Helen Skelton’s Art Deco Reimagined bathroom ideas

Adding a new twist to a design classic, Helen Skelton and the Victoria Plum team show you how to “Get the Look" with a reimagined Art Deco style bathroom.

Hi, I’m Ruth, Resident Interior Designer here at Victoria Plum and, in this bathroom style guide, I’ll be showing you how to create a reimagined Art Deco style space that is both luxurious and affordable.

For those unfamiliar with the term, Art Deco emerged as a prominent stylistic movement in the first half of the 20th century, characterised by its embrace of geometric forms, sleek curves and evocative lighting. Lavish materials such as marble, velvet, brass and chrome are hallmarks of the look, along with vibrant hues and metallic accents.

In its reimagined form, we take inspiration from these fundamental elements, whilst adding a contemporary twist to this luxurious look, adapting it for modern bathrooms and modern lifestyles.

Helen Skelton brings fresh inspiration

As a TV presenter and busy working mum, Helen Skelton has joined forces with Victoria Plum to bring fresh inspiration to your bathroom. Together, Helen and I, along with our creative team, are here to show you how to achieve this look in your own home, whilst keeping a tight grasp on those all-important purse strings!

Helen and I, busy getting our heads together, finding bathroom inspiration

Get the Look: Art Deco Reimagined

As a style that surfaced in response to the ornate Art Noveau period, Art Deco offered a bold take on modern life during the 1920s and 30s. Characterised by clean lines and geometric forms, it emphasised modernity, considered both practical and fashionable.

While it eventually fell out of favour during the post-war period, the Art Deco look is alluring, and one which interior designers return to time and time again. Lavish period dramas, like Poirot and Downton Abbey have rekindled interest in Art Deco interiors, while the 2013 film The Great Gatsby, featuring Leonardo di Caprio, gave the style a real boost in recent times.

Indeed, you’ll find plenty of classic Art Deco bathroom ideas right here at Victoria Plum. But what does a reimagined style look like for the 2020s?

Our Art Deco Reimagined bathroom

To create our reimagined Art Deco bathroom, we’ve worked with the fundamental elements of that style, which consist of:

Geometric shapes, like squares or triangles
Chevrons, zigzags or sunbursts
Curvaceous designs
Chrome, brushed brass and mirrored finishes
Luxurious materials like marble
Bright, primary colours and monochrome elements
Animal print motifs
Herringbone flooring
Clean-lined lighting

However, we’ve added a contemporary twist to these elements by using ultra-modern, products, like shower wall panels and SPC flooring, to emulate the look at a fraction of the cost. Let’s take a closer look at just some of these features which help complement today's busy lifestyles.

Helen Skelton on Art Deco Reimagined

Setting the Art Deco mood

One of the best ways to imagine the overall look and feel of your bathroom design, is to create a mood board. And for our style guide, there’s no exception.

We’ve incorporated many of the elements mentioned above, including black and white checks, animal print motif wallpaper and dark green as our primary colour.

The contemporary twist comes with the shower wall panels and SPC flooring. SPC stands for Stone Plastic Composite, offering an easy-clean, quick-to-install solution for shared bathrooms, while the oak-effect herringbone design fits perfectly with our reimagined Art Deco bathroom.

Meanwhile, we’ve opted for dark marble-effect shower wall panels to protect internal surfaces within the shower area. Whilst they look opulent and expensive, they are incredibly cost-effective, requiring very little in the way of maintenance.

To accessorise, we’ve picked out brushed brass and gold as our main metallic finishes. From the taps to the towel ring, these seemingly minor details really elevate the overall look of the bathroom, bringing all those Art Deco features to the fore.

We used the following products and ranges:

Opulent bathing

The star of the show in our reimagined Art Deco bathroom is the Dulwich slipper bath. With its opulent brushed brass feet and luxurious roll top slipper design, it really is the height of luxury. Go on, admit it… You can almost imagine yourself sinking down into the steamy, bubble-filled water, as you enjoy a period of extreme relaxation!

Of course, a showstopping bath needs an equally glitzy accessory, which comes in the form of the Windsor bath shower mixer tap from The Bath Co. Featuring a beautiful brushed brass finish and classic telephone and cradle style shower handset, it’s really handy for cleaning both you and the bath itself!

