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28 May 20

Bathroom design, interview with Laura Jane Clarke, Podcast show notes S7 Ep4

Freestanding modern bath with gold and red metro brick walls.

Yep, we’re still here recording from our duvet dens to bring you the Great Indoors podcast. Despite perspiring under 13.5 togs during this glorious weather,  we’re managing to bring you great content, fabulous guests and as ever lots of gaffaws. Today we’re chatting about bathroom design (mine included- so exciting!) we chat with the lovely architect Laura Jane Clark, known for BBC’s Your Home Made Perfect TV show and we discuss post-pandemic interior design.

A huge thanks as always to Geberit for their support and sponsorship for this series. They certainly know all about creating your own sanctuary at home and I’m sure now more than ever we all need some ‘me’ time and quite frankly a room that we can lock!

Introduce some plants and natural textures for some general feel-good vibes. Image via Geberit

Bathroom design

Moving nicely on to my next project – the beige bathroom will be no more! As some of you may have heard before when we moved into our house four years ago the whole house was beige, beige and more beige. So, the last place to be de-beiged is the bathroom and I cannot wait to get my hands on it! the first thing to do is the layout. If you can don’t play around with the layout too much as this can obviously be quite pricey. I’m keeping mine pretty much the same but I’m going for a freestanding bath and I want a showstopper as the room is at the end of the hall so will be the first thing you see.

Bathroom mood board featuring yellow patterned tiles, blue panelled walls and pink swatches by Interior designer Sophie Robinson

Work in progress – my bathroom moodboard

In terms of colours, pink is at the core and if it’s good enough for Coco Chanel it’s good enough for me! Then, you know me, I’ll introduce some blue, green and of course my favourite go-to happy colour, yellow. I am loving the idea of some artwork above the bath, and why not – a bathroom doesn’t have to be stark and as Kate puts it – ‘it’s a room in which you bathe’ which I totally agree with.

It’s crucial to know from the start what you want from a bathroom and how your needs may change – if you have children for example. One sticking point is whether you install a bath – whether you use it or not, for re-sale value. My husband’s working on a development in Brighton aimed at young professionals and we thought luxurious walk-in showers would be the way to go. But asking local estate agents they all said nope – they would definitely need a bath in the bathroom. So there you go, I thought things had moved on.

Bathroom top tips

  • Lighting- First and foremost I would say, have dimmable lighting to create a soft and atmospheric feel
  • A pair of wall lights either side of the vanity mirror – definitely the most flattering light and you really want to avoid an over head light casting shadows down your face. Very unflattering!
  • Think underfloor heating for the tiled floor. The lack of a radiator will save space and it feels amazing too.
  • Wall lights next to the bath – do you really want a downlighter in the face while you’re trying to have a relaxing soak?
  • Via Kate’s builder – use some of the underfloor heating buried in the wall and use hooks (carefully placed) to hang your towels to dry, which will look far more attractive than a towel warmer.

We would love to know you’re future-proofing bathroom hacks, get in touch with me via Insta @sophierobinsoninteriors  and of course our very resourceful Facebook group.

Interview with architect Laura Jane Clark

We are both huge fans of BBC’s Your Home Made Perfect and with its second series just aired we were delighted to chat with Laura. For those of you who don’t know, the show helps homeowners visualise how their future home could look with the help of virtual reality before taking the plunge.

We are all transported to this virtual world of seeing how the finished house could look although we did wonder what happens to the goggles, that everyone obviously needs but on the finished show they disappear! It’s quite a process and involves the guests exercising their acting skills. They record everything through the goggles and it’s the first time Laura sees her design through VR too. They then repeat the process in front of a green screen and replicating their original reactions and then again for close-ups and headshots – exhausting!

As Laura explains it’s such a great medium as you can physically show the client that it’s not always about space as most would assume but how the house flows, what the light does and how things work together. You can show them that a 6m extension may not be what they actually need and it really helps to change people’s perception that big isn’t always better.

As well as designing beautiful spaces Laura is also very practical and loves good storage (who doesn’t) and says, “it’s about looking at a space and how you use it and not being compromised by it – you can alter the space to make it work for you rather than the other way round.” She also says that utility rooms or cupboards are a must – anything that helps keep clutter and drying laundry out of sight is a winner.

Believe it or not, Laura used to live in an underground toilet, where she first discovered her love for plumbed in dehumidifiers! Despite everyone thinking she was insane, she fell for the toilets as soon as went to see them, following a six month wait she bought it from the council. She could see the potential with its 3m high ceilings and she saw past the crumbling ceilings and rubbish and eventually made it her home…..

