Due to a variety of commitments my downstairs loo has resembled a building site for the last twelve months. It has dawned on me several times how ridiculous it is to have a second loo out of action for a year and so thanks to our decision to spend a bit more time at home in 2015, we’ve managed to make some good progress.

Hopefully the inspiration board above gives you a reasonable idea of the room I’m aiming to create. It’ll be quite minimalist and simple, perhaps even slightly industrial punctuated with natural elements such as succulents and air plants. Originally I wanted to go very dark in this room but when the concrete worktop went in and the subway tiles went up I did a complete u-turn and plumped for brilliant white paint. We’ve opted to keep all the fixtures chrome to stick with the traditional elements of the house so it’s quite a fusion! I would have loved to explored the brass route in this room but when it came down to it we didn’t want to start from scratch.

Last year James made a bespoke concrete worktop and this was recently ushered into space. It weighs an absolute ton and it was quite a struggle to get it in. However the end result is a bespoke, rather urban and industrial counter top.
Last month we bought the white metro tiles. In the past we’ve chosen bevelled, gloss versions but this time we’ve gone matt with a flat finish. The splashback has now been tiled and grey grout has been applied.
As we reach the final stages of painting it’s time for the faffing to begin. I’ve bought the mirror, the candles, the soap dispenser and the plant but there are still a few outstanding pieces left to find.

One is what art to put on the wall. I have a major crush on the David Ehrenstrahle’s Guide to Paris Map but can’t find a UK stockist. It’s not cheap to begin with and then by the time you’ve added on shipping and customs fees it ends up being a pricey affair. I came across Mapiful recently which could be a far cheaper alternative but I’m not sure if it would just annoy me that I didn’t bite the bullet and splash out on something I truly loved.

The second is handles for the built-in cupboard. Rather than have a floating sink like the inspiration images we’ve gone for a cupboard to offer much needed storage. I think the simple doors will end up painted white and I would like some simple yet stylish knobs to compliment. I’ve checked out my usual haunts; Anthroplogie and Abodent but nothing is really catching my eye. I was looking at concrete handles on Etsy but think it may be a bit much with the worktop. Any suggestions would be more than welcome!

Fingers crossed the room will be finished very soon and I’ll be sure to share. If you have any art or hardware resources you think may be suitable then I’d love to hear.

Image sources | White sink and concrete worktop | Guide to Paris | Stool and circular mirror | Aesop bottles | Succulent | Towel