If you've been browsing the pages of Elle Decor, you're no doubt starting to question the pokey, musty, stained-grout room you use to shower, shave and s***. Why do all these rich and glamourous people have such lavish, luxurious bathrooms while you're stuck with an avocado bathroom suite? Life isn't fair. But we want to help you achieve the luxurious bathroom look for less, because even impoverished ugly people deserve nice bathrooms…
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1. Freestanding Bathtub
These days you can find reasonably priced freestanding bath tubs which will immediately make your bathroom look and feel like a luxury space. And, really you don't need a lot of space to make a freestanding tub work — no more than you need for a built in tub. Although we're not a fan of the dirt trap these things create between the tub and the wall, we can't deny they make a statement. And that statement is dripping in class.
2. Walk-In Shower
Walk in showers are (luckily) becoming a mainstay of our bathrooms. Gone are the days when you'd wake up and crawl into an obscure glass cubical inside which you couldn't stretch your arms and ever jossle enough personal space to lather without a painful bump! Nope, these days the walk-in shower gives us space to stretch and a clear view to the rest of the spacious bathroom. If you want the feeling of luxury while you ablute, then you must have a walk-in shower. And make sure you have a seamless tiled floor instead of one of those nasty, flow-blocking shower-bases. You're better than that.
3. Art-Deco Inspired Mirror
Nothing evokes glamour and luxury like the art-deco period. Think the Great Gatsby and old-school Hollywood glamour. Now, can you stop daydreaming about Leo for one second, and let me tell you, you can achieve this luxury look in your bathroom with art-deco touches like an ornate bevelled mirror. That way, every morning when you wake up you can stare into that fancy mirror and imagine Leo standing with you and shout "I'm flying, Jack!" What an inspiring way to start the day.
4. One Word. Stone. Or 'Stone Look'
Stone benchtops bring luxury to the kitchen. And the same holds true for bathrooms. Use stone on the benchtops and/or on the walls and floor. One way to take this luxury to the next level is to use rock crystal. Backlight the hell out of that stone and watch your friends begin to weep as they marvel at your bathroom's beauty. Ok, ok, so your pauper's budget doesn't extend to translucent stone? Never mind, regular 'stone look' tiles are luxury enough. And it'll save you money on tissues.
5. A Chandelier
Because, obviously.
Seriously, you can pick up a second-hand chandelier for under $20 and it'll make your bathroom look at least 9x more luxe (estimated figures).
6. Twins. Of Anything
When if comes to luxury, it's a must to have superfluous numbers of things. In an ensuite bathroom, that lucky number is two. Two basins, because you do not have time to wait for your partner to finish squeezing that zit before you brush your teeth. You're luxurious, god damn it. You deserve a dedicated basin for all your cleansing needs. Same goes for twin showers. Twin showers are a must in every luxurious bathroom. Even if no one wants to discuss the only reason anyone would need twin showers…
Bonus points for monogrammed towels.
7. Fabric Accents
Basically you want to stock your bathroom full of things that will go mouldy if you don't have a full-time maid. Think, comfortable cream-coloured armchairs, rugs and definitely some strategically-placed decorative robes. Our pro tip to keeping your fabric mould free when the maid is on 'vacation'? Spray every couple of days with Exit Mould. The fumes will make you queasy and your bathroom will smell like a heated swimming pool, but that's the price you pay for luxury on a shoe-string.
