Sophie Habboo has unveiled her and her husband Jamie Lang’s bathroom on Instagram, and if you wanted a masterclass on how to make a bathroom both trendy and timeless, you’ve landed in the right place.
Expressive designs with rich colour palettes have defined the year’s bathroom tile trends, and TV personalities and podcasters Sophie and Jamie are proving that you can embrace modern trends, whilst retaining a timeless look that will stay relevant for years to come.
If you’re looking for bathroom tile ideas to inspire you, Sophie and Jamie’s mix of rich reds, marble and checkerboard work in complete harmony to create a timeless, luxury bathroom – and experts have revealed how you can do it, too.
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Looking at the bathroom, one word comes to mind: glamorous. With rich red tones, marble and gold finishes, the space has a gorgeous yet dramatic look – there’s something very ‘Hollywood’ about the space, which I love.
‘It feels very good now, but none of the ingredients are flash-in-the-pan choices. Checkerboard, marble and brass have all been used in interiors for generations, so the freshness really comes from how they’ve been put together,’ comments Grazzie Wilson, head of creative at Ca’ Pietra.
‘The deep wine-toned checkerboard feels much more interesting than a predictable black and white, while the marble brings movement and just enough drama without tipping into ‘look at my marble bathroom’. That balance is what makes the whole thing work. It feels glamorous, but it still has personality, and that is usually what gives a room real staying power.’
And Sophie and Jamie’s bathroom is reflecting a growing bathroom trend – that we want our spaces to look and feel luxurious.
‘Freestanding baths, brushed and unlacquered brass brassware, panelled walls, and marble-effect surfaces are all growing categories for us. Part of it is the influence of boutique hotels and the number of people who now travel and want to bring that feeling home,’ says James Roberts, Director at Sanctuary Bathrooms.
‘Part of it is that the bathroom has become a place to slow down rather than just a functional room, so people are willing to invest in it. And crucially, the look has become far more achievable. Marble-effect porcelain, high-quality acrylic and stone-resin baths, and a much wider range of brass finishes mean the luxe look no longer needs a luxe budget.’
Zoning a bathroom with tiles
You’ll probably have noticed from Sophie’s photo that a mismatch of patterned tiles has been used throughout. And no, this isn’t a quirky design choice; it’s actually an excellent way to zone a bathroom.
‘Different tiles can do different jobs within the same room. Here, the checkerboard gives the floor rhythm and swagger, while the marble in the shower feels softer and more fluid, so you get contrast without the two fighting for attention,’ says Grazzie.
‘It’s also a really clever way to zone a bathroom without physically dividing it. You can give the shower, floor or vanity area its own identity and still make the whole room feel connected. The trick is to find a thread between the two choices, whether that’s colour, undertone, material or finish, so it feels layered rather than random.
‘I always think a bathroom is more interesting when it reveals itself gradually. You want a little surprise as you move through the room rather than everything announcing itself at once.’
Grazzie also goes on to say that the checkerboard and marble designs not only complement each other, but help modernise the look.
‘I think they rescue each other slightly. Marble can get a bit grand if you let it, and checkerboard can go full period-drama if you’re not careful. Put them together and suddenly both feel cooler,’ she says.
‘The marble brings all that lovely, loose natural movement, while the checkerboard gives you something much more graphic and ordered underfoot. It’s the contrast between the two that makes the combination feel fresh. The marble stops the checkerboard feeling costume-y, and the checkerboard stops the marble feeling like a hotel lobby.’
How to get the look
‘Start with the floor. A large-format checkerboard floor is the foundation of this room and immediately gives it that classic, high-end feel. Marble-effect porcelain tiles can create a very similar look to natural stone, but with easier maintenance and usually at a lower cost,’ says James.
‘Choose one hero marble and repeat it throughout the space. Look for a veined marble or marble-effect tile with a strong colour running through it, then use it in two or three places – for example, around the shower, on the vanity top, and on a shelf or bath surround. Repeating the same finish helps the room feel considered and cohesive rather than overly busy.’
Grazzie agrees, stating that for this bathroom idea, you need to ensure you take scale into account, too.
‘Scale matters too. A bold floor pattern can take a larger-format or quieter wall tile without the room feeling busy, and then you can soften all those hard surfaces with timber, warm metals, painted furniture or textiles,’ she says.
‘And know when to stop. If the floor is dancing, the walls don’t need to start doing jazz hands too.’
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Sophie and Jamie’s luxury bathroom has gone straight onto my bathroom moodboard. It’s elegant, glamorous and will never go out of style.
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