I stumbled upon this article on hometohome.co.uk about traditional white bathrooms, and it reminded me that some of the very best bathrooms are incredibly simple, with a white suite and light walls and window dressings.

Whether you want to go for a roll top bath, or a built-in suite, if you’ve got a relatively small room in which to create your dream bathroom, then choosing white is often the very best option.

But how can you make sure it’s not boring. After all, a plain white room with no quirkiness or style isn’t going to make it into the pages of an interiors magazine.

Some clever ideas that will make all-white work really well include:

Inspirational white bathroom design from housetohome.co.uk

Adding drama

You’ll be amazed the impact an oversized ornate mirror can have in an all-white scheme. As you’ll see in this brilliant photo from housetohome.co.uk, placing candles in front of the mirror can make the whole room seem very grand indeed.

Adding texture

You could think about cladding the walls in tongue and groove, or pick tiles that have an interesting surface rather than the standard glossy smooth. Fabrics and textiles can also add texture – perhaps choose curtains with a self-stripe, or bath mats and towels with waffle or ridged textures.

Light the space well

Highlight the most attractive features of the room – whether that’s interesting architecture, or a particularly amazing bath. This will help draw the eye to the best bits and break up the monotony on the white.

Newlands floor-standing bathroom sink counter top from BathEmpire

Avoid clutter

For all white to work well, the mess has to be hidden. Install some bathroom cabinets like these sleek ones from BathEmpire, and make sure the only things that are on display are beautiful and white – or at least pastel shades. Display them on a glass shelf  if possible.

Make it ridiculously glamorous

All-white rooms an synonymous with glamour, so make sure you take the concept all the way. We’re thinking a chandelier, clear glass mosaic tiles on the walls, marble floor… the whole celebrity treatment!

Hopefully this post has inspired you to see all-white bathrooms in a new light.

But what makes a house a home?

Storage from BathEmpire

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as I’ve just moved in to a new property and am struggling to make it feel like my home.

In particular I don’t feel at home in the bathroom I have at the moment – the bath isn’t comfortable, and the whole room is a bit cold and unwelcoming – and because I’m just renting, I can’t install a new one, as much as I’d love to.

I’m dreaming of having a gorgeous white roll top bath and enormous walk-in shower. I think if I could have a bathroom like that then this place would certainly feel more like home.

When it comes to the bathroom, the things that make it feel like your own seem to be:

1. Great storage and work surfaces so there’s somewhere to put all your belongings, and everything’s right at hand, just where you expect it to be.

Constance freestanding bath from BathEmpire

2. A comfortable, clean bath that’s positioned well so you can get in and out easily and can totally relax while you’re taking a soak (so that means no mildew on the grouting and no dripping taps!)

3. A spacious, powerful shower – with places to put your bottles while you’re washing.

4. A clean, efficient toilet that flushes well and looks good.

5. Attractive décor – nothing too ‘corporate’ or faceless, but nothing too loud either.

6. A warm reception. Draughts are definitely not welcoming, a cosy bathroom is essential and towel radiators are the perfect finishing touch.

It’s pretty easy to get all of these things right if you’re installing a new bathroom in your house or flat, so take some time to really get it right.

After all, as much as people talk about the kitchen or the living room being the heart of the home, if you think about the place you go to relax, have privacy and just ‘be’ then the bathroom comes top of the list, so it’s really important that you make this room feel like your own.

Even though you probably clean your bathroom once a week (or at least every time you have guests coming over!) it’s great to give the whole room a deep clean and a reorganisation once a year – making it shine from ceiling to cistern.

If you’re anything like me though, you won’t want to spend hours scrubbing your taps and not getting anywhere, and nor do you want to have to spend a fortune.

To help you brighten your bathroom on a budget I’ve scoured the internet (notice the little cleaning pun there) for all the best tips, and come up with some of my own – everything from cheap ways to clean the toilet to storage solutions that will mean there’s a place for everything.

I hope these ideas help you to make your bathroom gleam!

Store your products in a mirror cabinet like this one from BathEmpire

1. De-clutter

If you have six bottles of shampoo lining your bath, old lotions and potions everywhere and half-used bars of soap in your bathroom, then it’s never going to be the oasis you dream of, is it?

The best way to start any overhaul of your bathroom is with a black bag. Chuck in everything that’s on display in your bathroom (as long as it’s not fragile, of course).

Rather than throwing the contents of the bag away, you can leave it in the bathroom and take items out of it whenever you need them.

Whatever you use in the next week can be left on display, everything else should either be thrown away or stored in attractive containers or bathroom cabinets ready for future use.

2. Blitz the limescale

Limescale deposits around bath taps and shower heads aren’t something that you just have to live with, they can be easily removed.

If your taps and shower heads are chrome plated, like the ones from BathEmpire (and most taps and shower heads in the UK), then here’s some good advice from lakeland.co.uk…

Shower head limescale romover, £6.99, Lakeland

“Generally taps are chrome-plated which is usually plated onto another metal, so care must be taken not to scrub the plating off.

“Any of the following methods may be used to clean bathroom taps and other chrome plated fittings. Use a non abrasive cleaner, (there are a great many on the market) on a soft cloth, rinse, then buff with a dry cloth.

“Shaving cream is also an effective cleanser for taps and chrome shower fittings, apply with a soft damp cloth, rinse and dry with a soft cloth.

“Alternatively, apply lemon or white vinegar, with a little added salt to a soft cloth, gently wipe the taps, rinse well with water then buff to a shine with a soft dry cloth.”

3. The dreaded toilet

It’s not anybody’s favourite chore, but cleaning the toilet thoroughly is a must if your bathroom is going to be fresh and fabulous.

A great idea from Kim Woodburn (of How Clean is Your House fame) is to simply use a paper towel, rather than a toilet brush – otherwise you’ll simply be spreading germs.

She suggests you put scouring powder down the toilet, put on disposable rubber gloves, rub the powder in with the paper towel until clean, then throw the paper towel and gloves away, flush the toilet and you’re done. Phew.

4. Improve the view

Bathroom windows can easily get full of smears and streaks because they will often be covered in condensation.

To clean the panes the old housewife’s method is to use 25% vinegar and 75% warm water. Wear rubber gloves and immerse an old cotton towel in the vinegar-water solution.

Wring the towel then rub the windows with it. Scrunch up some old newspaper and use it to buff the glass. Finally, if there are any streaks, use a dry cloth to wipe the windows over.

If you have bathroom blinds or curtains that are easily removable then taking them down and giving them a wipe over or a wash is a great way to make the whole room seem fragrant and clean.

If you’re looking to replace the window dressing in the bathroom then Venetian blinds are probably the most practical. They can withstand heat and moisture, and can be simply wiped down without having to remove them from the window.

You can pick up great value ones from places like IKEA if you have standard-sized windows.

5. Write a rota

It’s sad but true that in most households one person does most of the bathroom cleaning. Now I’m not saying this is usually the woman, but… oh well yes, I am saying this is usually the woman.

To make sure your bathroom remains spring-fresh all year round and that all chores get evenly divided write a simple rota outlining who will do what each week.

Have you tried any of these tips? Did they work well for you? Do you have any other handy advice when it comes to spring cleaning a bathroom? We’d love to know.