How to Design a Bathroom with Character — A London Interior Designer's Guide
Updated: Sep 2
Tile layouts, hardware finishes, material palettes and the quieter details that give a bathroom a sense of character.
The bathroom is one of the most exacting rooms in a home. Every finish is seen up close, every junction matters, and decisions that might seem small can change the entire feeling of the space. That is also what makes a bathroom interesting to design.
A bathroom does not need to be elaborate to have character. Often, it comes from the relationship between a few carefully considered elements: the way a tile is laid, the tone of the grout, the warmth of the metal, the texture of a natural stone or the presence of an old piece of furniture.
I have worked on bathrooms across London, from period properties in Islington to apartments overlooking Hyde Park. While every brief is different, the same principle remains: the strongest bathrooms feel considered as a whole rather than assembled from individual products.
This is the approach I bring to bathroom design, looking at layout, material, light, proportion and detail together.
Tile Layouts
The layout of a tile is as important as the tile itself. The same format can create very different spaces depending on how it is set.
A running bond can feel familiar and relaxed. A vertical stack can emphasise height. A chequerboard introduces rhythm, while a herringbone or basket weave can bring a stronger sense of pattern and craft.
The right layout depends not only on the style of the tile, but on the proportions of the room and the atmosphere you want to create.
C L A S S I C
Brick Bond | Running
Timeless and adaptable. A 50% offset works across many tile formats and creates a relaxed rhythm without becoming overly decorative.
A R C H I T E C T U R A L
Stacked | Grid Bond
Clean and architectural. Aligning the grout lines creates a more structured appearance, particularly effective with larger formats or simple glazed tiles.
C H A R A C T E R
Herringbone
Directional and warm. Particularly effective with smaller-format tiles, herringbone introduces movement while remaining relatively restrained.
G R A P H I C
Chequerboard
Graphic and expressive. Natural stone works particularly well here because variation in tone and surface keeps the pattern from feeling too rigid.
P R O P O R T I O N A L
Vertical Stack
A useful way to emphasise height. In smaller or lower-ceilinged bathrooms, vertical orientation can subtly change the proportions of the room.
S C U L P T U R A L
Large Format | Slab
Minimal grout lines allow the material itself to take precedence. This works particularly well where the stone, porcelain or other surface has enough variation and depth to carry the room.
D I R E C T I O N A L
Chevron
More precise than herringbone, with a sharper directional quality. It introduces movement while maintaining a tailored, controlled appearance.
H E R I T A G E
Basket Weave
A pattern with a long history, particularly associated with natural stone mosaics. Used at a smaller scale, it can add heritage and rhythm without making the room feel overly decorative.
"The bathroom is the most honest room in a home. There is nowhere to hide. Which is precisely why, when it works, it becomes the room that stays with you longest."
Grout Is Part of the Design
Grout is often treated as a practical decision made after the tile has been chosen. I see it differently.
The grout changes how the tile reads. A closely matched grout allows the surface to feel quieter and more continuous. A mid-tone grout can emphasise the texture and variation of the tile without creating a strong grid. A contrasting grout makes the layout itself more visible. This is particularly important with small-format tiles and patterned layouts, where the grout can become almost as visually important as the tile. The aim is not always to make the grout disappear. It is to decide what role it should play.
Matched Grout
Match your grout to your tile and it disappears - the room reads as a continuous surface, clean and calm.
Mid Tone Grout
Warm stone or grey grout that sits within the tile's own tonal range. Reads the same as a near-match at first glance but holds its colour for longer than white.
Contrasting Grout
A contrasting grout introduces a grid, turning the layout into a more visible feature.
A few specifics: white grout yellows. Epoxy grout is more expensive and more resistant; worth it in shower enclosures and anywhere steam is constant.
Hardware Finishes — Getting the Metal Right
The hardware finish sets part of the temperature of a bathroom. Brass brings warmth. Chrome creates a sharper, more architectural feeling. Brushed nickel is quieter and restrained, while matt black can provide stronger contrast. The important thing is not to choose a finish simply because it is popular. Consider what it needs to do alongside the tile, stone, timber, paint and other details in the room.
M Y G O - T O
Aged / Antique Brass
Warm and slightly softened, aged or antique brass works particularly well with natural stone, timber and deeper tile colours. It is also a natural fit for bathrooms within period properties.
M Y G O - T O
Unlacquered Brass
A finish that changes over time. The natural patina adds depth and variation, allowing the hardware to become part of the character of the room rather than remaining perfectly fixed.
M Y G O - T O
Brushed Brass
Warmer than brushed nickel but more restrained than highly polished finishes. The softer surface allows the metal to sit comfortably within a material-led scheme.
A R C H I T E C T U R A L
Chrome
Reflective, precise and architectural. Chrome can be particularly effective when the room is built around stone, marble or a more pared-back palette.
H E R I T A G E
Brushed Nickel
Quiet and versatile. It works well when you want the materials and architecture to carry the room rather than the fittings themselves.
