Our Creative Director (fashion/textiles designer Ann Louise Roswald) is keen to share some secrets with you about how to style your bathroom and cast iron bath. She is responsible for styling many of the beautiful shots on our website, so she knows what she’s talking about!
- Pick a highlight colour. If your bathroom has a neutral colour theme then a bright highlight colour can add a bit of zing to the space. Alternatively, if the bathroom has a strong colour theme, a neutral highlight colour will work best. For the first set of images that I produced for the Cast Iron Bath Company I used acid yellow for the highlight colour. Set against the variety of grey backdrops, bright shades from flowers, soaps, towels, paintings or cushions will pull a whole image together.
- Add something soft to the room. Compared to the rest of your home, bathrooms can be very structured and ‘hard’ looking. By adding some soft furnishings you can make it feel more inviting and cosy. A lovely wingback chair in the corner, or even a painting on the wall can soften what might sometimes be a very ‘clinical’ room.
- You can never have enough flowers. Flowers never fail to freshen up the look of a bathroom. However, you don’t need a grand display. Just a few simple jam jars with single roses can brighten up a room. I added a rose to these vintage bottles (see below) that I found in a junk shop. The effect was instant and pleasing to the eye.
- Use storage as a display. Unusual vessels for storing flannels, soaps or sponges can make interesting focal points. For instance, I found this copper jam-making dish in a junk shop. It looks contemporary and it’s perfect for holding rolled up flannels. Be adventurous. Sometimes the least obvious things can make the most eye-catching storage.
- Finally, keep it simple! It’s important to remember what you are actually photographing. For the Cast Iron Bath Company I kept the images simple so as not to detract from the main event: the cast iron bath! This should be the dominant feature of the room. My advice to you is to not overdo it. A lovely stool next to the bath, a patterned cushion on a chair, a simple flower display, a dish of lovely soaps, a pile of fluffy towels… all you need is a few key items to give the space some personality.
