Aside from your bedroom, your bathroom is the first room you enter in the morning and the last room you see at night. It should be beautiful and fresh and allow you to start and finish the day calm and inspired.
In yesteryears, bathrooms have been overlooked and undervalued spaces, often cramming too much into too little. But nowadays, our bathrooms have become our own private oasis, a well-designed escape and a must have luxury for old and new homes alike. Wet areas are usually the first to get a renovation makeover, seeing as how they often hold the most dated elements of style from eras past. Bathrooms have become the key space to create beauty in, where pretty can really pack a punch while still meeting all the practical requirements.
With new builds incorporating three, four or more bathrooms and powder rooms into their floor plan, each wet area can be designed with similarities and selections that speak to each other from either end of the home, while maintaining some unique qualities, ensuring each space is equally unforgettable. Here are some design element to consider.
Timeless tiles and walls of wonder
The tiles you select for your bathroom are ever so important. These are not an easy or cheap item to replace, so make sure your selection will remain elegant as your personal style evolves over the years. Carrara marble floor tiles are sure to stand the test of time and elevate your bathroom to a haven of luxury. Available in a wide range of shapes and sizes, you can get creative with the pattern in each wet room while remaining cohesive in the material. A Coastal or a Country Hamptons home may use an encaustic tile in a dainty repeat pattern, introducing a warm neutral colour palette.
Your shower walls demand attention and are an excellent contender for a statement feature. You may choose to continue the floor tile up the wall to the ceiling, or a totally different tile design may tickle your fancy. Subway, fish scale and herringbone are obvious choices suiting almost every substyle under the Hamptons banner, but modern homes see a more dramatic look, with large slabs of marble and minimal grout lines for a seamless effect. A Moroccan mosaic is an alternative tile pattern that is both subtle and extravagant.
If you choose not to tile every wall from floor to ceiling, you still have some gorgeous design choices remaining. Hardie Groove Lining from James Hardie is a type of VJ panelling that gives the look of tongue and groove timber with the durability of fibre cement. Unlike timber or craft VJ panels, Hardie Groove won’t shrink or swell with exposure to moisture and is ideal for use in wet areas as a feature wall and as a splashback above your vanity.
We sometimes see wainscoting in bathrooms also to really accentuate the classic style. A gorgeous wallpaper above can communicate your individual style and make each wet area feel entirely unique. Another wall combination optimal for a coastal home is using VJ panelling to half height with a lovely dado rail moulding finishing off the top, and grass-cloth wallpaper to the ceiling.
Tasteful benchtops, basins and tapware
For a full family bathroom and a main ensuite, a double basin vanity with lots of bench space is essential. A pedestal vanity is a great way to make use of limited space in a powder room, as will a minimalistic wall-mounted basin.
Tying in Carrara marble benchtops from the kitchen, you can then select an undermount basin or a feature vessel basin that sits upon the benchtop. In a Modern Hamptons home, you may opt for an integrated sink that is made from concrete or stone for a seamless look.
Traditionally, we see hob-mounted vanity taps (meaning it is installed directly into the benchtop surface) for a visually appealing finish. Wall-mounted taps maximise your bench space while appearing stylishly modern. Consider the distance to your basin and your preferred neck shape to decide which fitting is right for you.
Frameless shower screens will not distract from the glamourous jewels that are your shower head and tap. A handheld shower head is a regular addition to the usual set, and in Classic Hamptons homes we see beautiful porcelain handles make a statement in the tapware.
As in the kitchen, choose a tapware finish that speaks to your individual Hamptons style. If you are thinking of mixing metals in a bathroom, matte black with polished nickel or chrome are always a great pairing.
Creative cabinetry and storage
It is the constant struggle of every family to have enough storage. Never is this truer than in a bathroom, where the footprint is limited and so many things demand significant space. A thoughtfully designed vanity should alleviate your storage woes and inject design elements sure to be the envy of all.
A Shaker-style door profile is the go-to choice for a Hamptons home, and a combination of cupboard doors and drawers makes sorting your bathroom products a breeze. Colour is key here, setting the tone for the atmosphere you want in your bathrooms.
Are you aiming for classic and calming? You can’t go wrong with an off-white. Are you more coastal inclined and little bit fun? Play around with different shades of blue. Maybe you appreciate an organic country aesthetic more? Then oak timber is for you. Modern-leaning millennials may elect for a dramatic black vanity or a white-on-white look. And if you want that tropical feeling, a warm walnut wood with faux bamboo framing would look extraordinary.
If you’re looking for vanity door fronts that are equally chic and visually interesting, other designs include rattan inserts, a Chippendale trellis, a VJ like linear groove pattern or reeded timber. Repurposed consoles or buffets sometimes get a new life acting as a bathroom vanity, sure to take your breath away every time you see it.
Much like the kitchen, knobs on doors and half-moon pull handles on drawers are simple and timeless selections.
Reflect the light
The finishing touches of a bathroom should not be rushed or undervalued — they could make or break this space. A gorgeous mirror above your vanity is a like a crown on the head of this regal room. We see a lot of frameless mirrors in a variety of circles, arches and rectangle shapes, but it is so much more special to see brass or bamboo framing your reflection. A nickel porthole mirror is a great option for coastal bathrooms or even a frame upholstered in luxurious velvet to coordinate with the colours of your feature wallpaper. Each basin should be directly under a mirror, so it is up to you whether you add one mirror of full horizontal length or a pair of two.
Wall sconces either side of your mirrors are a worthy investment also. A bathroom should be well lit, with both natural and artificial light. Here is where you could mix your metals, contrasting your tap and hardware finishes with another material for your lighting.
Don’t miss the opportunity to hang a wow-factor pendant over your bath! Whether it be centralised or off to one end, this will become a divine focal point and provide a calming ambience for your bubble bath routine.
This article originally appeared in Hamptons Living #1
