I worry I’m turning into a bit of a renovation bore. My life is overwhelmed with fabric swatches, paint shades, perfect plug-socket heights and basement-access issues. There’s also the problem of deciding in which order I should tackle the myriad tasks ahead of me.
Of course, I’m discovering that – contrary to what I once thought – there isn’t an entirely perfect process to follow. Everything impacts on everything else to a degree, so no matter how meticulous you are in the planning stages, there’s always something you’ll end up doing at the wrong point or having to redo. Cue me needing to get my walls redecorated after the flooring went down and ruined the original paint job. As they say, ‘You live and learn.’
One thing I got right (I think) was prioritising the bathroom. When you move back into an unfinished project, there’s a lot you can forego. I've become proficient at muddling through and making do, and what I can achieve with smoke and (paint-splattered) mirrors is quite something, believe me. However, existing in a space without a functional bathroom is just not feasible, so thank goodness I started there.
It’s not just about the essential daily ablutions, either. For me the bathroom has a crucial impact on my mental state. It’s where I start and end every day; where I do my reflective musing as I shower and the water therapeutically drums my scalp. It’s a room that buoys me up and energises me before I head to morning meetings and nights out, a sanctuary where I escape to when life gets too much and I need a bit of me time; the place where cosmetic rituals take over to calm and soothe. So you see – much more than just somewhere to get clean and go to the loo.
To celebrate the importance of this most vital of rooms, we bring you Volume 11 of ELLE Decoration Bathrooms, our standalone annual special that’s bound to this issue and expertly overseen by my incredible deputy Clare Sartin. If you’re considering your own project, it will fill you with ideas and inspiration and, if, like me, you’re into the more metaphysical aspects of bathrooms, there’s a lot there for you too. Even if you’re just looking for the best loo-roll subscription, you’ve also come to the right place!
Elsewhere in this packed autumnal issue (excitingly, our 400th issue since we launched in 1989) we turn our attention to the joys of decorating, highlighting the latest fabric, wallpaper and paint launches and what you might achieve with them: drape-maxxing anyone? Stylist Hannah Bort goes packing-crate crazy to showcase wonderful wood finishes and timber pieces.
And last, but by no means least, I’m so proud of our portfolio of young British design talent, compiled by Alice Finney and shot by the fabulous Andrew Urwin. Championing those at the start of their careers has always been an integral part of what ELLE Decoration stands for and, at a time when funding for the arts and creative industries is at an all-time low, it’s more important than ever that we give these stars of the future the shout-out they deserve.
