How to turn a poky bathroom into a decadent space

Of all the spaces in a home, the bathroom is the one with the potential to truly restore and revive us.

So there is nothing quite as horrible – or in need of an overhaul – as a dark and poky bathroom, or in this case, pink and mouldy.

The bathroom of the miner’s cottage which we renovated for The Style School had disaster written all over its rundown walls.

And those walls were the first to go, to rid the floor plan of the separate toilet.

Combining the two rooms instantly delivered the fresh, bright atmosphere which this bathroom so desperately needed, and provided a clean slate on which to inject some luxury.

A chic, black and white theme appealed to me, and to turn this space into something more decadent, I selected a fine mosaic, which appealed in its daintiness.

The choice of off-white tiles were not as stark or as clinical as an ivory would have been, lending some warmth, and yet still achieving the classic contrast I wanted against bold black tapware.

For a vanity, I aimed for clean lines with a minimalist design and an integrated basin, with plenty of space for placing lotions and potions.

When space is at a premium, this is a double-duty solution.

A custom-designed steel edged mirror, crafted by interior designer Kali Cavanagh, also doubles as a storage ledge.

No bathroom makeover is complete without installing a freestanding bath. It’s an essential for creating an at-home haven and a must for taking this new bathroom to a new level of luxury.

Opening up the space allowed us to install a little piece of heaven.

The bath style, which stylist Julia Green and I chose, has an elegant, thin shape. When space is at a premium in a compact bathroom, slender lines will not encroach on what floor space is available.

Think of towels as splashes of art – here, they add a pop of colour.

Of all the rooms in this major style overhaul, the bathroom renovation is my favourite, for its enormous transformation.