Bathscaping, or the art of transforming your bathroom into a relaxing sanctuary, is Instagram’s favourite interiors trend right now. Here’s a practical guide on how to do it.
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During lockdown, tablescaping took over Instagram, as many of us made an effort to make nights at home feel more special and exciting by extravagantly decorating our tables. Since life has (mostly) returned to normal in the UK, however, people are now looking for ways to relax, after many months of socialising. This has led to a new take on the tablescaping trend: bathscaping.
A bath has always felt like a fairly luxurious experience: from spending time running it and adding in your favourite products to sitting in warm water, as part of your relaxing winding-down routine. But now, people are looking for more ways to level up their baths, to really revel in the art of bathing.
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“During lockdown, baths became a big part of my self-care routine and I know the same is true for lots of other people,” says Estée Lalonde, an influencer and the founder of the lifestyle community Mirror Water. “People often say that you never regret a workout – for me, you never regret a bath.”
Estée has carefully decorated her bathroom to make it a relaxing environment, placing a lot of focus on her bath and the areas surrounding it. “I like to draw attention to my bath to emphasise the meaning and ritual to the act of bathing,” Estee says. “I bathe once a week – it’s up there with my yoga practice in terms of stress relief – so making it a positive space is worthwhile for me.”
Here, Estée shares her tips for nailing the bathscaping trend and creating a soothing space tailored to relaxing in your bathroom.
Start with a bath tray
If you don’t already have a bath tray, you’ve probably seen them on your Instagram feed, perhaps feeling a little jealous of someone you follow who has set theirs up with a glass of wine and a scented candle.
Estée says that bath racks are a great place to start when it comes to decorating your bath. “There’s something so satisfying about decorating it before your bath,” she says. “It’s also really functional because you can keep all of your bath products on it, as well as a glass of water to help you keep hydrated.”
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Bath lighting is key
“You don’t want to have a bath with bright lights shining on your face,” Estée says, explaining that this is counterintuitive to relaxation. “Whatever time of the day it is, turn your lights off before taking a bath. I love daytime baths when the natural light pours in but in the evening you can add a candle.”
The flicker of a candle can help to soothe you, according to Estée, and lighting them can also add to the ritual of taking a bath. If you’re really ready to take your bath to the next level, Estée suggests investing in a sunset lamp, which creates 24/7 golden hour lighting in your home.
Tailor your scents
Candles don’t only look great but their scent can also help you relax. “Like with skincare, when I have a bath I think about my needs in that moment. Do I want deep relaxation, a better night’s sleep or to feel revived? I pick my scents based on my immediate needs,” Estée says.
Estée explains that she usually opts for essential oils to scent her baths and she also enjoys room sprays to set the atmosphere of the experience.
Find effective bathroom storage
Your bath isn’t going to feel or look very relaxing if there is clutter all around you but the bathroom is one of the rooms in our houses where clutter builds up the most, thanks to nearly-empty shampoo bottles and old razors hanging about. Estée suggests having a box in a different room or a storage cupboard with any bathroom products you aren’t using that day or week. “If I want to use one of them, I have a one-in-one-out rule, where I swap them with a product already in my bathroom,” she says.
You can keep products you are using on your bath tray. You can also decant them into other containers if you don’t like the packaging and display them like ornaments.
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Get creative with your bathmat
Where once bath mats were plain, dull and purely practical, now there are so many creative designs, with lots of independent artists creating mats with beautiful textures and patterns. Estée’s brecommends finding a bathmat that reflects your interiors style, whether that’s super minimalist or bright and bold. She recommends the brand Cold Picnic for bath mats printed with bold abstract designs.
Don’t feel the pressure to have an Instagram-perfect bath
Bathscaping is about the art of bathing, so although decoration is important, comfort is the most important thing according to Estée. “If you want to listen to ambient spa music, definitely do that but if you’d rather wind down by watching Netflix in the bath, that’s what you should do,” Estée says.
She also recommends products like bath pillows to improve comfort levels during your bath.
You can find more expert tips and advice on The Curiosity Academy’s Instagram page.
Estée Lalonde, influencer
Estée is the founder of Mirror Water. Estée is a beauty and lifestyle influencer and the founder of the lifestyle community, Mirror Water. She has collaborated with beauty brands including Lancome and Garnier.
Images: Estée LaLonde
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