For an interior designer, few clients are as exciting as a fellow creative. So when artist Kayleigh Young hired Fiona Dussard and Vanessa Fernandes of Consult by FD to help with her bathroom renovation, the design duo were delighted to receive a moodboard brimming with bold and original ideas.
Having spent a lot of time living and travelling around Europe before moving to Hertfordshire in 2019, Kayleigh and her husband Rory felt inspired by all the places they’d visited. ‘One of the main things I wanted was for the bathroom to not feel boring,’ Kayleigh says.
Their bathroom stood at a modest 4 sq m, which meant that they had to inject a lot of character into limited quarters. The creative trio landed on shimmering turquoise tiles from Claybrook. ‘I love stripes and wanted them to feature somewhere,’ says Kayleigh. ‘This space feels so playful to me – I never get bored of how it looks. Fiona and Vanessa did a wonderful job creating a spa-like feel.’
Matt Elson
Who lives here
Artist Kayleigh Young (kayleighyoungstudio.com) lives in Hertfordshire with her husband Rory and their young children.
The before
‘The bathroom was a dull white box; functional but ultimately not in line with our taste.’
The bathroom before Kayleigh Young
The inspiration
‘We fell in love with the interiors we saw on the Continent. I was hugely inspired by the Montesol Experimental hotel in Ibiza, especially the zellige tiles.’
The plan
The size of the bathroom prohibited a major reshuffle of its layout, which meant the team had to focus their efforts on small changes with a big impact. ‘We thought about how we use the room and what would enhance our experience,’ says Kayleigh.
As the children would be the ones using the bath, Fiona suggested reducing its size, thereby freeing up one wall that would accommodate a handy niche.
Kayleigh also had two practical stipulations: ‘Installing a pocket door was a no-brainer as we were constantly banging the existing door against the radiator. I was also adamant about having a wall-hung toilet with a concealed cistern to give the illusion of more space.’
Matt Elson
The process
The bathroom was gutted in the blink of an eye and, in a stroke of genius, an electrician was brought in to wire the wall lights on a separate circuit to the overhead spotlights: ‘Being able to have soft lighting in the evening when we bathe the kids makes a hectic moment feel a tad more relaxing!’
As a smart alternative to the eye-catching but eye-wateringly expensive zellige tiles that Kayleigh had fallen for, they chose the Fellini range from Claybrook. ‘They’re designed with an irregular pigment and finish to give the feel of zellige, but without the required sealing and higher cost,’ explains Fiona.
Fellini Onda Gloss
Claybrook Studio
£69.60 at claybrookstudio.co.uk
Coulston Metal Table Lamp
Abigail Ahern
Kingsley Assembly Taps & Spout Set
Abi Interiors
During the build, Kayleigh lived nearby, managing the contractors herself. ‘I learned that there’s a lot of room for interpretation unless you’re explicit in how you want something done – even when your builders have beautiful drawings in front of them!’ she recalls.
The design hero
‘The wall tiles are the standout feature; I love how they glisten.’
The biggest challenge
‘Some moments were comical – my husband couldn’t fit under the shower at one point. And I managed the whole thing while pregnant!’
Matt Elson
Biggest splurge
‘Probably the brass fittings and tiles – but we’re firm believers in spending a little more on things that work hard daily.’
Best bargain
‘We used leftover quartz from our kitchen renovation and managed to get them cut to size and polished up to make the shelf and vanity.’
Sourcebook
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