Modern-meets-vintage bathroom ideas

Whether you want to invest in authentic period fixtures and fittings, or get the look through designs replicating heritage styles, follow this advice to find the best buys for your room and create a successful scheme. Plus, these vintage bathroom ideas touch on how to team modern and classic styles together.

All in harmony?

Create a mood board of colour, pattern and materials samples. Include images of the furniture and fittings you want. Seeing the designs together will help you decide if the scheme works before you invest.

Smart substitution

Low-maintenance sintered stone and quartz surfaces replicate the appearance of vintage marble and granite countertops.

Take it off the floor

Classically styled wall-hung or back-to-wall loos maintain a heritage theme while providing the space-saving and easy-clean benefits of wall mounting.

When more is more

Period schemes often feature several patterns. Try the 60:30:10 rule when designing in this way, so the main pattern takes up 60 per cent of the room, a second 30 per cent and 10 per cent for the accent designs.

Contrasting styles

Set a contemporary bath or vanity unit against a classic backdrop such as tongue-and-groove timber panelling or heritage pattern tiles.

Heavyweight contender

If you want the durability and heat retention of cast iron, ensure the floor can take its weight and that there’s ample room to manoeuvre the tub into place.

Classic centrepiece

A rolltop bath made from a composite, acrylic or solid surface material is a lightweight alternative to cast iron. Team with a pared-back vanity unit so the tub is the focal point.

Built to last

When buying an acrylic rolltop, invest in a reinforced or double-skin design. This is where two thick layers of acrylic are sandwiched together to ensure extra durability and keep the bathwater warm.

Find a reputable source

When investing in antique or vintage items, such as this trough basin from a reclamation yard, buy from retailers displaying the Salvo code, which ensures they adhere to ethical sourcing practices.

Mix and match eras

Give a walk-in shower or wet room a traditional look with a metal-frame glass screen and heritage-style fittings.

Pick up on pattern

Include a heritage pattern through tiling. To prevent the space looking too busy, team patterned surfaces with white sanitaryware in simple shapes and keep the other decorative details to a minimum.

Integrated tech

Look for brassware that includes modern innovations such as water-saving aerators, touch-free or digital controls in a classic style and finish.

New or original?

If they’re not designed for the bathroom, make sure pendants hang at least 2.25m above floor level, and wall or ceiling lights are more than 60cm from baths, showers and basins.