Of all the rooms in the house, the bathroom is the one that most rewards your attention. You can add value to your home with a thoughtful – and far from bank busting – restoration, you can decorate it to perfectly fit your personality, and with the right appliances, accessories and products, turn it into a haven of relaxation for you and your whole family.

Today we’re putting our focus on the bathroom, so you can start to build a room that’s the heart of your home, not merely a functional closet.

Decoration

If you’re decorating your bathroom, you need to think: is this for you? Is this to put a few thousand pounds on the bottom line for your house if need to sell? Or is it to make it suitable for tenants, when you rent your house out.

If it’s for when you sell or rent your house, you have a relatively clear cut job: focus on making it function, tackling damp, and ensuring adequate ventilation. It’s more important to have a plain looking shower that works properly than something ornate that’s not reliable.

On the other hand, if you’re redecorating for yourself, you can really pull the stops out, and stamp your particular style on the room. Think hard about it: this is a room you’ll really need to relax in, whether you’re bathing, shaving or merely brushing your teeth.

Whatever your needs, whether you want Edwardian bath taps to immerse yourself in classic luxury as you immerse yourself in hot water or a more modern look, emphasising natural light.

Accessories

Creating the full bathroom experience of your dreams is only helped along by getting hold of the perfect array of bathroom accessories. Once you’ve got your main decorations and fittings in place you can acquire the accessories to round out the look, from soap dishes and toothbrush holders to shaving mirrors.

One thing it’s really worth investing is a luxurious set of towels: a design that matches the décor means your bath isn’t going to be interrupted by a disharmonious clash, and there’s no experience like going from a hot bath to a warm, fluffy towel to relax you and help you unwind.

Products

There are so many different bathing products it can be difficult to make a choice: from simple bubble baths, to bath bombs, and scented oils.

There’s no single right answer, just the one that’s right for you, so do a bit of experimentation and build a library of bath products for every occasion. Lavender scented oil is good for relaxation at the end of the day while peppermint and eucalyptus scents are better for an energising wash when you need a boost!