It might take more than a few scented candles to turn some old water closets into luxury bathrooms, but if you’re dreaming of turning your toy-filled, damp-towel-draped horror into a palatial shrine to relaxation, don’t fret – a solution might be closer, and more affordable, than you think:

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1. The bathroom suite

This is normally the most expensive part of refurbishing a bathroom, unless you opt for real marble flooring, and it takes the most upheaval to replace – so it’s usually what’s stopping the project from moving forward (or happening in the first place).

Contemporary trends for solid surfaces, particularly stone, are making those much-ridiculed olive green suites from the 70s look even more outdated. Only someone with a real flair for retro can design a stylish bathroom around one of those.

A more modern suite can be given a facelift with new taps and fittings – polished chrome is currently making a comeback, and the new motion activated and aerated taps help to conserve water.

Replacing the shower can turn a puny, frustrating trickle into a blissful rainforest waterfall that makes you reluctant to get out from under it and actually leave for work. If you rarely use your bath, consider replacing it with a large walk-in luxury shower instead of trying to fit a shower over the bath.

2. Compromising for kids

It can be hard to relax in the bath when you’re surrounded by toy ducks and the plastic smell of baby shampoo, but kids aren’t known for tidying up after themselves, especially when you’re hustling them off to bed after bath time.

The trick to tidiness is not having more stuff than shelves to put it on, so if you want a neat bathroom you’ll need to avoid having too many bath toys in the first place – something you might have to tell your relatives, ahead of Christmas.

But bath times do go more smoothly if the little ones have something to distract them from horrors like getting their hair washed, so you will need a few toys. Get a small hamper, preferably with a waterproof lining, which the toys can be thrown into during your bath time.

3. Towels

Perhaps the quickest and most affordable way to make your bathroom more luxurious is by replacing your pile of old towels with a few excellent ones. Supima, with its long, soft, ultra absorbent fibres, is the latest star fabric, or you might prefer more traditional Egyptian cotton – as long as they’re plush and well-made.

Get a decent range of sizes, but make sure you have at least a couple of the biggest bath sheets to guarantee that luxury spa feel after your bath or shower. Not everyone uses face-cloths, either, but they’re excellent for a quick pore-opening steam.

Again, the trick here is to avoid having more towels than you’ve space to store, and that includes hanging space for damp ones. A heated towel rail is ideal because it dries them quickly and prevents that damp smell from developing.

Image via: Nest Feathers

4. Ventilation

There’s not much less glamorous than mould, but constant steamy baths and showers in a poorly ventilated room will create the perfect habitat for it, and not everyone remembers to open a window. Factor good ventilation into your bathroom redesign, and talk over options with your builder. Make sure that any vents lead outside and not just into cavity walls or lofts, where a damp problem may just develop for longer before you notice it.

For more kitchen & bath ideas on Stagetecture, click here.