fbpx
Sophie Robinson
  • Home
  • Workshops
    • Marrakech Retreat
    • Ban the beige
    • Masterclasses
  • Online Courses
  • Collaboration
  • Podcasts
  • Blog
  • About
    • About me
    • Work with me
    • Press
  • FAQs
  • Contact
  • Bathrooms
  • Interiors
  • podcast
14 Jul 21

How to design a tiny bathroom and holidaying at home, Podcast show notes S12 Ep1

We are back for another season of the Great Indoors podcast and we are delighted to welcome back our sponsor Geberit who are proudly Europe’s leading bathroom manufacturers. We kick off the series with a huge amount of gusto especially after so many recordings done via our duvet dens it was a real treat to have Kate over at my house – even if she is sitting on my new canary yellow sofa through gritted teeth! (some of you may know that Kate doesn’t ‘do’ yellow).

So let’s get started, on today’s episode we discuss how to bring holidaying home and we share our thoughts on designing small bathrooms. As always you can listen to the full episode here. On with the show….notes….

My new Holly sofa by Sofa.com taking centre stage. Photographed by Alun Callender

Holidaying at home

After so much uncertainty about what we can and can’t do, many of us will try and holiday in the UK – I say try as it seems so many hotels and holiday lets are fully booked. We managed to escape to Cornwall as our original Portugal holiday wasn’t going to happen. It was such an idyllic break and to be honest it was lovely just to have a change of scenery. I am lucky that I love my home and I’m surrounded by countryside but as many of us have felt over the last 15 months or so – the same view day in day out was getting a bit much. So it got me thinking, maybe we could refresh our homes and do things that we would normally do on holiday.

  1. When we were in Cornwall all the restaurants were fully booked so my friend suggested getting a caterer to bring the restaurant-style food to us. and get this – they even wash up afterwards!! It was such a revelation – yes it costs money but not more than a night out at a lovely restaurant.
  2. Be a tourist in your own city or town. Take the time to appreciate the sites and all it has to offer.
  3. So, we’ve been on our day trip and come back to our ‘hometel’ see what I did there – think about what you enjoy about a hotel room. a) ring the changes – change your usual drink to something completely different and exciting.
  4. Scent – even if it’s raining (which is quite a lot in UK at the mo) slap on a bit of suncream and let the smell transport you to your virtual holiday.
  5. Bedding – crisp, freshly ironed and starched bedlinen, perhaps even some hospital corners!
  6. Film night – in our household we have a homemade booth for snacks, printed tickets and even a poster thanks to my son Arthur.
  7. Picnic in the park – pack some different food than the usual.
  8. Have a proper relax in the tub and treat yourself to some special bath foam and toiletries.
  9. Spa day at home – there are beauticians who do home visits so why not book some treatments and of course a massage.
  10. Camping in the garden – not Kate’s cup of tea but we will be partaking.
  11. Enjoy your outside space. If, like Kate & I breakfast is usually on the hop why not take your time to lay the table and eat outside. Or there are companies that will deliver breakfast baskets, even more of a treat!

If for whatever reason you are unable to go on holiday, get yourself into the right mindset and use some of the money you would have spent away on some treats.

What are you going to be doing to bring the holiday vibe home? Do let us know on Instagram I’m @sophierobinsoninteriors and Kate is @mad_about_the_house or do share your thoughts on our fabulous Facebook group.

Tiny bathroom design

Due to the compact size of my bathroom, we tanked it so we wouldn’t need a screen and the wetroom has offered much more space. Pink Sanitaryware, Burlington, Blind In Sporty Stripes Pink By Ottoline De Vries; Seaton Ceramic Wall Tiles In Sunshine, Ca Pietra. Photographed By Alun Callender.

Our sponsor Gebrit has said that bathrooms in new-build properties are getting smaller with the average size at 4.4 sq m.

Kate and I have both had to design these small spaces which can be quite tricky. Firstly, do you want a bath and a shower and therefore have a bath/shower combo or do you forgo the bath in place of a walk-in shower? According to estate agents, people do still wants baths so unless you are planning to sell or flip keep the bath. If you don’t do baths then having a large shower feels and looks much more luxurious and more pleasurable to use.

