'I don’t think I’ve ever had as many baths in my life as I have since it was finished!'
This relaxing family bathroom offers plenty of practicality for its owners, as well as providing a much-needed space to unwind and switch off in the evenings


When the owner of this beautifully calming bathroom moved to their new house four years ago, the original bathroom was a good size and perfectly liveable, so the couple started redecorating elsewhere in the property.
But when niggles started to mount up and their second child arrived, it was time for a revamp. ‘There was just no real storage,’ recalls the owner, ‘which meant things were always feeling untidy. And it was cold in there all the time, it felt damp and towels never really dried. It wasn’t a space that you wanted to relax in, which bothered us more when we had two children.’
Instagram was her first place to look for bathroom inspiration, where she came across an image which Simply Bathrooms (Surrey) Ltd had designed and installed.
‘This became the starting point for the whole room,’ she says. ‘It had this amazing black-and-white daisy-patterned mosaic bathroom floor tiles, which I had my heart set on. I got in touch with them and spoke to the designer Sophie, and she was brilliant, giving us lots of advice without being pushy.'
'I loved that they organise everything and help with all parts of the project- from design to the build, so we decided to go for it. With two young children it was amazing to be able to sit back and enjoy the process.’
A few problems were uncovered which the couple weren’t expecting, including mould on the walls behind tiles and strange external waste plumbing, which was boxed into the kitchen extension, rather than outside.
‘Although annoying, it was so brilliant that our builder found these problems ahead of time rather than when the job started. Hopefully this means we won’t have any problems further down the line now all these issues have been fixed properly.’
'I don’t think I’ve ever had as many baths in my life as I have since it was finished!' says the owner. 'I’m up to on average five times a week now - it’s such a calm and relaxing sanctuary when a busy day has finished.’
'It was all so worth it. I just love the space now, it’s one of my favourite rooms in the house.'
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Take the tour of this relaxing family bathroom
‘The bathroom floor tiles were the starting point for the whole scheme. They were in a reference shot that we referred back to throughout the whole process.’
‘I love the shape of our new bath. It’s slightly smaller in length than the previous one, but it’s really deep and fills up in no time.'
'Having the taps in the middle and the handheld shower is really practical for the kids.'
‘The rainfall shower head feels so luxurious, it reminds me of the bathrooms in boutique hotels we’ve visited. The separate handheld one is perfect for cleaning.’
‘I love having a separate shower and bath now, it’s so practical on busy mornings - we can all be in there at once! The large shower tray creates the seamless feel of a wet room.'
‘The small glass shelves in the shower and above the bath are perfect for putting nice products on. They feel sturdy and are much easier to clean than the wire racks we used to have.’
'The heated towel rail means the room is so much warmer than it used to be with just a small radiator. Having warm, dry towels when you get out of the shower is so nice - it’s amazing what difference something so simple can make.'
‘We've changed the bathroom layout and moved where the toilet is in the bathroom. It used to be under the small window, facing our doorway. It means it’s slightly hidden as you come in, rather than being the first thing you see, and makes the room feel more spacious.'
‘Plus the wooden shelf means I can add a plant, picture frames and a candle, and decorate the bathroom just like I would in any other room. Rather than just with our toothbrushes!’
‘We upped our budget a bit for the statement sink - it’s poured concrete and I think it makes all the difference. We played around with different colours but the blue felt fresh and modern.’
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Ali has been the Houses Editor at Ideal Home for the past two years, following 12 years in interiors magazines, writing features, interviewing homeowners and styling shoots. She's now in charge of finding all the most inspiring and special homes to appear in Ideal Home magazine.
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