Summertime trends

While the warmth and sunshine may be intermittent, bright sunny days give all of us a boost. Bring that feeling into your bathroom so that you can enjoy that summertime feeling every day.

Pantone® Colour of the Year 2018 - Ultra Violet

“Inventive and imaginative, Ultra Violet lights the way to what is yet to come.”

Pantone describe their chosen colour of the year as being a dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple that communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking.

This is a bold colour, and while it may not be everyone’s cup-of-tea, there are ways of introducing accents into your bathroom that are right on trend without going overboard.

Here we bring you our top tips for embracing the essence of Pantone’s vision in ways that will enhance your bathroom and lift your mood.

The good news is that for those of us who prefer something a little calmer than Ultra Violet, Pantone’s supporting palettes provide the perfect starting point.

There are four in total, giving plenty scope for interiors. For a more subtle, less full-on approach, take a look at Purple Haze. There’s a timeless quality to the subtle blends and harmonies of these misty, smoky hues.

Use them with pretty pastels to bring a touch of springtime into any space, especially alongside bright white bathroom fittings.

Quick Fix 1

Splish splash

Adding a splashback to your hand basin instantly brightens things up. This trick works equally well in cloakrooms too.

You can even use a piece of wallpaper protected with an acrylic front plate. For a cheerful vibe, add a touch of the seaside like this print from the Designers Guild.

Bathed in colour

If you’re lucky enough to have a cast iron bath, you can easily paint it a subtle colour to match the mood of your bathing space. Heritage’s elegant cast iron baths have AA grade white ripple enamel, traditional ball and claw feet, and can be painted any colour. They’re an excellent investment as each one comes with a lifetime guarantee. Shown here is Buckingham, which you can see on display at our Grantham and Derby bathroom showrooms.

Rolltop cast iron bath – Heritage Buckingham on display at our Grantham & Derby showrooms
Wallpaper – Christian Lacroix 'Bagatelle-Reglisse' from Designers Guild

Background story

Simple backdrop changes can transform your bathroom. If you feel yours needs sprucing up for the warmer months, then wallpaper or a fresh coat of emulsion can work wonders.

Follow your theme through with fresh flowers to underpin the season.

Bathroom Walls — Left - a soft backdrop delivers a relaxed, feminine look. Note the steel effect Hylton bath which is on display at Grantham
Right - Heritage Granley basin & WC on display at Grantham, Derby & Chesterfield

Lovely lustres

Start your day with some sparkle as well as morning sunshine. Lustre finishes have been around bathroom tiles for while. What we’re now seeing is them making their way into bathroom fittings. The beauty is their light reflection qualities, with surfaces radiating soft sheens of light.

Utopia’s new Lustre range does just that. They say Lustre’s “beautiful silky smooth surfaces and fabulous colour combinations create a fusion of the most luxurious materials”. The basin unit for example features a soft close drawer with sensor activated internal LED illumination, under-unit LED mood lighting and Coralux internal accessory trays including a secret compartment. The glass fascia oozes quality and style.

Glass panels can enhance your shower space, splashbacks or entire walls in a very similar way to lustre. Mermaid (on show at all of our showrooms), have all kinds of choices. They’re available in a fantastic range of colours as well as lower cost, acrylic options. Just imagine – no grout to clean ever again!

Quick Fix 2

With knobs on!

Fancy adding some sparkle without too much expense? Changing the handles or knobs on your bathroom cupboards and units can really add character and style. Take these crystal ones for instance – they bounce light around really effectively especially on a sunny day.

Bathrooms in bloom

You can easily ring the springtime changes with the right towels, bathmats and accessories. Seasonal styling accents are a popular tool amongst interior designers as they add the finishing touch to any transformation. This time of year, fresh flowers rather than greenery are an attractive touch, whether it be a single perfect tulip, or a whole vase of blowsy hydrangeas.