Bringing The Outside In

Growing up back in the early 80’s (ok, late 70’s!) I always remember plants in just about every room of the house (and in the homes of other people we visited).  Over the years not so much, but now my Insta feed tells me it's well and truly in revival mode.  In a time where we’re so restricted with our movements, bringing the outdoors in again is a beautiful thing!

Let’s talk bathroom plants in particular.  Bathrooms are typically a very hot and steamy room right? (Because of the hot water I mean!)  Similar to that of tropical, rain forest type environments - there’s so many plants that thrive in those conditions - plants which can be easily maintained in your bathroom.  No green thumb required, here's a few examples....

Birds Nest Fern, Peperomia, Mother-In-Laws Tongue

 Boston Fern, Monstera Deliciosa Tauerii, Peace Lily

Think about your space, bathrooms are often not the largest of rooms in the house, but even the smallest of spaces can make a big impact - bring that green goodness in.  Consider:

• Floor space – are there any corner areas, or gaps in-between your fixtures and fittings where a plant could be placed, making a simple but effective difference to the room?  Dress it up with a gorgeous planter pot that complements the existing color palette.

Pic sources:  Fienza Bathware, Decina, Unknown

• Windowsill – lift the blinds up, let the light in. It probably won’t be a big plant in this area, but a lovely little statement piece nonetheless.  Alternatively, look for small spaces on surface areas - eg bath corners, vanities etc.

Pic soures:  Unknown, Greens Tapware

• What about a shelf, do you have an existing shelf currently full of clutter? Remove the clutter and make it the home for your new green friend.  If no shelf, is there wall space or an area to put one?

Pic sources:  Shutterstock

• No space at all, look up! Always room for a hanging option, using plants with soft drooping foliage.

Pic sources:  Decina, Unknown

Time to bring the outdoors into your bathroom or ensuite space and turn up the heat!

If you like any of the bathroom looks provided here, Cook's have a range of products to recreate these looks.  Contact one of our Showroom Consultants today.  Alternatively, visit our online shop.

Does your bathroom and/or ensuite desperately need a reno? Have they seen better days? If yours is anything like mine (we’re currently stuck with beige, beige and more beige) it’s actually depressing.  Have you gone through every colour palette imaginable with new sets of towels and bath mats to joosh it up a bit?  It’s just not acceptable anymore right?!  What about those dreaded shower screen tracks?!  The task of getting down into those tracks and scrubbing with an old toothbrush every week – ugggh.

Are you like me and have no idea where to start? Give me a wardrobe full of clothes and shoes and I’ll mix and match outfits that Anna Wintour would be proud of! Basins, taps, vanities and shower heads – help!

A friend of mine suggested a mood board to get those creative thoughts going.  After telling her the only mood board I’m aware of is the bored and bad moods I’m in every time I enter these bathroom zones, it has got me thinking.  Maybe she’s onto something?

Turns out, good old Google is good for something other than looking up all those symptoms you’re worried about, and having it tell you you’ve got every diagnosis known to man!

''Mood Board – ‘A way to collect different creative information in order to prepare for a new project.” Ok, let’s do this Mood Board thing.

Search words that describe the look and mood you are drawn to – I’m thinking French Provincial, Scandi, Modern Sleek. Also think about colours, textures and materials (warm, timber, natural, organic, smooth etc.). There’s many online templates that can assist to put all these thoughts and images together.  We’ve used Canva (how good is Canva for wannabe Graphic Designers like me by the way!)

The things you include in your Mood Board don’t have to directly relate to your project.  Just because something is from a different genre doesn’t mean you can’t use it to help establish the direction of your design.

Oh and create more than one – not saying have a heap of them and end up so overwhelmed you’re back where you started – but do a few.  You’ll be surprised how much this can help and you’ll actually come up with a visual that will assist in creating the space of your dreams.  Here’s what I came up with (if you're eyesight is less than ordinary like mine, you can click on each pic to enlarge)….

Need to find the right products for your bathroom, to complement your Mood Board?  Check out the retail product range on the Cook’s website, then head into one of the Cook’s Retail Showrooms.  Cook's Showroom Consultants are highly trained and experienced with not only the design and product elements, but the functionality based on your requirements.

You can also find out more about the products used in these Mood Boards.

Happy mood boarding!