I think I could put up with accessing the shower here! Bert & May tiles; bathroom designed by @naomiastleyclarke

Bathrooms are obviously long term investments due to the cost and disruption so you need to think about whether climbing over a bath to have a shower is still going to work for you and the family in 10-15 years time.

When you have a tiny bathroom it’s about stripping out what you don’t need, be it the bath or shower screen and getting down to the bare minimum.

The Acanto range by Geberit

Nothing kills off a small bathroom more than clutter everywhere – on the window sills, around the bath or the bottom of the shower tray so storage needs to be clever. Planning: Every detail matters and every centimetre is crucial and so storage can be challenging.

  • A tall thin narrow cabinet that could perhaps fit into a corner – preferably off the floor
  • Anything off the floor will help – including loos
  • A wall-mounted integrated vanity basin and cupboard
  • Our lovely sponsors Geberit has created a magnetic storage solution so you can have everything exactly where you want it (see above).
  • whether cabinets or shelves they only need to be a ‘bottle’ size in depth

Moving on to decorative elements..

Kate recently renovated her tiny bathroom and did away with the bath to make a wet room

You wouldn’t think it but it’s Kate towel rial that brought the room together. She’s not a lover of a shiny chrome option so had it spray painted to match the woodwork (paint leftover from her office, Arras by Little Greene) and the grout and it really does make all the difference.

What a genius idea – Kate has also painted the underside of the basin the same as the towel rail

Kate cleverly saved money and wastage by using the leftover floor tiles to frame the mirror and create some interest in the shower enclosure.

Wall tiles by Topps Tiles; wallpaper by Sanderson; Floor tiles by Claybrook

I tend to spend a bit more on tiny rooms – like my downstairs cloakroom – I spent more on the details. The taps in particular are very prominent so I think they need to be rather special.  We could wall mount them because it was a complete renovation, otherwise, it can be an expensive and messy job.

In summary, in small bathrooms, the devil is in the detail and it’s all about planning – they are one the most tricky rooms to design!

Huge thanks to our new sponsor Geberit, our wonderful producer Kate Taylor from Feast Collective and of course our lovely listeners.

  • Bathrooms
  • Interiors
  • podcast
Floorplans and top building tips Podcast show notes S12 ep2 Interview with Stephen Westland, Professor of Colour Science, Podcast show notes S11 Ep6

Leave a Comment

Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.

  • Interiors
    • colour crush
    • colour psychology
    • DIY
    • dream home makeovers
    • Home Tours
    • Interior Design
    • Interior Styling
    • podcast
    • trends
  • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Fashion/Beauty
    • Life
    • My House
    • Nosh
    • Travel
  • Rooms
    • Bathrooms
    • Bedrooms
    • Kids rooms
    • Kitchens
    • Living rooms
    • Outside
  • Videos

mailing
list

Videos

Listen

Listen Here

Online courses
by popular demand

Catch Sophie In All Her Colourful Glory On Instagram

Ah @the_rhs Chelsea! What a feast for the eyes! In Ah @the_rhs Chelsea! What a feast for the eyes! Inbetween biblical downpours, thunder and lightning, it was a wonderful day of colour, design and chatter with some wonderful women! I’m slowly falling in love with gardening and my phone roll is full of inspiration after being immersed in natures finest. Thanks @michelleogundehin and @hazelgardinerdesign @thesohoagencyuk for the company. And a big congratulations Hazel on this stunning floral installation. And don’t forget if you want to hang out and be inspired by all things colour then my FREE live webinar is on tonight (25th) at 7pm tonight! Hop on to my profile for the link to sign up. Cannot wait to share some inspirational colour filled time with you all 

