There was a time, not long ago, when Britain was known around the world for its dodgy plumbing and awful bathrooms, where carpet reigned and showers were exotic. Fortunately that has changed radically over the last 20 years or so, and we now lavish attention and money on them like never before. This year I’ve photographed a huge variety of them, from the romantic and old fashioned to the slick and contemporary. Here are just a few.
A soft toned and romantic south London bathroom by young designer, Laura Sole
A shapely bath and mirror in Chiswick, by developer, Julian Bryson/Unmodernised
A spacious St. John’s Wood bathroom by Studio Indigo, with clearly delineated areas for different functions.
A compact and vibrant ensuite by Ensoul
A copper tub in an apartment by Jess Lavers
Architectural precision in a large Clapham house by Architects, Squire & Partners.
Two very different bathrooms in a country house designed by Jane Ashton.
And possibly my favourite bathroom of the year, is this one in Kent, by designers, Thomas Haycock. Lovely soft palette, and just love those hexagonal tiles.
If trends can be detected, it’s clear that free-standing baths are hugely popular, and that except for the outside of tubs, which here feature in a variety of painted shades and metallic finishes, in the main, bathroom fittings remain steadfastly white. I sometimes wonder why, when everything midcentury is in vogue, and all sorts of styles make comebacks, the coloured bathroom suite appears to be beyond the pale. I recently shot a 1960s house, still with its original bathrooms intact, and although of course the fittings look dated, surely there’s a manufacturer or designer out there, brave enough to start a revival.
