Showers seem to be receiving special attention these days, with arched recesses an increasingly popular design detail and endless debates over the merits of tiles versus Tadelakt. At the top of the list of shower-related ideas emerging of late is the standalone shower: could this be the development of a movement away from built-in furniture and towards more portable pieces? Just a few examples that spring to mind: our former editor’s brilliant standalone shower from Drummonds, which feels like a miniature room nestled in the middle of a rather larger one. I am particularly obsessed with this circular beauty in interior designer Georgie Stogdon’s bathroom: it is simple, unfussy but incredibly chic. And best of all, should she move, she can take it with her and achieve the same effect in the next bathroom.
Antiqued mirrors
This is one we’re absolutely certain will never go out of style, but it does seem to be especially in favour at the moment. Dominic Schuster is the man to know for beautiful antiqued mirrors, and one of our favourites is over the mantel in Virginia White’s Hampstead Heath flat, above. Virginia calls these mirrors ‘a signature piece’ in her interiors, as they add a depth and intrigue that can’t be matched by lesser versions. They’re a wonderfully versatile thing – we’ve seen them used in hallways, in the alcoves beside the chimneybreast in living rooms, and in small corners under the stairs to bounce the light around.
Cork everywhere
We’ve long been singing the praises of cork flooring, but recently plenty of people seem to have had the same idea: why not run it up the walls too? You’re essentially creating a giant pinboard for yourself – as interior designer Alice Crawley has done in her west London house, above. Sophie Rowell, the designer behind Cote de Folk, did the same thing in a client’s house, running the cork flooring up part of the wall to make for a fun space to display ‘a wall of wishes’.