admin When I was a child, I was obsessed with other people’s bathrooms. They were always my first port of call upon stepping foot through anyone’s front door. I would judge them on decor, size, comfort—and most importantly, how well the toilet flushed. I had a few firm favorites: one, in particular, was a family friend’s backyard privy which was entirely decoupaged in Marylin Monroe press clippings, with a black lav that had the most marvelous flush. But it was my granny’s pink bathroom suite that inspired me most of all, with its crème caramel carpet that went up the side of the bath. It seemed so brave and fantastically showy in comparison to our all-white bathroom at home with its wooden ’90s Habitat accessories.
The dressing room-bathroom hybrid at the Southampton home of Lauren Santo Domingo, with a Cogolin carpet sourced by interior designer Virginia Tupker and a Josef Frank chaise upholstered in custom Le Manach fabric. Photographed by Ricardo Labougle, Vogue, September 2019
Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to spend a penny in some excellent bathrooms—but if I’m being totally honest, recently, I’ve been feeling less inspired by the lavs and bathrooms I frequent. Granted, my obsession is not quite as strong as my former five-year-old self, and I certainly don’t demand to see them straight away (unless I’m busting for the bathroom, which is basically all the time). But I do feel more often than not they feel like a lazy afterthought, the forgotten, practical room lacking in flair and creativity.
After all, bathrooms are far more than just places for morning ablutions and a spot to do your business in. They are perhaps the only rooms in our homes where we can lock the door and enjoy some proper me time without fear of unwanted interruptions. To my mind, they should be rooms in which we express our personalities, decorative flair, and even, dare I say, our sense of humor. So whether big or small, owned or rented, here are a few simple tips on how to give your WC some TLC.
