Our bathrooms have the potential to be one of the most relaxing rooms in our home. They can often represent the sanctuary we retreat to at the beginning and end of the day for some peace, as we indulge in some serious self-care – be that a face mask, a long hot shower, or a luxurious soak in the tub.
However, our bathrooms aren’t typically designed with relaxation in mind as much as functionality – meaning it’s something we have to actively consider.
So to ensure our bathroom spaces are as zen and as calm as possible, we spoke to interior designers and those who themselves design bathrooms about the features that the most spa-like bathrooms around typically have. It’s well worth taking inspiration from the experts’ advice on bathroom paint colours, storage, lighting and more, if you want to create a seriously soothing space…
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1. Layered lighting
Dimmable lights and layered lighting are often utilised when considering bedrooms or living rooms, but according to Louise Ashdown, Head of Design at West One Bathrooms, it’s also an essential in all of the most relaxing bathrooms she has seen.
‘For a soothing bathroom, the key is avoiding harsh, flat lighting and replacing it with soft, layered illumination, combining discreet task lighting with gentle ambient sources,’ she says.
Practically, this means you can’t simply install ceiling spotlights as your bathroom lighting ideas and be done with it! Louise suggests, ‘recessed LED strip lighting used subtly around ceilings, niches or floors creates a gentle glow, while LED mirrors offer diffused, glare-free light that feels soothing rather than clinical.’
Interior designers also love to utilise different layers of light around a bathroom, for the most relaxing space possible. Interior designer Amy Hunt, of Amy Hunt Interior Design, says ‘I love adding two floor-mounted up-lights behind a bath to create a relaxing environment for when you are soaking. Another element of lighting I like to add is sensor lights for night-time use – there’s nothing less relaxing than harsh lighting when you have to use the bathroom at 2am!’
2. Spa-like accessories
If creating a peaceful environment to retreat to is your number one bathroom design goal, almost all of the most relaxing bathrooms take their inspiration from the best luxury spas – just on a slightly smaller scale.
Jenna Forsdyke, Senior Interior Designer at Pfeiffer Design explains that all relaxing bathrooms make the most of spa-like accessories. ‘The small details in a bathroom carry a lot of visual weight and can completely shift the tone of the room,’ she says. ‘Add soft linens, scented candles and luxurious toiletries, and combine with decorative elements such as plants and extra bath towels to elevate your bathroom experience to spa-level calmness.’
Neil Thompson, bathroom designer and showroom manager at Nôsa also reiterates that even your bodycare essentials should be as thought-through as possible. ‘Decanting hand wash into a beautiful dispenser and using rotating trays to group everyday essentials can turn functional items into complementary finishing touches, while preventing loose toiletries and plastic bottles from dominating the space.’
3. Properly planned practicalities
Relaxing bathrooms aren’t all about the aesthetics – in fact, the bathroom that is most likely to allow you to truly unwind is the one that is the easiest to use. That’s why the most zen bathrooms are expertly planned for actual everyday use.
‘For example, if you step out of the shower and the towel is on the other side of the room, or the basin is constantly surrounded by products because there is nowhere sensible to put them, you notice those inconveniences every single day and they will irritate you,’ Richard Eaton, Design Manager at Tissino, says.
Consider the little details that will make your bathroom much easier to navigate then, if you want to enjoy a truly relaxing space. Richard says, ‘for example, I would decide where towels are going to hang at the same stage that you plan the shower and bath, rather than leaving the towel radiator until the end and fitting it onto whichever section of wall remains.’
4. Concealed storage options
The biggest rule for bathroom storage when it comes to curating a calming space is that there should be minimal visual clutter, and only a few select items out on display.
And for interior designer Rebecca Winter, of Rebecca Winter Design Studio, the best way to organise your bathroom items for the most soothing environment is to use concealed storage options as much as possible.
‘From recessed cabinets that are hidden in-wall, to concealed toilet brush niches that are tiled in, all subtle elements like this can greatly increase your storage without impacting the design at all,’ she explains.
For Amy Hunt, ensuring storage doesn’t feel intrusive to the space is the most important consideration in all relaxing bathrooms. She explains, ‘I love adding the unexpected, so adding storage behind a painting, or within tongue-and-groove panelling; a great way of hiding your products away.’
5. The biggest bathtub possible
For Hannah Ashe, of Hannah Ashe Interior Design, the most relaxing bathrooms always have a bathtub – and not only that, but the largest bathtub that can reasonably fit in the space.
‘Showers are great when you’re in a hurry, but a long bubble bath is the ultimate relaxation,’ she says. ‘And there’s really nothing relaxing about a tiny bathtub, so I always recommend installing the largest tub you can fit.’
Although freestanding tubs are hugely popular, Hannah reiterates, ‘it doesn’t have to be freestanding – where space is more limited it can actually be more practical to tile in a tub, making it easier to clean around and without drawing attention to the small room (huge freestanding bathtubs in tiny rooms don’t work in my opinion),’ she explains. ‘A tiled-in tub also means there is space on the side to balance a drink or a book – all things to aid the relaxation process.’
6. Warm oatmeal colours
Undecided on a colour for your bathroom? If relaxation is what you want, all of the most relaxing bathrooms, in Rebecca’s eyes, incorporate warm oatmeal colours, for a seriously “tranquil feeling”, she explains.
‘My top recommendations are Dulux Heritage in Flax Seed, Farrow & Ball in Skimming Stone and COAT in Pudding. These oat-based neutrals provide warmth, depth and tonal variation whilst providing a subtle backdrop to dress with a colour palette of your choice,’ Rebecca tells us.
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