By thinking outside the box, the owners of this Bath home transformed a cramped office space into a warm and inviting bathroom space the whole family can enjoy.
Who lives here
Jackie Hoyte, an interior designer for Decorbuddi, her husband Paul and two children live in Bath in a four-bedroom 1940s semi-detached home.
Before
‘Previously our home office, it was a cramped space with a sofa bed squeezed in. We gutted the original bathroom and turned it into a bedroom and converted the office into this bathroom, which has made such a difference,’ says Jackie.
The room was previously used as a home office
Tell us about the look you wanted to achieve in this space…
JH: We’ve been gradually renovating the whole house, and the bathroom was the first room we tackled. My aim was to create a relaxing escape from the chaos elsewhere – luxurious but also practical for family use. And although I wanted to make a statement, I was keen to choose design classics for the expensive items that would stand the test of time – and that I would be less likely to want to change in a few years’ time.
How did you get started?
JH: I decided to treat myself like one of my interior design clients. To start with, I looked at Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration, then produced a few moodboards until I was happy with the overall look. After that, it was time to start sourcing, so I gathered as many samples as I could and created a physical moodboard on a tray, which helped to ensure the tiles, paints and hardware worked together.
Were there any challenges during the process?
JH: Yes, we were building a bathroom in a room that didn’t have any pipework or drainage, so we had to upend the house and spend more on labor. But our plumber was brilliant. We decided to renew our water tank and boiler at the same time, moving them both into the utility room to create more space.
What were your must-haves?
JH: Statement tiles! I wanted the overall look to be calm and classic rather than trend-led, but I didn’t want it to be bland, so I added impact with the shower tiles. I fell in love with the Lilac Veined marble tiles from Bert & May; they’re dramatic but not overwhelming.
Your favourite element of the bathroom?
JH: Apart from the tiles, the Roman blind. The fabric is ‘Mmwah!’ by Wiltshire designer Kate Loudoun Shand. It completes the room and adds a softness that works well against the more classic elements. I know I’ll never get fed up with this space!
Sourcebook
- Arezzo taps, shower, tray, and enclosure, victorianplumbing.co.uk
- Vanity unit and basin, crosswater.co.uk
- Kaldewei Eurowa Steel bath, totalbathrooms.co.uk
- Lilac Veined herringbone honed marble tiles (shower and splashback), bertandmay.com
- Alsace honed marble tiles (floor), mandarinstone.com
- Ceiling light, pooky.com
- Wall lights and switch, corston.com
- Towel rail, bestheating.com
- Bathroom mirror cabinet, westelm.co.uk
- Walls in Granny Chic paint, coatpaints.com
- Blind fabric, kateloudounshand.com (made by theboyswhosew.co.uk)
- Artwork, oneoffto25.com
Costs
- Brassware £780
- Shower tray and enclosure £1,100
- Vanity unit and basin £1,449
- Bath £280
- Shower and splashback tiles £900
- Floor tiles £800
- Lighting £300
- Towel rail £160
- Bathroom cabinet £250
- Paint £130
- Blind £380
- Labour (excluding build work) £6,000
- Total = £12,529
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Carolyn is Homes and Gardens Director at Good Housekeeping. She is constantly on the look-out for the latest interiors trends and new products to share on the news pages of the magazine. You will also find her visiting houses and gardens up and down the country to feature in each issue. Carolyn loves to spend her free time pottering in her garden, going on long coastal walks and visiting West End theatres.