Laura’s advice on hiring an architect

“Look at their past work and not necessarily super high end, even the lightly smaller practices and look for passion. Go prepared with a brief, be clear on what you want, often when you meet and chat everything goes out of your head, so remember to write it down.”

Do you think interior design will change post-pandemic?

“I don’t know if it will change but it will catalyse the move towards decent light and space and how our houses work for us rather than against us. I think it will push everyone to say ‘yes I am in control of this house and I am going to use an architect, a builder or an interior designer to help me and work with me to give me what I want because this is what I deserve’.

Post-pandemic interior design

There’s been some recent talk about how design will change and whether we’ll see the return of the white kitchen and interiors as it reflects a feeling of cleanliness and hygiene. Personally I can’t see us going back to designing our homes like sanitariums, (quite a depressing thought) I think it’s more about the behaviour in our homes and how what we’re doing in them has changed – working, homeschooling and using our outside spaces more.

Will we see a move towards upholstered office chairs rather than using a dining chair? I would like to point out that I have already done mine!

We are questioning what we want from our homes as we have spent so much time in them! I have found myself hankering after a garden office, even though I am lucky enough to have my own office I do want more space! Interestingly in a recent interview with Kirsty Allsopp she said that househunting will change somewhat with the outside space becoming desirable and even a necessity for some, with room for a garden office.  How about storage, we need to put all the school/work stuff somewhere!

A huge thank you to Laura Jane Clark for taking time out of her busy schedule to chat with us, Geberit for their support, our producer Kate Taylor and to you our gorgeous listeners.

 

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Joseph on 03.06.20

Thank you for this interview. It is a great interview where one who is stuck with a bathroom design can get insight

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DAY 18 of #easywininteriors and I’m getting the DAY 18 of #easywininteriors and I’m getting the paintbrush out! Giving old and unappreciated brown furniture of coat of colour is not just easy but quick too and you get ooodles of satisfaction giving something a new lease of life. Since the sun is starting to poke it’s head out it’s the perfect opportunity to fling open the windows, roll out the dust sheet, and calm your senses with the therapeutic strokes of a paint brush. I transformed these battered old Ercol chairs that I found at a car boot sale with an undercoat of Zinsser and a top coat of eggshell so they really can withstand the knocks. ( here’s a tip, use a sag brush for spindly furniture) I love how the pink legs pick up on the pink in the wallpaper. I’ve got a couple of pots of chalk paint waiting in the wings. This just might be the weekend to tackle the bedside tables at last! Have a wonderful weekend  and I hope the sun shines on you wherever you are! 

CREDITS Reclaimed terracotta tiles @ca_pietra_  Borastapeter Rubarber wallpaper @wallpaperdirect Clock @newgateclocks Doors painted in Rose Ash Light @sanderson1860 Everything else is vintage 

#easywininteriors #kitchen #countrykitchen #upcycle #upcycledfurniture #countryliving #countrylivingmodernrustic #countrykitchen #greenkitchen #greenandpink #interiorinspo #interiordesign
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On the PODCAST today @mad_about_the_house and I discuss more ways you can make do. I interview leading interior designer and queen of colour and pattern @nicolahardingandco who has amazing insights on how to go about planning your schemes, conjure mouthwatering colour palettes and work with what you’ve got. And our style surgery is from Callum who finds himself stuck with a shiny blue green sofa which he doesn’t love and doesn’t know what to put with. Obviously cover it with cushions and distract the eye with A bright yellow door Callum! 

If you have a question for our style surgery do please send it in as we are lining them up for the next series and we’d love to hear from you! Drop us an email to thegreatindoorspod@gmail.com.You can here all our ramblings and insights on today’s show The Great Indoors and thankyou to @katetaylorldn for producing the show. 

#thegreatindoors #bluesofa #yellowdoor #banthebeige #interiorspodcast #podcast #interiordesign #interiorinspo
DAY 16 of #easywininteriors and I’m extolling th DAY 16 of #easywininteriors and I’m extolling the benefits of an occasional chair. I’ve always loved occasional chairs primarily for their decorative function. I’m a patterned fabric addict and so an occasional chair I’d another opportunity to add more pattern, more colour and another cushion to boot! But during these extended periods of lock down and staying at home I’ve appreciated the quiet little corners they offer. I’m lucky enough to find a space for one here on my landing but they can also find a home in a bedroom, a home office, under the stairs or indeed #lifegoals in the bathroom. So rather than playing second fiddle to THE SOFA put your occasional chair in pride of place and grab yourself 5 minutes solitude! Most of mine are junk shop funds bought back to live with my hoarded stash of remnant fabrics. So it’s time to raid grannies attic and  create a seat that makes you smile . 🥰  use the hashtags #easywininteriors to share your favourite corners of escape.

