Check out the latest trends in bathroom design

Take a wide eyed roam around any quality bathroom outlet, and one thing is crystal clear. The bathroom is where we Irish remain positively daring, taking plunges into new design and stand out features that would terrify us in the wide open of public living areas.

Tue, 27 Sep, 2016 - 01:00

Kya deLongchamps

A deeply personal pleasure — we know what we want.

Space counts, and the bathroom is where you start paying if scale, styling and the practical demands of tanking plumbing and placement are rushed through.

Freestanding baths don’t have to be slavishly 19th century or searingly modern. Tread water between the two with the Far Eastern lines of this Metallic Effect Holywell bath from Heritage. Bath fillers can be mounted to the side of the bath or set behind it on pillars. Bath €2,963 subject to current Sterling rates. heritagebathrooms.com

This season large format tiling, precise water temperature control, and clean contemporary lines are heading up the catwalk. There are traditional choices, largely following Edwardian and Art Deco styles, and paring back the bathroom to minty minimalism puts emphasis on storage as never before.

Expect to see the trends in kitchen cabinetmaking reflected here with integrated handles, bump operation, and soft-close, as standard. Free-standing and signature furnishings really personalise the room, and make a stunning bridge if your dressing area adjoins your master.

This winter’s woven grasses and textured cotton towels in organic dyes put a natural rub on all those crisp clean surfaces.

A formed concrete bench polished to reveal its subtle beauty forms an unfussey tranquil seating corner. Hone edges for comfort. Cacti are one of a number of succulents that can survive the challenge of a reasonably ventilated bathroom. Flooring is simple deal planks with gentle white-wash finish. Accessories by Urbanara.

If you can’t get a great bath in easily, throw all that money into a perfectly tanked, magnificent shower.

Times have changed, and the beautifully appointed compact bathroom without a bath no longer shocks potential buyers.

Above all else, a handsome bathroom relies on perfect installation, and in some cases (some marbles for example) installation will cost more than the pieces installed.

Without this, the most fabulous designs will look cheap.