W INTERIORS
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INTERIOR INSPIRATION
BY KATE KINGSTON
Kate Kingston, Managing Director of Kingston Shaw, an award
winning interior design company with offices on the Wirral,
London and Dubai, shares with us the latest trends for creating
the perfect home.
DARLING I’M IN THE BATH (AGAIN)
It is a fact I am obsessed with bathing and baths, showers are all
well and fine, its my happy space. But a bath is a choice, a little self
indulgence, if you will, soaking in a concoction of potions from
far flung places, listening to music and dreaming of things one
shouldn’t be dreaming of, is my idea of heaven, throw in a scented
candle and a walnut whip and I’m in rapture.
We have the Greeks to thank for our bathing habits, but it wasn’t until
the mid 19th Century that baths became common in the houses of
Europe, although the Japanese had been taking bathing seriously for
almost 100 years prior to that. Speaking of which the art of bathing
is taken very seriously in Japan, it is a ritual and people are expected
to wash with soap and rice (a natural exfoliator) before entering the
sacred liquid of the bath as not to ‘muddy the waters’
However you draw your bath and prepare the water, the one thing you
might want to consider is what vessel you will be stepping into. I have
compiled a few rules to apply before purchasing your next bath!
RULE 1: NEVER BUY A BATH ON A WHIM
To ensure you are happy with your investment, reserve time for
choosing the right one. The first things to consider are space and budget,
and how much of each you have. As a general rule, a freestanding bath
will take up more inches and more pennies than a built-in number.
RULE 2 : TEST IT OUT
A bath is a big investment, choosing what’s best is a very personal
thing. A metre-deep Japanese tub with straight sides is a totally
different bathing experience to a low-slung, contemporary bath where
you’re nearly lying horizontal. We can be quite reserved about trying
things out, but would you buy a bed or a car without testing it first, so
don’t be shy – get in and see how it feels.
RULE 3: MAKE IT YOURS, PIMP YOUR BATH
There are many ways to give a run-of-the-mill inset bath a luxe look.
Forget wobbly acrylic panels – encase your bath in glamourous tiles,
glossy mirror or even coloured glass, which can be illuminated with
bathroom-friendly LEDs for added ambience. If your budget is limited,
position an inset bath in the middle of the room and clad it entirely in
a beautiful material this can create a freestanding look for a fraction
of the cost. Cladding is the eye-catching element of an inset bath, so
choose carefully. A classic stone, such as marble, is smart, or why not
use a striking wood? Panelling in warm, exotic woods looks great and
will tone with most bathroom furniture.
58 wirrallife.com
Single-piece, solid-surface baths that are space-efficient and sculptural
are becoming more popular. Bath shapes used to be restricted by the
materials they were made from, but modern products such as Corian,
LG Hi-Macs (acrylic) and Cristalplant (mineral composite) means
almost anything is possible.
RULE 4: MAKE AN INFORMED MATERIAL CHOICE
Everyone wants a bath to last a long time and be comfortable so the
material you choose is crucial. Old-fashioned, poor-quality acrylic
inset baths tend to be less rigid and may rely on chipboard supports.
Avoid these and opt for a more robust material – modern acrylics are
much better quality and actually hold heat longer than a steel bath.
Conductivity levels in different surfaces vary, so think about how they
feel to the touch – cold steel and cast iron absorb heat and cool water
quickly, whereas composites like Corian, Cristalplant and LG Hi-Macs
retain heat for longer. Most composites have a renewable surface that
can be polished back to life if damaged. Stone baths are beautiful, but
beware: full baths weigh twice as much, so joists may need reinforcing,
if in doubt, contact a structural engineer.
RULE 5: CONSIDER THE HARDWARE
Don’t forget to consider how you are going to fill your bath with water.
Here in the UK, there is a standard idea that baths need taps on the
side, this can, in fact, spoil the look of a bath, which is why there has
been a move towards other options in recent years. Floor-standing
taps are the perfect partner for freestanding tubs and keep the edges
clear. Not only does this look good, it makes it easier to keep the bath
clean. Alternatively, choose a bath filler that lets water in through the
overflow, or a neat, wall-mounted mixer. A double-ended bath will
need taps mounted in the middle or, for a real style statement, position
a floor-mounted tap off-centre. If you want to go all-out on the home
spa experience, then hydrotherapy, chromatherapy (sometimes called
colour therapy), and even aromatherapy can also be incorporated into
a modern bathing experience. Extras like these will, of course, push up
the price of an average bath, but worth budgeting if you are so inclined
Now you have your perfect bath, it is time for your bath, I’m in
agreement with the American Poet Delmore Schwartz ‘Existentialism
means that no one else can take a bath for you’ So you might as well
enjoy it!
Finally, I know you were wondering – yes, this article was written in
the bath!