C O N T E M P O R A R Y
Matt Black
Useful when contrast is intentional, particularly alongside pale stone, timber or warm painted surfaces. In harder-water areas, however, dark finishes can require more maintenance as limescale is more visible.
My own preference tends towards aged, antique and unlacquered brass, but the more important point is understanding why a finish belongs in a particular scheme.
The Palette Families I Specify Often
W A R M N E U T R A L S W I T H A G E D B R A S S
A warm, adaptable combination of stone, timber, soft painted tones and aged brass. The metal adds warmth without becoming the focal point.
D E E P T O N E W I T H U N L A C Q U E R E D B R A S S
For bathrooms with a stronger point of view. Deep greens, oxbloods and ink tones can create depth, while brass and softer textiles prevent the room from becoming too heavy.
S T O N E A N D M I C R O C E M E N T — S E A M L E S S A N D S C U L P T U R A L
A quieter approach based on material continuity rather than colour contrast. Texture becomes particularly important here, with stone, plaster-like surfaces and tactile fittings creating depth without relying on decoration.
The Shower Curtain — Reconsidered
The shower curtain is often treated as a purely practical element, but it can contribute considerably to the character of a bathroom.
Most bathrooms are made almost entirely from hard surfaces: stone, glass, ceramic and metal. Introducing fabric brings softness, movement and texture.
A well-chosen curtain can also be particularly useful in smaller bathrooms, where a glass enclosure may make the layout feel more crowded.
Linen and linen-textured fabrics work particularly well with warm, material-led interiors. A natural flax, warm off-white or muted tone can soften the shower area without competing with the rest of the room. The rail deserves equal consideration. A ceiling-mounted rail can make the curtain feel architectural, while an oval rail around a freestanding bath creates a more enveloping, almost room-within-a-room quality. These details may be practical, but they also influence how the bathroom feels.
Lighting — The Most Overlooked Decision in a Bathroom
Bathroom lighting should be considered alongside the materials, not added at the end.
A single ceiling light rarely does justice to a room where surfaces, faces and details are viewed at close range.
I tend to think about bathroom lighting in three layers.
A M B I E N T
The general light in the room. This provides the overall level of illumination needed for everyday use.
T A S K
The light around the mirror. This is particularly important because the position of the light affects how the face is illuminated.
Wall lights either side of a mirror can provide a much more balanced light than relying entirely on a fitting above it.
A C C E N T
The optional layer that adds depth. This might be lighting within a recessed niche, beneath a vanity or around another architectural detail.
The aim is not simply to make the bathroom brighter. It is to create different levels of light so that the room can feel practical in the morning and more atmospheric later in the day.
Warm colour temperatures are particularly important in bathrooms with natural stone, timber and warm metals, as cooler light can significantly change how these materials appear.
Natural Light — How Your Bathroom Faces Changes Everything
The direction a bathroom faces affects how its materials will look throughout the day. A north-facing bathroom can make pale stone and cool finishes feel flatter. A south-facing room can handle a wider range of materials and tones. East and west-facing rooms change considerably depending on the time of day. This is why I always recommend looking at samples in the actual room rather than making decisions based solely on a showroom or photograph.
A tile that feels warm in one setting can look completely different under the light of the room it is eventually going into.
The best material choice is therefore not necessarily the one that looks best on a sample board. It is the one that works with the architecture and natural light of the space.
The Details That Give a Bathroom Character
Often, it is the smaller decisions that determine whether a bathroom feels resolved.
R E C C E S S E D N I C H E
A recessed niche integrated into the wall rather than added as an afterthought
T O W E L R A I L P L A C E M E N T
Positioned with intention, it can read as part of the composition rather than purely functional.
M I R R O W & C A B I N E T
A balance between storage and presence. In smaller spaces, integrated solutions tend to work best.
G R O U T T O N E I N W E T A R E A S
Mid or darker tones tend to hold their appearance more consistently over time.
R E S T R A I N T I N S T Y L I N G
A single well-chosen object often has more impact than multiple elements competing for attention.
Character does not necessarily come from adding more. It can come from choosing fewer things, but choosing them with greater attention. An antique mirror, a handmade tile, a piece of timber, a tactile shower curtain or an aged metal finish can each introduce a sense of history and material depth that a room made entirely from new, matching products may lack. The final layer matters too. A hand towel, soap dish or small object may seem insignificant, but these details complete the way a bathroom is experienced.
Working with a Designer — What to Expect
A bathroom renovation involves many decisions that are difficult to change later: layout, plumbing, lighting, tile setting, joinery and material specifications all need to work together from the beginning. Good bathroom design therefore starts before the first tile is chosen.
At Kachi Interiors, bathroom projects are developed around the property, the brief and the way the room needs to be used. Layout, materials, lighting, fittings and detailing are considered together so that the finished bathroom feels cohesive rather than assembled piece by piece.
For London homeowners considering a bathroom renovation, the studio can help develop the design from the initial layout and material direction through to detailed specification. → Explore Bathroom Design at Kachi Interiors
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