As summer approaches, there's a familiar shift towards routines and rituals — skincare, self-care, the small habits that prepare us for the day. And yet, the room where most of that happens, the bathroom, is so often the last space in a home to get any real design attention.

It's a shame, because the bathroom is one of the hardest-working rooms in any house — compact, used constantly, by multiple people with different needs — and unlike a sitting room, which can evolve gradually over years, a bathroom demands precision from day one. Every decision is shaped by plumbing and electrics before it's shaped by taste. That constraint is exactly why I find these commissions so satisfying: they're the purest design puzzle there is.

There's no single right answer for how to approach one, but here are three directions worth considering.

The spa bathroom. For some, a trip to the spa no longer scratches the itch — they want that same slow-down-and-switch-off feeling at home. Think soft, diffused lighting, tactile finishes, a muted palette, minimalist stone resin baths and wall-hung fittings. For the walls themselves, clay plaster finishes from a company like Clay Works create a genuinely cocooning effect — non-toxic, low carbon, and naturally humidity-regulating, though worth having applied by someone experienced with the finish. This aesthetic isn't really about making a statement; it's about how the room feels rather than how it photographs.

The modern classic. At the other end of the spectrum, there's real comfort in a more traditional bathroom — roll-top baths, washstand basins, well-crafted brassware. It nods to the past while still feeling entirely current. Essex has genuine heritage here too: Albion Bath Company makes beautifullyengineered freestanding baths that work as a true centrepiece in a room.

The contemporary edit. For a cleaner aesthetic, wall-mounted taps, concealed cisterns and floating vanities create a real sense of space — particularly valuable in a smaller room. Materiality does a lot of the work here: book-matched marble, for instance, brings both drama and symmetry to even the most pared-back scheme. Frontier Marble & Granite, based locally, is a good resource for sourcing and crafting stone surfaces like this.

Whichever direction you're drawn to, the real skill is in the planning — in a bathroom, every centimetre genuinely counts. If you're not working with a designer, a trusted specialist like Damans in Witham can bring real expertise to the layout and fit.

A well-designed bathroom isn't just about how it looks. It's about supporting the small daily rituals that make up a life. If you're planning one and want a second opinion on layout or materials, [get in touch] — this is exactly the kind of puzzle I enjoy.

This piece originally appeared in Alicia's monthly interior design column for Essex Life, June 2026.

Alicia Mellish leads Studio Forty Seven, an interior design studio working across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk.