere in a bathroom,’ Lucy Barlow says. ‘Often I’ll use it for wall lamp shades. It contrasts all the hard edges of the functional fittings, tones down the gleam of the bathtub and basin by being one less reflective surface for light to bounce off. It means that you walk into the room and your shoulders drop, the room feels so much more relaxing.’
As soon as Lucy said it, I looked at my bathroom in a different way. She was right, there was a bit too much gleam, the glass shades on my sconces just one more light-bouncing material. And even with the dimmer on the light switch turned down, I did feel like the tub wasn’t as relaxing as it should have been to bathe in.
(Image credit: Mary Wandsworth/Mary Weaver)
And so I switched up the glass shades for some fabric ones, and instantly the room was transformed. I went for a pleated pattern in a soft pink, and it pulls out the warmth of the marble tiles, dialling down the starkness of the faucets and hi-gloss bath.
It was a tiny touch that cost very little but made a big difference. And is now making me consider cafe curtains, a fabric blind at the window, even a skirt around the basin. You don’t have to change the entire decor to layer some fabric in – here are some easy additions that do the trick.
This is the exact wall light shade I added to my existing sconces, and you can buy it separately from the fitting. Heavily and nostalgically patterned, I love how it contrasts with the rest of the room.
if you have a recess under the basin or next to the bath then this pretty printed basket can double as storage and decor softener. Use to store toilet paper, spare make up or to hide cleaning products out of the way.
If you have a high enough ceiling for a pendant shade, or a light fixture over the bath, then this cotton shade is a simple way to layer in some fabric. Without any pleats, it’s also easier to keep it clean as there are no folds for steam from the hot water to get trapped in.
Seraphina Cordless Roman Shade
Getting blinds tailor-made can be expensive, but standard-sized windows are easy to cover affordably online. This cordless blind can be clipped into the frame – no drilling required.
Annie Cotton Gingham Shower Curtain
Well this is one way to add in some fabric – go all out with a pleated cotton shower curtain. In a sunny yellow gingham, this expansive swathe of fabric has enough homespun charm to really make the bathroom feel relaxing.
Changing what you have underfoot can make a big difference too, and switching from a classic towelling material to a fabric bath mat helps evoke that serene sense of an upmarket spa.
Adding fabric to a bathroom once seemed alien to me, as I am sure it does many of you. But we treat bathrooms so differently now, the same shift is happening even more so with kitchens, we want these hardworking, practical spaces to be softer, more inviting, not all hardlines and cold edges. Introducing a swathe of fabric even in a small amount is a simple and inexpensive way to stop a bathroom from feeling sterile, making it warmer and more inviting.
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