From hotel luxe to French minimalism: different approaches to bathroom redesign

Bathrooms these days come in a whole hoard of styles. From traditional to minimalist, classic to retro, there’s sure to be something out there for you so we’ve put together a selection of our favourites for you to browse.

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• Bathroom tile zoning for a terraced Victorian property
• Hexagonal tiles and exposed beams: three ways to include colour in your bathroom

Let’s start with…

The property: A 150-year-old former miner’s cottage.

A derelict cottage might not be the most obvious of property investments but interior designer Kali Cavanagh fell in love when she set eyes on this build. In keeping with the cottage’s century-and-a-half of history, the surprisingly airy home has been filled with vintage details.

“I often fall in love with salvaged pieces, which I buy not knowing what I’ll do with them,” explains Kali. “When I saw these doors, I knew I had to have them, and in fact I redesigned the layout of the ensuite to incorporate them,” she adds.

The star of the space? That gorgeous old bath tub. “I knew I wanted an old cast iron bath in the master bedroom,” Kali says, “by turning two small rooms into one large room there was enough space to have one as well as a separate shower room and toilet.”

The property: A three-storey, five-bedroom with a contemporary twist

“Originally this space was two bedrooms,” explains photographer Paul Craig, who lives here with his husband, “but we wanted a walk-in wardrobe, and also to be able to stroll in from the bedroom, to the wardrobe and then to the bathroom.

“It was a challenge to make it flow for us.”

“We both loved the idea of dark, rich colours in the bedroom, with the luxe silky fabric doors, and then into a streamlined closet space and into the bathroom which has a lot more of a stark industrial vibe, while still maintaining that spacious, luxurious feel,” explains Paul.

He continues: “We wanted to make the bathroom feel completely different from the bedroom so went for an industrial vibe with concrete walls.

“The metal wardrobe doors and pendants carry through this stripped back feel.

“The idea was for a masculine space with an edgy touch.

“It also had to be a practical place as well, where you shower and shave and feel luxurious too.”

The property: A four-bedroom property in the heart of the Cotswolds.

“Some of my friends are quite mortified by our bathroom windows,” says interior designer Pilar Albertson, who lives here with her husband Scott, “they can’t understand how we don’t feel exposed, but we are lucky enough not to be overlooked by anyone.

“I really wouldn’t have done this had I felt we were on show to anything other than a passing sheep.”

“I wanted a space that was very Zen, very pure and calming, a place to focus on the spirit,” she continues.

She says: “It’s very special to lie in the bath and feel part of the countryside and at the same time be safely cocooned.”

The property: A five-bedroom Edwardian property in North London.

Blogger Kate Watson-Smyth – founder of Mad About The House – lives here with her family and decided to turn a bedroom in her beautiful period home into an ensuite bathroom.

Speaking about the layout, Kate explains: “It was obvious to have a freestanding bath in front of the fireplace. The builder insisted the toilet should go on the outside wall and that does make it the furthest point from the bedroom too, same with the shower.

One of the most pleasing details of the layout? “We were able to have two basins – apparently the secret to a happy marriage – as the second one fitted in front of where the door had been previously,” reveals Kate.

The property: A stone house with a glass extension in Brittany.

The USP of this beautiful home? It’s connection to the outdoors, with a gorgeous woodland setting contributing to the relaxing charm of the abode. “This house truly is a nature escape where solitude and peacefulness have replaced daily life in bustling Paris”, enthuses resident Vladimir.

So with that in mind – how were the bathrooms redesigned to enhance the natural setting? “What’s important in a bathroom or in any room is that you feel serenity there and that the things you surround yourself with bring joy,” says Morten Bo Jensen, chief designer at Vipp, who worked on the property.

A skylight and a large frameless mirror ensure there’s plenty of light reflected around the room adding to the natural spacious feeling.

Jensen continues: “There are two bathrooms in this house, both designed in a timeless aesthetic that pays tribute to the original expression of the house and the modernity infused through the remodelling.

“High quality materials meet clean lines which make for a spa-like retreat.”