#rhschelsea
This is the first room we decorated after our reno This is the first room we decorated after our renovations. The entrance to your home creates the first impression. It’s also the room you walk into first thing in the morning and when you return home at the end of a long day. It needs to create the right welcome and what that feels like is hugely personal. For me I chose my favourite colours, this powerful cobalt  blue has always been a colour I’m drawn to. My wardrobe is full of it. And the bright pink is another one that always makes me instantly happy. Together they are a striking combination and I think anyone who walks through my front door, immediately gets a sense of what I’m about. I’m passionate about creating interiors that authentically  reflect the people who live there. Studying the psychology of colour made it so much easier for me, giving me a deeper understanding on the affects of colour and streamlining my process. If you’d like to know how to unlock your colour super power, join me for a free webinar this Wednesday evening (available to up for 48 hours after). It an introduction into colour psychology for interiors and my hope is it inspires you to have the courage and conviction to know what’s right for you.  And for a deeper dive my online course Colour Psychology for interiors has opened for enrolment. All links to sign up are in my bio on my profile @sophierobinsoninteriors 
What does your hallway say about you? 
📷 @aluncallenderphoto 
CREDITS walls in lazuli by @zoffanyfw stair runner @roger_oates floor tiles @claybrookstudio door painted in rose ash @sanderson1860 

#colourpsychology #colourpsychologyforinteriors #banthebiege #punchyhome #hallway #boldcolourinteriors #colourlover
My kitchen, the heart of my home. The smallest, da My kitchen, the heart of my home. The smallest, darkest room in the house with no view, but that’s old houses for you! You’ll often find the kitchen in the worst place. So to amp up the joy I chose a forest green (hunters green by @zoffanyfw) for the cabinets to mirror the woodland outside. We sourced reclaimed school science lab work tops and I wrapped the room in one of my favourite papers, Rubarber by @borastapeter. Tom put in retro fit underfloor heating and we used reclaimed terracotta tiles from @ca_pietra_  so the floor looks as old as the house but feels so warm! . For the ugliest darkest room in the house it’s become our favourite because of the colours, patterns and rustic textures.that’s the power of great interior design! 
Next up in my series of posts about the psychology of colour is the Autumn personality. You’ll have a love of rich deep warm Colours, natural finishes, nature inspired patterns and period features. The autumn palette is warm, earthy abs rich and perfect for making spaces feel cosy and inviting. 
To learn more about the autumn personality, hop on up to my bio and click the link to be taken to the blog. And you can sign up to my FREE webinar I’m hosting next Wednesday if you’d like to learn more about this powerful framework. 
Meanwhile have a gorgeous weekend! 
📷 @aluncallenderphoto Styling @katemcphee 

#colourpsychology #banthebeige #autumnpersonality #colourpsychologyforinteriors #kitchen #greenkitchen #countryhomesandinteriors #countrykitchen #ihavethisthingwithcolor #myeclectichome #maximalistdecor
Come and join my FREE webinar on Colour Psychology Come and join my FREE webinar on Colour Psychology next Wednesday 25th at 7pm GMT 🤩 hop on up to the link in my bio @sophierobinsoninteriors to register.
My brilliant online course, Colour Psychology for Interiors, is open for enrolment this month, so if you fancy finding out a bit more about this utterly game changing framework I’d love to have you join. It’s SO MUCH more than ‘ red is energising’, ‘blue is calming’ stuff you’ve all heard before. This is a deep dive into discovering how colours work, how to harmonise them and discovering your own unique and authentic style. Only then can you create a home you live and one that supports you emotionally. I LOVE teaching this stuff because the feedback I get from students is mind blowing! Don’t take my word for it, sign up for the free webinar today! 😍 and if you’ve already done my course, please share in the comments below what you loved about it. 

#colourfulhome #colourpsychology #colourpsychologyforinteriors #banthebeige #colourlover #confidentcolour #confidentcolourscheming
Have you found your design mojo? Do you gravitate Have you found your design mojo? Do you gravitate towards a style of interiors that just feels so ‘you’. Making a home is so much more than creating beautiful squares for Instagram. It has to FEEL right and this is where the psychology of colour comes in. Colour is light, it has an energy which directly impacts your brain and emotions. And we all have a unique relationship to it. So rather than follow the crowd, be swayed by trends it’s so important to understand your own authentic relationship with colour. Over on the blog today I’m starting a series of posts all about the seasonal colour personalities. First up is spring which is all the joy, uplift and energy. My bathroom, pictured above, is very ‘spring’ with light reflecting walls, energetic patterns and bright colours. The mood  is uplifting, fresh and feel-good. Hop on up to my link in my profile to read the blog post in full and discover if you are a Spring personality and how to create rooms that reflect this joyful mood. 
Tap for credits
📷 @aluncallenderphoto 

