Agreed… cheesy title. But it really is the Powder Room of Dreams. Before I got my hands on it, it was the ‘Cloakroom of Despair’. A 0.7 x 1.2-metre space that’s literally no bigger than a traditional cupboard under the stairs.
My mind was made up that this cloakroom bathroom was going to pack a punch as soon as you opened the door. I wanted colour, texture and an extraordinary high-end finish to be the key factors in this bathroom.
You won’t believe the number of people that said prior to this project, “Honestly, your cloakroom is not that bad!” You can’t blame them. They weren’t to know the moodboard I had been planning in my head all those years.
A sloping ceiling was my initial concern. I found the solution was to unify the walls and ceiling in the form of wallpaper, however it need to be abstract or this would work against the lines of the room. Enter Splatter Wallpaper by Sanderson. This was perfect and, not to mention, within budget (only as it was such a small space).
Walls done. Next was brassware – or taps to you and I. I was obsessed with the idea of rose gold, however not so keen on the reflective qualities. Then I noticed a new finish… brushed red gold. Seemed like the perfect solution to me, but I always double check my design ideas by creating a moodboard of the whole look. Once I was happy that all the elements worked together, it was time to look at layout options.
The layout was limiting as quite frankly it’s a tiny space, however I did have options with the basin. Initially I’d been looking at getting a stand-alone basin on a bench-style unit, however this was not going to contribute to the sleek finish I had in my mind. Then I found the petrol blue cabinet in a gloss finish… boom! There it was – that light-enhancing piece that would give the illusion of at least another half a metre.
Furniture complete, I could move on to the most exciting part… tiles. Y’see, I have this thing with tiles. Literally, I have samples galore. I just love the finish, pattern, texture and their ability to transform any space instantly.
I knew herringbone was the pattern for me and blush pink an obvious choice, however the floor tiles were proving difficult due to the lack of bold, unique and cost-effective designs on the market. Enter Henley Ice Tile from Topps Tiles – clean, Moroccan-inspired design was the icing to my cloakroom cake. And there you have it! How I conceived, planned and implemented the ‘Powder Room of Dreams’.