I was over at my friend James’ flat a while back. Used his bathroom. And an idea clicked.
It wasn’t that the space avoided what I can only describe as weird masc<ulinking=”ea9e7998499545e2901ef0c921c32dc4_0″>ulinKing masculinity</a> (the leather trays and exposed pipes that scream “look at me I’m a dude”) but the bathroom just felt elegant. Minimal. Like someone with taste lived there.
It got me thinking how many men botch bathroom design, guilty as charged myself for years. Completely sterile white flat bathroom or excessive dude-barrel with exposed brick and vintage beer signs.
Living with either option just doesn’t feel right.
My previous flat’s bathroom was horrendous. It was your standard new developer bathroom fit. White tiles.
White sealant. White everything. It looked fantastic for 6 months until that sealant started to yellow and the space just felt…sad.
And then my brothers bathroom renovation. All black marble and chrome probably costing him £4K but feeling like a toilet designed in a mortuary. Perfect for instagram however.
I had been putting off designing my guest bathroom for months because I didn’t know WHAT I wanted. Months browsing websites becoming frustrated seeing the same outdated “masculine” stereotypes over and over. Dark woods EVERYWHERE.
Black grouted subway tile. Pendant Edison bulb lighting. It just felt like someone else’s opinion on what men should like rather than what would actually work.
It wasn’t until I stopped thinking about designing for men and started just thinking about designing….well designing. Investing in quality materials. Incorporating storage.
Keeping the lines clean. Nothing trying too hard. Built to last without being boring.
James had achieved that with his bathroom and I knew I could too. Flushed it all away and started again. First big decision I made was the tiles, went with big porcelain tiles that were concrete finish vs actual concrete because I’m not crazy and don’t want to seal my floors twice a year.
They came in sheets of 24 x 24” which meant a lot less grout lines and a overall cleaner look. Cost about £45 per m2 at Topps tiles. Not cheap – but wasn’t stupidly expensive to where it was ‘designer’ level either.
Lesson learned on grout also from my brothers RIP bathroom. Once grout gets white it instantly looks dirty. Go with a grey or charcoal and it will, years later, still look brand new.
Something so simple but made such a difference on upkeep. Desperately hunted for a vanity for weeks. Everything seemed too country chic or cold modern box.
Stumbled across this walnut floating vanity online – real wood veneer NOT laser printed – with sink built in. Cost me around £850 which wasn’t cheap at the time; but when you compare it to my old IKEA vanity (which looked beautiful until it didn’t and then looked cheap) I know I know quality when I see it. Still smile every time I walk into the bathroom.
Lighting was another thing I stressed about. All of these downlight pendant bulbs make everyone look like crap; but I didn’t want “cool dude spiral bulbs” either. Ended up going simple and using linear LED strips mounted vertically next to the mirror.
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Super architectural; perfect light for shaving; and doesn’t feel cold or clinical. Bought them from a local lighting shop vs Homebase – seriously spend a little extra on things you will look at every day. Switched all my fixtures to matte black – taps, towel rails, shower fixings etc.
Sounds stupid and up itself but honestly is far more low-key than chrome and hides water spots like a dream. Dad comes over to stay a week after I finished the bathroom and the first thing he comments on is the fittings saying they look “swish” – he meant to say approved. Splashed on the cash for the shower.
Rain head + handheld on slider all connected to a thermostatic valve so when temp stays constant. Put one slim shelf built into the corner at about chest height – lesson from my old flat using those awful metal cable basket things that hung down every where. Much cleaner looking with built in shelves.
Painted walls that dark grey that can vary based on the time of day. Looks near black later evening but doesn’t feel heavy when your in there with all natural light. Took forever to find the right colour – might have painted 10+ different squares on test patch before deciding.
Tip – when testing paint paint BIG swaths (not tiny back and forth brush strokes) and wait a few days to see true colour. Dry brush strokes can look significantly different once dry and that £10 sample pot can save you from repainting an entire bathroom. Made some rookie mistakes along the way for sure.
Purchased towel rails that looked amazing in the store but were mile too short. Came back to exchange and got ones longer which meant drilling new holes & patching up. Another thing I learned with matte-black fixtures is they require special washing.
Normal bathroom spray leaves marks but washing with a micro-fibre cloth and water alone wipes them clean perfectly. Storage was one of my biggest challenges. Didn’t want wall cabinets making the room feel boxy.
Instead opted for recessed medicine cabinet built into wall behind mirror. Gives storage with out bulky cabinets. Couldn’t do shelves below due to drain pipe/mock up so went with single shelf made from same walnut as vanity.
Nothing fancy – a simple slab of wood; but it helps keep things tucked away. Walnut blinds. I could have went with something polar opposite but really loved how the entire space flowed with similar colours.
Nothing felt like it was sticking out trying to make a statement. Details were important to me more than I initially thought they would be. Thick, dark grey towels vs see through white towels that show every water spot.
Simple white ceramic soap dispenser – ZERO plastic pumps in sight. Didn’t even spare change on traditional toilet roll holder and went with basic horizontal bar. Obviously sounds ridiculous but they little things add up.
What surprised me most about the finished project is how relaxing the space is. People comment how it “ feels like a grown man” lived there or “kinda like a hotel” but in a good way. That was my goal.
Coined it out nice. Sleek. But inviting.
Didn’t want people to feel intimidated by my new masterpiece.
Cost me roughly £35000 – all in costs including labour for tiler/plumber to do the tiling/plumbing work (took about 2 months start to finish). Yeah it was expensive, but spread over 2 months wasn’t terrible; and honestly has made the whole flat feel nicer.
I invested in the big items that would make or break the space – tiles, vanity, fixtures – and kept everything else simple. Big takeaway for me from this was being masculine doesn’t have to be stamped all over the place. There is nothing wrong with designing a space that is YOU.
High quality materials. Smart details. SIMPLE.
I love walking into that bathroom now nearly 2 years later and using it everyday. Don’t regret any of the decisions – and that my friends is VERY rare for a rennovation project! Masculine can be thoughtful and built to last.