#colourpsychology #colourpsychologyforinteriors #banthebeige #colourfulhome #colourlover #ihavethisthingwithcolor #spring #springbpersonality #colourfuldecorchallenge #homedecor #myeclecticmix #bathroom #bathroominspo
So proud of mr best mate @sophieabbottartist who o So proud of mr best mate @sophieabbottartist who opens her house this weekend to showcase her artwork in her home as part of Brightons artists open houses. She’s always been a creative whirlwind and keeps the joy of colour alive in her paintings inspired by the sea, and the local woodlands that surround her home in Brighton. For Sophie, colour gives her life, she’s the ultimate joy monger and I’m so blessed to have her as my side kick in life. If you get a chance today, pop round to heed for a bolt if the feel good vibes

#artistopenhouses #brighton #colourlover #banthebiege #ihavethisthingwithcolour
When you find the palette of colours you love, you When you find the palette of colours you love, you just wantto surround yourself  in every part of your home! This painting by @studiocoverdale really hits the mark for me, with all my favourites on one place. Today I’m opening my most popular online course, ‘Colour Psychology for a interiors’, ready  for your enrolment. This is my most popular and indeed  powerful course. It gets to the core of how colours work in harmony , how they effect you emotionally and how to bring all the design and pattern  elements together to make your home and your heart sing! I’m a Spring personality, and with that I adore all the busy patterns, bright and vibrational colours, plenty of pretty details and preferably all at once! While typical spring personalities prefer a more delicate and soft colour palette, my secondary season is Autumn, which prefers richer and punchier shades. Combined together my home is unique and perfect for me. I honestly rarely want to leave the house! And while this framework is an amazing tool for interior design, it’ll also give you colour confidence in every area of your life including your wardrobe. I can’t recommend it enough. When I started implementing this framework  in my own design practice six years ago it was absolutely game changing! While I’ve  always been confident with bold colour, this insight gave me the clarity to speed up my design process and get it right every time! Hop on over to the link in my bio to find out more. 
📷 @aluncallenderphoto 
#colourpsycholgy #colourlover #banthebiege #colourfulhome #colourmyhome #maximalistinteriors #boldbravebeautifulinteriors #dopaminedressing #dopaminedecor
The power of paint! I’ve been extolling it’s v The power of paint! I’ve been extolling it’s virtues my entire career. Roll a bold new hue on your walls and voila! Game changer. But on our recent podcast @mad_about_the_house explored the wider impact of paint on the environment. An astonishing 50 million litres makes it into landfill each year so it feels like, as serial decorators, we could all club together and do our bit to bring that figure down. 
It’s a minefield but over on my blog today I sum up my tips on how we can easily use less of it and round up the paint brands who are doing their bit to tackle the issues. From the ingredients in the tin, to recycling waste paint, to using pouches rather than tins, there is plenty of innovative ideas. Choosing natural paint feels like a good option and if you’re hooked on designer paint colours, it’s no more expensive. Last year I painted my bedroom Turquoise by @edwardbulmerpaint and I’m thrilled with the colour, quality and durability. Just goes to show lovely paint doesn’t have to cost the earth. Hop onto the link in my profile for the full post and if you know if a paint brand who are tackling the environmental issues raised, please give them a mention in the comments below.

#ecopaint #ecodecor #ecohome #paint #turquoise #bedroom #podcast #banthebiege #colourfulhome #colourlover #itsonlypaint #interiordecorating #interiordesign #colourscheme
Load More… Follow on Instagram
Sophie Robinson
  • © 2017 Sophie Robinson

    /
  • Contact/
  • About/
  • Design by MW

Don't forget to join!

You're almost inside!

Leave me your best email to sign up for the Webinar