1. Suites (Image 1 of 4)
Don't believe the hype, the bathroom suite is not dead, although the boho bathroom, featuring a gorgeous reclaimed roll-top bath and a hotchpotch of other fixtures, can look much more individual.
All product details and prices correct at time of publishing - Sep 2006
Buying a suite is easy, practical and fairly effortless, whereas individual pieces need to be shopped around for, and you have to be sure they blend well.
High-end bathroom suites can be very expensive - we're talking thousands of pounds - but you can pick up quite good-looking standard suites from a DIY shed for just a few hundred, although they obviously won't be of the highest quality. The ideal? Toilets, sinks, bidets and shower trays should be ceramic, and baths stone resin, steel, enamel, cast iron or, at the cheapest end of the scale, acrylic.
If you are looking for a space-saving option, wall-mounted suites both create more actual space and give the illusion of more space - plus, because they're built into a false, shallow wall, you can usually work in some extra hidden storage or at least open shelves.
A designer bathroom suite? Yes, there is such a thing. Philippe Starck has done it for Duravit; Marc Newson for Ideal Standard; David Chipperfield for Roca; Ross Lovegrove for Vitra, and Kelly Hoppen has just brought out a range of bathroom fittings, including some stunning showerheads and taps, for Waterfront.
A suite can give a room a rather clinical finish. Simply choosing a bath that doesn't match your sink and toilet can make all the difference - just stick to the same colour and a similar period to help the pieces blend, if not match perfectly.
Individual pieces allow you to impose your style on what can often be quite a clinical room. For example, why not buy a sleek, modern bowl sink, rather than purpose-built bathroom furniture, and sit it on an antique table?
Recycling old baths, sinks and toilets can be very cost effective. The best place to shop is your nearest salvage yard - specialists will even re-enamel damaged pieces so they are as good as new (visit www.salvo.co.uk).
Advice and tips on using wall stickers in your home
