Our friends at Victoria Plum are giving you the chance to win all six beautiful items from the 'Le Bain Accessory Range' worth over £100, and have shared their five top tips to give your bathroom that personal touch. Read to the bottom of this blog to enter this month's prize draw.
Whilst renting a home can be both flexible and cost-effective, there are some inevitable downsides which you’ll have to contend with. Aside from keeping your landlord happy and having to stick to their own particular rules, it can be hard to add personality to your rented home. Many landlords will ensure they have installed a good quality bathroom suite but like to “play it safe” when it comes to décor with fairly uninspiring neutral colour schemes and beige carpets being a prime example.
The bathroom, in an average rented property, will typically consist of a good quality bathroom suite and, if you’re lucky, some additional storage in the form of a mirror cabinet. Again, in most cases, the property owner will sometimes opt for a relatively inoffensive colour scheme with white being the predominant shade.
If your landlord is happy with you making some minor improvements to your bathroom, there are some quick, easy and relatively cheap ways you can add personality to this all-important space.
1. Choose a new colour scheme
With a neutral or white colour scheme already in place, it’s the perfect opportunity for you to add your own personal touch with what is effectively a blank canvas. By painting your walls, you can immediately change the look and feel of your bathroom, plus it won’t cost the earth.
So, which colours should you choose? Despite all its negative connotations, grey remains the on-trend colour of the moment. You can use varying shades to create a fabulous monochrome colour scheme with black as an accent colour.
For more bathroom colour ideas, check out some of the latest on-trend shades like raspberry, marigold, amethyst and dusky pink. Of course, you don’t have to use paint exclusively. You could create your new palette with tiles, wallpaper, flooring or even wall panels.
For more bathroom colour ideas, check out some of the latest on-trend shades like raspberry, marigold, amethyst and dusky pink. Of course, you don’t have to use paint exclusively. You could create your new palette with tiles, wallpaper, flooring or even wall panels.
2. Get your styling right
To appeal to the widest number of potential renters, most landlords will opt for a modern or contemporary style bathroom. This type of design is characterised by clean lines, a combination of curves and smooth edges, plus unfussy fixtures devoid of embellishments.
However, if you are renting a period property, your landlord may have chosen a style that is in keeping with a vintage setting. In traditional style bathrooms you’ll find more ornate designs, including toilets and basins with bevelled bases, cross head handle taps and even a roll top bath if you’re very lucky!
Whilst eclectic bathrooms, with a combination of different styles, are becoming more popular, it pays to stick to one chosen style, especially when choosing accessories.
3. Seek out new accessories
So, you’ve picked out your perfect colour scheme and selected your style. Now it’s time for the really fun part to begin: accessorising!
Much like searching for that perfect pair of shoes to go with a new party outfit, finding some great accessories that accentuate and personalise your bathroom can be a real thrill.
First off, why not replace all those functional items in your bathroom, like the toilet roll holder, towel rail and toothbrush holder with a new, matching set of accessories? Make sure they complement both your chosen style and colour palette.
Bringing the outdoors indoors is a major interior design trend right now, so you may want to add some houseplants to your bathroom. The often warm and humid atmosphere makes it the perfect environment to let your green fingers loose.
Finally, you can easily add accent to your bathroom design by purchasing a set of colour-coordinated towels and a bath mat.
4. Add stylish storage
With more and more homeowners renting their properties, a lack of storage space can be a big issue, especially if you end up sharing with others. To save you from drowning in clutter and allowing all those fabulous accessories and colours to shine, it pays to think about additional storage units.
Ladder storage is a very popular way to add hanging space or shelving in your bathroom. Some ladder units can simply be propped up against a wall, meaning no need to drill holes, making them a quick and easy way to enhance your space.
If you need a place to hide all those everyday essentials, like toiletries, bathroom cleaners and spare towels, you could look to add a tall cabinet. With a range of colours and wood finishes to choose from, you should easily find something that will match your overall bathroom design. Take things a step further by replacing your toilet seat and bath panels with designs that colour match.
5. Think bigger
If you get on well with your landlord and they are open to further bathroom improvements, you could think a little bigger when personalising your bathroom space.
For example, if the bathroom suite is looking a little tired, or perhaps the toilet flush doesn’t work as well as it should, you could replace your whole suite for a relatively small outlay.
Using the latest estimated costs, a good quality bathroom suite consisting of toilet, bath and basin can be purchased for around £200 to £300, whilst installation may only cost somewhere in the region of £300 to £500. So, for as little as £500, you could be enjoying a brand look and feel to your bathroom.
Whatever you’re looking to do, make sure you discuss any changes with your landlord first. The improvements you make should easily enhance the appearance of your bathroom, making your rented property truly feel like home.
For your chance to win a set from the 'Le Bain Accessory Range', worth over £100, enter our prize draw. Good luck!
Closing date: 16 May 2019
