Period Home Bathroom Renovation: A Serene Nature-Inspired Design

I believe bathrooms should be more than functional — they should be treated with just as much importance as a living space. This project was a long time coming and part of my own very slow whole home renovation. It’s been designed to bring a sense of calm, warmth, and timeless character as well as being a fully functional family bathroom and utility space. In our house we don’t have a lot of space in the kitchen or a utility room so the washing machine is in here. For a typical bathroom in this style of home it’s actually quite large - only made smaller because of the eaves and because we’ve used some of the wasted space under the eaves to create built in storage.

The washing machine previously sat in the corner on the left hand side. We had our bathroom fitter create a custom unit using a Howdens pantry cupboard which houses the washing machine, all of our cleaning equipment and washing baskets. There’s even space for towels and bath toys!

This Edwardian home is full of history and original features, so the bathroom needed to reflect that heritage. Instead of leaning towards a clinical or overly modern look, I created layered and interesting bathroom design that blends classic and timeless style bathroom details with textured finishes.

The starting point was the checkerboard floor tiles which I found at Stone & Tiles in Perth. I was initially going along the lines of dark green checks on the floor with warm neutral walls but when I saw these reddish brown tiles I had to have them! The painted wall panelling, a detail that instantly brings texture and depth was also a definite as there is loads of original tongue and groove detailing throughout the rest of the house. The stacked tiles around the bath are also from Stone & Tile and add a contemporary touch in this pattern. I controversially opted to have both of the recessed areas in the bath area tiled in a darker blue tone - I love how they create a special little moment!

These marble effect porcelain tiles are super easy to keep clean and look beautiful. The blues in the room are taken from the soft blue veining seen in this photo. It’s subtle but brings the whole room together.

I love the blue tiled recesses - they create a kind of ‘picture’ in their own right.

The warm blue paint colour is called ‘Whelmish Blew’ and is by Edward Bulmer. I love how it looks with the floor tiles and is harmonious with the darker smokey blue of the built in cabinets (Howdens) and the textured stone of the wall lights which are from Mullan Lighting. To add warmth I chose a vintage vanity repurposed as a bathroom unit, sourced from Vintage Gems Furniture (found via Instagram). Its wood grain contrasts beautifully with the soft blue paintwork and warms up the colour scheme. For even more warmth I chose brass fixtures, chosen for their timeless glow and ability to soften the room’s geometry. The rounded shapes of the lighting and mirror also also help to balance the hard edges.

It feels like a real luxury to have a big worktop to have a plant and display a few nice items. All the ugly bathroom essentials (e.g. 7 year old’s batman toothbrush) are tucked into the vanity drawers and mirror cabinet which is recessed into the wall.

I was really keen to create a room that felt like a room to relax in rather than a clinical and hard space. The checkerboard floor and wooden vanity ground the space in tradition, while the wiggly lights and antique artwork bring a bit of personality and softness. The result is a small bathroom with character that feels both functional and deeply personal. The painting on the wall is one I found at a local antiques shop for £30 - it could possibly do with a new mount but I loved the picture which is of Venice and the colours work perfectly. The little lobster is a one of a kind glass painting which I bought from Quince and Cook - it’s perfect in this spot.

About a hundred water and gas pipes run up behind the towel rail so we built the whole wall out to hide these. This created a recess behind the vanity mirror which the mirror sits into - a wonderful bit of added storage for toothbrushes and keeps them off the worktop.

Ultimately, this is more than just a bathroom — it’s a calm and restorative space. A place to begin the day with clarity and end it with calm. We put the lighting on different circuits - the wall lights are lovely and soft when having a bath or when it starts to get dark in the evenings. I’m never a fan of ‘the big light’ in fact I’m not sure I’ve even had it switched on yet!