Late last year we were lucky enough to collaborate with the wonderful, bold & brave Audenza founder, Amelia on her beautiful bathroom transformation.
Amelia’s talks everything bathroom related and provides some amazing top tips on planning, creating space and styling your bathroom.
Now, let’s get into it…
A Little Bit About Amelia
‘Hi, I’m Amelia Brooks, co-founder of Audenza – www.audenza.com. Audenza is an award-winning online homeware boutique.’
‘We sell a fabulously quirky selection of homewares which ooze character and scream fearless style. Think iconic, bold and statement furniture, accented with eclectic, eccentric and ever so slightly kitsch accessories.’
‘I’ve always loved all aspects of design, and from a young age my mum taught me to sew.’
‘After years of sewing, drawing, knitting and designing, this eventually led to me co-founding Audenza, with my mum Jacqui, and my sister, Hollie.’
‘For me, interiors is not just a job, it’s my passion. We all want a home we can be proud of, and at Audenza, we love empowering others to have the courage to fearlessly embrace their own interiors style and to design a truly fabulous home.’
Where Should I Begin When It Comes To Planning My Layout?
‘I was lucky that the layout of my bathroom worked well as it was, so I didn’t need to consider moving anything.’
‘However, if you are starting from scratch with an empty bathroom, a good tip to get an idea of size and scale, is to use masking tape to mark out all your fittings; shower, toilet etc on the floor.’
‘I think this is especially important if you have a small bathroom, where space is limited, as you want to be sure you have positioned everything to maximise the use of the space.’
Do You Need To Have Plenty Of Space To Create a Beautiful Family Bathroom?
‘Not at all. However, if you have a small bathroom, you have to spend a bit more time planning and think more carefully about the size and layout of all your fixtures, to make sure you’ve really maximised the use of the space.’
Should I Opt For a Bath Or Shower?
‘I think this is completely down to personal preference. For me personally, I love having both! At the weekends, I love nothing more than relaxing in the bath, with a face mask on, trying to trick myself into believing I’m at a spa!’
‘But for everyday use, I stick to the shower, or I’d end up seriously late for work every day! Another consideration is if you have children, or are planning to in the future, a bath is pretty essential to try and fit into the design.’
How Do I Keep Costs Down?
‘To keep costs down, consider if there’s anything existing in the bathroom which you could keep.’
‘For instance, I didn’t update my toilet or basin. Although they aren’t perfect, and in an ideal world I would have had new ones, but by adding a new black toilet seat to the toilet, it gave it an instant refresh and tied it in with the rest of the scheme.’
‘Similarly, to update the basin I could have added a new black tap (which I wish I did now with hindsight!), which would have been cheaper than replacing the whole sink, but would have made it look much more modern and in keeping with my scheme.’
How Do I Create A Feeling Of Space?
‘I think keeping all of your toiletries out of sight and tidied away in closed cupboards is a big factor in making your bathroom feel more spacious and less cluttered.’
‘I chose to go for a wall hung cupboard, as by keeping the floor space clear, it again makes the room feel larger.’
‘Lighting is also key to creating a feeling of space. Ideally you want to get as much natural light in the room as possible, to open the space up.’
‘I was lucky in that I had a really big window in my bathroom. But if you don’t, you could add wall lights either side of a vanity mirror, to bounce lots of light around the room.’
Let’s Talk About Amelia’s Tropical Bathroom Renovation
Why did you opt for the tropical theme?
‘Even before I bought my house I knew I wanted a tropical themed bathroom. I love maximalist interiors, so I knew I wanted lots of pattern and colour in my décor, but I also think your bathroom should be somewhere you can relax and unwind.’
‘It is well known that being out in nature is not only good for your stress levels, but it can even contribute to your physical wellbeing too.’
‘So, I felt a scheme which brings in a little bit of the outside, inside, would be the perfect way to create a relaxing bathroom.’
‘I opted for a gorgeous tropical wallpaper by Osborne & Little, and paired it with lots of houseplants, to create my very own tropical jungle paradise!’
If you could go back and change something about the reno what would that be and why?
‘Honestly, I don’t think I would change anything, I absolutely love how the bathroom turned out.
The only thing I would have done differently in an ideal world (and if cost wasn’t a factor), would be to have ceramic floor tiles instead of vinyl flooring.’
What are three essentials items you think should be included in a bathroom, this could be accessories, beauty products or even three pieces of bathroom furniture you believe every bathroom should include.
- ‘A heated towel rail – I live in a Victorian house which is not very warm! So without a towel rail, my towel was always still slightly damp in the mornings, and there is nothing luxurious about drying yourself with a slightly damp towel. But drying yourself with a warm, fluffy towel…that’s luxurious!’
- ‘A good extractor fan – this is always an essential with all the steam a bathroom produces. But especially essential, if like me you are risking wallpapering the bathroom!’
- ‘A shelf for your glass of wine when you’re in the bath! Or if you’re short on space, an over-bath tray is a great alternative.’
Shop Amelia’s Bathroom Style
Rikki has a passion for interior design and an even bigger passion for writing about it. When she isn’t writing about gorgeous bathroom interiors, you’ll find her discovering all of the latest trends.
