With Christmas rolling upon us like a giant out-of-control snowball, plans and preparations for the festive season are in full effect, ie. mass panic shopping and manic decorating. Parents, siblings and in-laws are getting ready to land on your doorstep. You’re getting ready to raid Iceland/M&S and wrestle gifts into your own very ‘special’ style of wrapping. All the while you are looking at your dishevelled home with a small but growing feeling of dismay at the thought of welcoming your beloved guests. So, as the one room of the house where your guests get to lock themselves away and scrutinise (and the only room in which you’ll be able to lock yourself away from everyone else), let’s look at how we can create a Christmas bathroom.
Bathroom Radiators & Heated Towel Rails
You might want, or need, to extend the cosiness of your home into your Christmas bathroom. No one but Frosty the Snowman enjoys an icy toilet seat.
If you’re looking for a no-plumb additional heat source for an already finished bathroom, an electric towel rail is a handy option. A towel heater may not always be top on the priority list of a bathroom makeover but the addition could offer warm and dry towels all through the winter months. So no more foisty, soggy corners–urgh.
If you happen to be squeezing in a full bathroom renovation from the bottom up before the big festivities begin, then you have a great advantage. This chilly time of year encourages us to think more carefully about our heating plans than we might do in milder months.
Underfloor heating systems have become much more affordable and are a great option for a bathroom. As well as offering an inviting room temperature, they have the added bonus of being able to evaporate all of the inevitable water drips and splashes quickly. Underfloor heating also puts an end to the unpleasant jolt of chilly feet (also known as the chicken dance).
A Colourful Bathroom
A fresh coat of paint is an obvious but effective way to revamp any room, at any time of year. Try painting a gutsy accent wall, alcove or a wide stripe to add a splash of wow factor without dipping too far into Christmas savings. I’m all for white walls and white bathroom suites (as you can see from my own bathroom scheme) but the purity of a gallery palette can result in a chilled atmosphere through the winter season.
To add the most visual warmth to your Christmas bathroom, consider selecting a rich jewel tone. If colour just isn’t your thing, then even some gorgeous greys present cosy options that are super easy to live with. Be sure to select a warm tone of grey, edging toward taupe, if you don’t want your new scheme to look chilly from blue undertones.
Bathroom Furniture and Storage
An organised bathroom can help you tackle the Christmas social calendar–not to mention the rest of the year. From country cottage-style tall boys and deep rattan chests, to sleek modern wall-mounted cabinets and recessed shelving units, there’s a plethora of choice out there. Bathroom furniture can enrich a plain clinical bathroom scheme. Just a couple of well placed pieces can utterly transform what is often a utilitarian room into a lovingly designed part of the home.
A variety of bathroom cupboards and different sized handy baskets will help keep your bathroom free from the clutter. Garish big bottles containing cleaning products can be concealed but kept close to hand for quick wipe overs, and we can tame our so-called ‘essentials’ (just how many Christmases ago did that dusty bottle of lavender scented moisturiser actually arrive?)
Christmas Bathroom Accessories
Now lets get down to it. The truth of it is, at this late time in the year, all most people want to add to their bathroom decor scheme is just a few fun festive touches. Cheap and cheerful. Thank you very much.
With that in mind, why not layer some new jolly red towels with some of the white ones you already own. Add a warm red bath mat. Many towel ranges even come with a bit of sparkle in them, perfect for party season.
You might not typically consider creating a Christmas bathroom when you come to embellish the rest of your home with Christmas flourishes. However, a sprinkling of Christmas decorations around the room (perhaps adorning some of that new furniture we talked about) will extend the Christmas cheer into this usually unfestive area too.
Now I’m not suggesting great swags of tinsel over the vanity unit, dropping it’s shiny dander down the plughole. Nor am I implying the placement of a mini tree by the toilet cistern. No, no, please don’t do that. An old aunt may mistake it for a festive toilet brush and get into all sorts of bother.
Instead, try filling a shallow decorative bowl, or tall clear vase, with pretty baubles and place it on top of the vanity. Add a fresh poinsettia to the windowsill. Temporarily swap out your usual bathroom candle holders for some frosty themed alternatives. Treat yourself to some festive scented candles in those sparkly holders too, and indulge in a really Christmassy bathtime. After all that shopping and organising, you deserve it!
What do you add to your bathroom at Christmastime?
