Transform a personality-free bathroom with a decorating scheme
- 1
Frame the bath
If your freestanding bath has the enviable curves of a supermodel, why not show them off by painting the wall behind in a dark, dramatic colour? Then, draw still more attention to them with a piece of art above – whether vintage lettering, a picture or even just colourful tiles. Paint colours by Farrow & Ball
- 2
Get good lighting
A well-lit bathroom is a must, but you can use lighting to create a focal feature, too. In a really small room, use it to frame a mirror and see the space double in size before your eyes. Or, choose a stand-out decorative fitting for the central pendant (as long as it conforms to regs) to add a touch of glamour to a larger room. Mirror from Ikea
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- 3
Draw attention to a big window
Lucky enough to have a huge window in your bathroom? Don’t clutter it with curtains or blinds. Instead, let its proportions do the talking by under-dressing it. Shutters give a contemporary, never-to-go-out-of-date look, while window film will keep your privates, er, private. Window film by The Window Film Company
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- 4
Display eye-catching accessories
Dry your damp towels on a heated rail, but grab a fresh one from this bevy of beauties. Or, forget the towels, position the hooks somewhere prominent, such as over the bath, and display them as works of art. Hooks, Graham & Green
Don’t neglect the details: your bathroom deserves flowers, too![]()
- 5
Put on a floor show
Make the floor the star turn by choosing a highly patterned vinyl or tiles. Match a patterned flooring with a crisp white bathroom suite, colourful towels and bright accessories to create a fun boldly coloured bathroom. Rosemary vinyl flooring by Zazous.
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- 6
Buy a freestanding bath
If you’re looking to make an impact, put a freestanding bath in the centre of a large bathroom. Only got a small space? You needn’t go for a fitted look – a roll top on legs will help stretch the feeling of space, too. Shower curtain, Asda
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- 7
Hang a big picture
Put up a picture that shouts for attention because of its colour, size or subject. Position it across the focal wall in the bathroom (usually the one over the bath) for maximum crowd-pleasing effect. This dramatic diver picture is a self-adhesive mural, made to order by Purlfrost
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- 8
Invest in a knockout mirror
Don’t just choose the cheapest, plainest frame for your mirror. Instead, save up and buy a look-at-me showpiece that will make everyone forget the room’s the size of a postage stamp or has no window. Ball mirror, Graham & Green
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- 9
Create a feature wall
In a plain, boxy bathroom, shower room or cloakroom, up the glam factor with a feature wall, decorated in a bold colour or with an intricate design. Use tiles or a wallpaper than can stand up to a steamy atmosphere and keep the pattern to one wall only to maximise the feeling of space. Lotus wallpaper, Farrow & Ball
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- 10
Stick on style
Use wall stickers to inject personality into a plain shower or bathroom. Cluster them around a mirror, centre them in a plain wall above a bath, or stick them to the back of a door. You needn’t choose a bathing-themed sticker – anything that suits your scheme will do the trick. Wall stickers, Brume
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A focal point needn’t take up extra space. Give the walls, the window
or the floor a style injection
