• Adding colour to your bathroom

• Buying a new bathroom (Part 1)

• Essential, but never boring….toilets!

• How to pay for a new bathroom?

• A guide to bathroom furniture

Key ingredients to create a spa-style bathroom

We all deserve a little bit of relaxation from time to time and a luxurious spa is the ideal place to kick-back and unwind. However, visiting a spa, whether for a half-day, full day, or entire weekend, is a costly indulgence. A far more affordable day-to-day luxury is recreating that spa-feeling at home and where better to do that than the bathroom. Having a spa-style bathroom is a perfect way to ensure relaxation– just knowing that it’s there at the end of a busy day provides both physical and mental benefits.

The general assumption is that a spa-style bathroom means major expense. Far from it. There will, of course, be some initial costs but there are several spa-like products or features that can be added relatively cheaply to create that feeling of luxury that can be experienced repeatedly.

Top tips for creating your own spa-like space:

Neutral colour tones:

Calm, serene, neutral colours are best for a spa-like environment as they create a sense of simplicity and minimalism which is key to relaxation. When have you ever seen bright colours and bold patterns in a spa?!
Neutral colours like whites, beiges and light greys make a bathroom look bigger and blending these colours with warmer gold or brass accents is ideal for embracing minimalism while maintaining a warm spa-like atmosphere.

Relaxing lighting:

The ideal lighting for a spa-style bathroom is soft, mood lighting so avoid harsh, strong overhead lights. Make sure there’s enough ambient lighting first thing in the morning while having the flexibility to change the atmosphere entirely in the evenings. Dimmer switches allow the brightness to be easily adjusted within seconds and look for mirrors and bathroom cabinets that contain LED lights for when you need them. Candles will help complete the perfect relaxing mood.

Mixing metals:

Mixing warmer metals like gold and brass, with cooler metals like chrome or nickel gives the bathroom a wonderfully boutique and luxurious look. When it comes to metals, especially in a smaller room like the bathroom, it’s best to have one dominant metal finish, combined with one or two smaller accents.
One of the best ways to integrate metals into your spa bathroom is by getting creative with your taps. Pairing warmer coloured taps with chrome or nickel accessories is just enough to get that spa look without going overboard.

De-cluttering & great storage:

Creating a spa-like feel means decluttering. Spas are minimalist and so a spa bathroom should reflect this. Have a good clear out of all empty toiletries and cleaning products. Invest in a few baskets and boxes to help tidy everything away. De-cluttering doesn’t necessarily mean getting rid of everything. Buying some luxury storage cabinets or shelving for all your bits and bobs is a great way to add character while also creating more space. Wicker baskets are also reminiscent of a spa-style design – super handy for storing hand towels, lotions, soaps, and loo rolls.

Additional extras:

Even if you don’t have a large bathroom or don’t have a large budget to refurbish doesn’t mean the spa experience is out of reach. Consider investing in a rainfall or a massaging shower head – they won’t take up any space but will certainly help you relax. A heated towel rail is another item which shouts luxury. Getting out of the shower or bath and reaching for an already warmed towel, especially in the colder winter months, is sheer bliss - you’ll never look back!

Bringing outdoors in:

Indoor greenery is a must. Plants increase oxygen levels in the air, help lower heart rate and blood pressure, reduce fatigue, and help decrease anxiety – plenty of reasons to include greenery in the bathroom. Indoor plants work well with any colour scheme and can be placed in any small space.
And finally, just add a few finishing touches – candles, reed diffuser or essential oil diffuser to create the right relaxing scent, or an in-built Bluetooth speaker for playing soft, calming music at the end of the day.

14th Feb 2022