It’s been a bit quiet on line here at ADA, I have been absorbed in the REAL world, I know. Finally making decorative decisions. I know. And you know the way it is in the real world: rushed, complicated and possibly compromised even before you have got to installation. Currently we’re still in demolition… 
But you need to be ready right? I handed over lighting plans for the house before Easter and of course for these to be actually useful a vision on final furniture layout is required. Kind of satisfying.
These are my vector works doodles. Get the idea? Each floor cuts into a steep hill with the main rooms above to get the valley views, it kinda works. 
The interior delights involved in finally living in our own house again are starting to leave me slightly breathless. Of all the spaces internally the one I am most looking forward to is our bathroom, is it something girlie within? The vision of …
Well not quite Kate… but plentiful fluffy towels, lashings of hot water and a space to enjoy visually. I thought I’d start by reviewing all my favourite bathrooms, but I didn’t, I jumped straight in…
Fully planning the layout, otherwise (know thyself) I would have got seriously distracted by aesthetic choices: colours, materials, finishes. But maybe we should start with this? All the bathrooms below are on pinterest but without my incisive (ahem) insight.
There’s the iconic new releases, this bathroom by Maddux Creative made the cover of WOI and was inspired by Le Meurice.
Proof white marble and classic hotel bathrooms never go out of style. Add a touch of whimsy with a toile du jouy recess and you’ve got it nailed.
just lie back in that bath tub, raise a glass and congratulate yourself.
There are others, possibly less budget sapping… this was a champagne kind of bathroom right? which pack an equal design punch. Remember when they posted Jenna Lyon’s pad, (can’t wait for her next one) but meanwhile:
Forget you’d freeze your booty in this shower and focus on the chic planes of colour and materials: layered grey, plaster wall (plus shelf), salvaged chevron flooring put together with fittings that ooze old school charm. Note the colour contrasting sanitary ware: gold and nickel, no problemo. Destined to be ‘inspirational’ again and again and …
yawn. Moving on.
Faye Toogood did good with this chevron chic: uber-slick in its floor to ceiling coverage. Haphazard colour-play lightens things up and classic bath fittings give it soul, note the ‘hero’ Windsor chair. Me… I’d like a shower screen, but clearly it interfered with the lines.
Abigail Ahern played with scale, using her signature accessories and massed plants against a matt brown box, letting the chandelier take visual centre stage over the centrally positioned bath. Nailed it for boho meets East London.
Neisha Crosland famed for her patterns and textiles creates luxurious harmony with beautiful stand out pieces: the Bagués wall lights, sunburst chandelier and curated symmetry all the calmer in their pared back palette. Seriously grown up. Properly SW3 London. My country heart would like a little more texture and visual layering to feel relaxed:
But are we afraid of colour? not I. Although all Hail to India Mahdavi where blood red unites pattern and scale is a seriously bold hotel scheme.
Fun for a night or two but we generally want our home bath to be relaxing. Use colour and pattern to lift the spirit and draw the eye, take your spiritual pick: flashes of sunshine yellow, swathes of calming blue or charming layered patterns.
These baths may have given you seriously grand ideas (me too!) but our restoration is affectionately called the ’shack-attack’, a 70’s horror being completely overhauled, I keep reminding myself it backs onto wild flower meadow and miles of beechwood. Rustic Luxe, Refined Country, Field Charm, Soft Modern, Country Chic are the only stylistic overhauls and journo-puns available here. Country? I love it…
But Ben Pentreath’s cottage charming isn’t quite the girlie glamour I had in mind. And there’s only so much rustic-wood I can take,
Be it chicly contrasted by uber-modern
layered up with clean white
Or California-Country-Epic (ie. not Cotswold appropriate)
So Modern eh? They are often chic but not my idea of relaxing.
I am sucker for wall into ceiling, Alice in Wonderland, moments. Briefly.
Would love that surreal floor and the repurposed cabinet. Briefly.
Geometrics and vibrant gold work, fabulous statement ’tile wall': tick, double-tick but ALL briefly, not ‘daily’…
A bathroom is primarily hard surfaces and geometric lines, I want to make mine softer, more organic but still indulgent. Which brings me to my all time favourite ‘country’ bathrooms, the tear sheets which have stayed the course.
Soft glowing colours, jewel tones against rustic touches. Country Chic. I could move right in.
Deffinitely Rustic-Luxe all those textured neutrals. I like it’s ‘glammed up basics’ approach, those chunky woods off set by masses of jewelled mosaic.
This ‘Refined Country ‘ from Emery et Cie (via Retrouvious here) has been on my lust list for so long that I am still slightly scratching my head, why doesn’t my bathroom have their zellige tiles?
It does have encaustic floor tiles, these were the starting point, I always start with one ‘anchor’ choice:
What I like is the idea of a pattern within a pattern, the organic flow over the geometric hexagons.
So I want some natural materials with these right? marble springs to mind, that Le Meurice inspired bathroom, hhmm. So those double sinks I have been promising myself, the large shower, the long shelf above the bath: calacatta marble.
Complete with girlie vanity, but in fresh ‘Theresa’s Green’ (not black as above) layered up with Pale Powder and Green Blue, just need some tiles to complement:
Get the idea?
Then follow the shades of green with layers of hexagon, so this goes above vanity:
And then degradé colour hexagons for the curtains, which neatly brings in couple of accent colours:
Hardware and lighting are in contrasting materials, brushed steel modern taps lit up by classic pillared lights in weathered brass.
This should all be on a lovely mood board right? But I don’t have time. I’ll give us a little collage to get the idea.
So a sneak peak into bathroom plans. There’s a lot more work to do… but once I’m ready to dim the lights and run that bath, you’ll be the first to know…
image credits:
please see my pinterest board for inspirational bathrooms.
my bathroom sources: Mandarin Stone, Fired Earth, Davey Lighting, Vanderhurd, Farrow and Ball and unknown Murano flower ball yet to be sourced but in my grasp.