#easywininteriors #vintagearmchair #armchair #occassionalchair #colourlover #banthebiege
DAY 15 of #easywininteriors and I’m having a re DAY 15 of #easywininteriors  and I’m having a reshuffle on the bookcase to celebrate the happy Back To School vibes! 🙌 YES! This one is a work in progress because sorting your books as to the spine colour can be really meditative! I’m excited for you guys to share your colour coded bookcases using the hashtag #easywininteriors because I’ve seen some amazing examples on here! This idea can also include colour coding your ornaments or glassware collection too. Somehow grouping them in blocks  just intensifies the colour and I love the 🌈 effect. Happy faffing! 

#interiorinspo #interiorstyling #colourlover #banthebeige #faffthegaff #bookshelf #shelfie #shelfiestyling #rainbow #rainbowstyle #mycolourfulinterior #colourfulhomevibe
DAY 13 of #easywininteriors and Sundays here are o DAY 13 of #easywininteriors and Sundays here are often the day I get the house in order before the week starts again. It’s laundry day, the on-line shop gets done and if I can be bothered I might do some batch cooking. 💪 But the garden is also pulling our attention at this time of year and I spent yesterday picking up twigs that have littered the garden after the high winds and piled it all up for kindling. Satisfying! I’m not a naturally tidy or organised person  but I do feel like I’m winning at life once chores have been done and everything is in it’s place. And here lies the easy win. If you have systems in place it makes it so much easier! This shoe storage was game changing. Before the hall was littered with shoes and bags that I was always tripping over. So planning your storage and then using it is key to creating order and an element of calm. And once the storage is fit to bursting, it’s time to have a declutter. How do you keep the house feeling orderly and calm and do you use Sunday as a Sort It day too? #sortitsunday 

CREDITS walls in Lazuli and woodwork in Perfect white @zoffanyfw . Havana Bauta cement Tiles @claybrookstudio . Fabrics are vintage and @thestripescompany . Stair runner @roger_oates 

#easywininteriors #colourlover #banthebeige #hallwaydecor #hallway #interiorinspo #declutter #storageideas #shoestorage
DAY 12 of #easywininteriors and I’m back in the DAY 12 of #easywininteriors and I’m back in the bedroom and enjoying a well earned lie in this morning! My morning routine has been really important to me during lock down. In  his brilliant book ‘think like a monk’ @jayshetty talks about how a positive morning ritual sets you up for the day. Similarly a good night time ritual sets you up for a good nights sleep. Styling up your bedroom  to support these ideas really helps! I’ve taken to setting my wake up alarm an hour before the rest of the house so I can enjoy some quiet solitude before the day gets going. I make my coffee in my favourite mug and spend a while reading or exercising. But no phone scrolling! My bedside is laid out with everything I need including a big pile of books and a dish for my watch and specs. I charge my phone in the kitchen to keep it away from temptation! Admittedly I’ve never had a problem sleeping but I was hardly what you’d call a morning person. Now it’s my favourite time of the day! Have a gorgeous lazy weekend folks x

CREDITS wallpaper @mollymahonblockprinting bedside table is vintage. Lamp @pookylights Vases and dishes all vintage. Pillows and duvet @cocoandwolf Flat sheet and bedthrow @societyofwanderers 

#easywininteriors #bedroomdecor #countrybedroom #colourfiedhomes #colourstylehome #colourlover #banthebeige #patternclash #interiorstyling #interiordesign #interiorinspo #faffthegaff
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And you might notice in the back of this shot is my 2021 vision board. I keep this in my view everyday as it helps keep me focused, uplifted and motivated. Im hosting a live webinar next Tuesday on how and why I create vision boards for every aspect of my life, including my interiors. If you’d like to join me it’s 7pm 23/02/21 and I can promise a fun, creative and enlightening evening! Link to book is up in my bio if you fancy getting a boost of inspiration towards creating your dream home. 

Happy Friday and have a lovely weekend 😍

#workingfromhome #myhomeoffice #interiorstyling #visionboard #interiorinspo #interiorinspiration #homeoffice #creativeworkspace #colourlover #colourcolorlovers #banthebeige
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#easywininteriors #vintagestyle #howivintage #myvintagehome #interiorstyling #interiorstyle #interiorinspo #colourlover #banthebeige
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