Some tips on how to create the perfect bathroom
•The most expensive stone baths are scooped from a single slab of marble or limestone, and are beyond the budget of most people. Recreate the effect by encasing your bath in limestone.
•Borrow ideas from cutting-edge interiors. A simple, stainless-steel or shallow porcelain sink can be the ultimate in designer chic.
•Never be tempted away from the classic white bathroom suite - no other colour will do. Remember the "avocado" look? Use wall-mounted taps for a pared down look.
•Stone, travertine and limestone are often used for flooring, but an alternative to consider is slate, which is a beautiful non-slip flooring material. Light blue-grey is a contemporary colour. Polished poured concrete is also increasingly popular. When the same stone is used to line floor and walls, the effect is seamless and integrated.
•A cast iron bath, either a modern reproduction or one soured from a specialist salvage yard, can be complemented by modern, floor-mounted taps.
•A pedestal sink with a retro 1930s feel and chunky nickel taps (nicer than chrome) are a classic combination and can be mixed with many styles of bathrooms. Check out Fired Earth for some of best examples of this style.
•If your bath is freestanding, a separate shower unit is a good idea. Antica has a range of simple glass surrounds that work in almost any scheme. Alternatively, build a stud partition to create a shower cubicle that can be tiled and fitted with a glass door.
•A wood floor looks well in an informal bathroom. Make sure to fill any cracks or gaps in an old floor and protect it with several layers of varnish. A dark stain gives a period feel and if your floor boards aren't up to much, it's very forgiving. If you are laying new boards, select the variety carefully. Oak retains its strength when wet, and cedar is extremely waterproof. Old pieces of furniture, whether junk shop finds or antiques, can be given new life by using them in the bathroom.
•Don't be too thematic. An old sink can look great beside a state-of-the-art shower, for example.
•Keep window treatments simple. Slatted shutters are great in a bathroom, as they provide privacy without reducing the amount of light.
•Traditional suppliers such as Armatige Shanks can be the source of some cutting-edge looks. The most enthusiastic modernist couldn't fail to be impressed by their stainless-steel WCs, originally designed for use in prisons.