Zoë's Design Secrets: Create Your Beautiful, Healthy Bathroom Oasis

June 25, 2025

Hello, I am Zoë, interior designer and owner of interior design studio Beautiful Healthy Home. I love to offer solutions to design challenges. Every element of my work reflects a dedication to combining style, functionality, and a healthier environment for you and your family. This month I am looking at bathroom design. If you are thinking of giving your existing bathroom a bit of a revamp or a full renovation, then read on for some top tips!

When starting any design project, the first thing I recommend is that you think about how you want to feel when you walk into the room. My very first bathroom design included zesty lemon flooring and a gorgeous contemporary yellow and black wallpaper. My client wanted a dopamine hit every time she stepped into her bathroom first thing each morning and the zesty lemon delivered! So be brave and pick a colour, wallpaper or tile that gives you the feeling you want - whether it is one of energy, calmness or relaxation. Then build a palette and your ideal style of sanitary ware and bathroom furniture around it. Old fashioned magazine images are still useful or if like me, you love Pinterest - you can create a selection of images on there. This is your mood board and will help you stay on track when you start selecting items. Otherwise the huge choice of designs available can feel rather overwhelming.

I then recommend you look at your budget - this will give you an idea on what you can actually afford. There is a huge disparity in terms of price and quality when it comes to bathroom design. My advice is to put your money into the sanitary ware. As Leigh is a hard water area, taps and shower heads are susceptible to limescale build-up. It is worth choosing products that are durable to avoid long term corrosion and damage. Pick as high a quality of material as you can afford.

If you are limited for space, choose a short projection or wall hung toilet and an over-bath shower option. If budget is tight have a scout round your home, as a sideboard could be turned into a vanity unit with the basin set on-top. If you’re having an area tiled, check to see whether a niche can be built into the stud wall for storage of essential toiletries. For more luxurious bathrooms, a walk in wet room with underfloor heating, tiled seating area and rain shower can create that boutique hotel vibe. Elevate a space immediately by decanting essential toiletries into attractive glass bottles.

Too many toiletries and knick-knacks will gather dust and make your bathroom both unsightly and awkward to clean. With summer upon us, dust is now much more visible! It’s time to get organised and declutter so as to make surfaces easy to wipe and clutter-free. Creating clear surfaces creates a positive effect on wellbeing so clever storage ideas are essential particularly for small spaces.

I believe a bathroom should be not only be aesthetically pleasing and practical, but also a heathy space for you and your family. What we put on our skin and bathe in is really important as toxic chemicals can be taken on board by our body through dermal absorption. These toxic chemicals build up in our bodies over time with repetitive use. The body has a hard time knowing how to get rid of them so ends up storing them in fatty tissues around our organs and in our brain.

It is worth investing in organic cotton to avoid the carcinogenic chemicals that are too often part of the cotton manufacturing process. I also recommend switching to toiletries made with natural ingredients. Have you considered ditching your bleach in favour of home-made cleaning solutions? Simple mixes such as white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and essential oils can help you create a far healthier space for yourself and your family to luxuriate in.

If you’d like help to kick starting your design project, claim your free discovery call by dropping me an email or WA. I’d love to hear about it! contact@beautifulhealthyhome.co.uk 07709426254

Please join me next month where I will be looking at how we can all improve our indoor air.

Zoë