Just a few days ago for London Design Week, luxury bathroom experts Victoria + Albert Baths hosted a talk with award-winning journalist and founder of interiors blog, Mad about the House, Kate Watson-Smyth. Invited to take the helm, Kate chatted through what is set to be the growing trend of the decade â maximalism and personalisation.
Whist minimalism is in no threat of becoming obsolete, maximalist design has been making a bold appearance â particularly in bathrooms. Jess Hurrell from Gold is a Neutralhas a bold black and gold extravaganza which is a prime example. Kate broadly suggested that the rising maximalist trend has been a reaction to the luxe hotel style bathrooms we saw plenty of in the â90s. These bathrooms were often all white and would feature expensive marble surfaces with luxurious fixtures and fittings that were consistently buffed to a high shine â ultimately feeling sterile, impersonal and cold despite emulating what was thought of as the height of luxury.
Turns out, luxe hotel bathroom spaces donât always translate well when slotted into a home, with the requirement to also be practical and functional.
Enter maximalism and personalisation! Throughout her talk Kate emphasised the importance of treating the bathroom just as you would any other room in the house. In fact, she encourages budding designers to regard it as a room in which you bathe, as opposed to a bathroom as such, and to be unafraid of stamping it with personal style â rather than a style borrowed from a hotel.
Another of Kateâs tried and tested tips is the idea of having a continuous âred threadâ that runs throughout the home, pulling each room together to create a cohesive interior plan. This could be anything from an accent colour, pattern or finish that can be pulled into the bathroom too – think brass fixtures, plush pink towels or an orange bath. So long as it is present in each room it will help ground the overall design style. Kate recommends looking at your wardrobe to discover which colours and patterns you like to wear and using this as a starting point to help land on a colour scheme.
Sourcing vintage and bespoke pieces for a bathroom is another great way to add personality to what can be a sterile space. Our Victoria Ruffyhas an antique equestrian print above her bath in a dramatic black frame. This style is something interiors enthusiasts are turning towards more and more as they look to bring in bespoke and quality items to furnish and dress their homes â vintage towel rails, a Persian rug or even a chandelier! If you do install a beautiful chandelier over the bath take advice from Kate to make sure the ceilings are high enough. Regulations state that you need a distance of at least 5 feet and to check the IP ratings before installing anything to make sure itâs legal.
If youâre ready to brave it, colour and texture are one of the best ways to play with the maximalist bathroom trend. Victoria + Albert Bathsâ RAL Colour collectionprovides 194 (yes, 194) different colour options to choose from which can be cleverly matched or clashed to wallpapers, paint and tiles. To add to that the brandâs new 100% matt finish is also a great option to play around with texture and add a softness by diffusing the light.
The talk saw a great turn out (despite Coronavirus threatening to cancel every event!) with an engaging Q&A segment that sought to resolve issues on sink placement, how to decorate your downstairs loo and whether having a window near your shower was considered an excellent space saving solution, or a little indecent!
Now, if you donât mind, please excuse us whilst we crack open some emerald paint and adorn our bathroom with a chandelier.