We used the following products:

Helen Skelton on Art Deco Reimagined

Sumptuous showering

Something that you probably wouldn’t find in a period Art Deco bathroom is a wet room style walk in shower. However, if they’d been around in the 1930s, it’s highly likely they would’ve been commonplace, offering seamless, step-free access to your showering area. To fit with the darker colour palette, we’ve opted for a black framed glass shower screen, although, you could choose a frameless design for a more minimalist look.

The shower itself is a luxurious choice. Featuring a brushed brass finish that complements the rest of our metalwork, the exposed valve design means it’s easy to install, while the thermostatic valve provides consistent water temperature and safe usage for the whole family. With an overhead drench shower and detachable handset, the dual outlet design offers complete flexibility for all your showering needs.

We used the following products:

Magnificent marble

While high-end furnishings and materials are the order of the day in Art Deco interiors, you may not want to splash the cash so readily with your new bathroom. However, like anything in life, it pays to compromise. We’ve incorporated a luxurious marble into our reimagined Art Deco bathroom without breaking the bank.

Along with an opulent genuine marble countertop and ceramic basin, the Dalston vanity unit from The Bath Co. features a gorgeous, weathered wood finish, plus plenty of storage space for all those essential items. We’ve chosen a white marble countertop, however you could also go with black you’d like to darken the look a little.

How do you accessorise a marble countertop? Why, with an equally elegant tap, of course! The Windsor basin mixer tap from The Bath Co. features a gracefully curved spout, classic detailing and a brushed brass finish that complements our theme to perfection.

We used the following products:

A classic toilet

Stepped forms are common within Art Deco design, which is why we’ve picked out this classic close coupled toilet. The bevelled base and cistern, plus sweeping curves and black wooden seat, all make this the perfect fit for our reimagined room. For a refined finishing touch, we’ve kept the floor free with wall mounted accessories from our 1805 antique gold range.

We used the following products:

The Bath Co. Camberley close coupled toilet with wooden soft close seat black

Keeping things warm, bright and light

Yet another contemporary twist, the heated towel rail from Terma helps to maintain that sense of opulence with a gorgeous brass finish that complements the other metallics in our bathroom. Offering plenty of space for warming towels, you can even choose an electric version, if you wish to use it when your central heating is switched off.

When it comes to illuminating your bathroom, keep an eye out for fan-shaped uplighters and shades featuring geometric designs. However, remember that all bathroom electricals must conform to certain specifications. You can always supplement with downlighters, especially if your windows aren’t quite as grand as those featured in this bathroom.

We used the following products:

Helen Skelton on Art Deco Reimagined

Get the Look in a small bathroom

If this style has you entranced, yet your space is limited, we've condensed the look accordingly.

Art Deco Reimagined small bathroom or ensuite

While we’ve managed to keep most of the products featured in our larger room set, we’ve dispensed with the bath, as you might do in an ensuite. The rich, opulent colours, prints and metallic finishes maintain the reimagined Art Deco theme, without making the space too dark. To save space, you could also opt for a narrower version of the marble-topped vanity unit, allowing you to keep this luxurious material as part of your smaller bathroom.

Art Deco Reimagined cloakroom

Blending luxury with sophistication, this downstairs cloakroom has the ability to imprint a lasting memory on visitors and house guests alike. It boasts all the elements that give our reimagined Art Deco style a contemporary twist, including the wallpaper, toilet, vanity unit, heated towel rail and brushed brass finishes. For a look that flows between different rooms, simply continue the herringbone flooring into your hallway.

More Art Deco bathroom inspiration

If you’re into this look in a big way, check out some of our other inspirational Art Deco articles:

Discover more of Helen’s bathroom style guides

Have you been inspired to #GetTheLook? Explore a variety of chic bathrooms, cleverly curated by Helen and our imaginative team by clicking on any of the links below:

For an extra dose of inspiration, dive into our “Get the Look” hub by clicking below. You’ll find many, many more bathroom styles, from Soft Industrial to Refined Rustic.

#VPShareYourStyle

If you’ve been inspired to create your own reimagined Art Deco bathroom, we’d love you to #VPShareYourStyle with us! It’s easy to do. Use 1 of the following 3 methods:

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