Bathrooms often lack personality – they’re white, tiled and as practical as possible. So, imagine our surprise when Stacey Solomon smashed this tradition altogether with a vibrant orange bathroom – complete with tangerine tap, toilet and tub!
She revealed this latest instalment in her Victorian Essex mansion on Saturday, stating she’s ‘ready for people to hate this’. It’s unorthodox, to say the least, but what do designers think about this theme – is orange the new white? We asked two interior designers to weigh in with their thoughts and their best advice, should we want to recreate it for ourselves.
Where did Stacey’s orange bathroom come from?
Stacey’s orange bathroom set came with her new house and she turned it into an upcycling project. She deep-cleaned each piece outside the property, scrubbing and scraping away all the grime that had collected over the years. Fans weren’t sold on the colour initially, but were converted when they saw the before and after.
Alysia Panther, head of interior design at House Designer, says: ‘I actually like that Stacey kept the orange suite. It taps into the return of coloured sanitaryware and the wider 1970s revival we’re seeing in bathrooms.
‘As interior designers, we’re moving away from bathrooms that are all white and very safe, and this is a good example of people wanting much more personality in these spaces.’
Stacey says that the bathroom makes her happy as soon as she opens the door and she’s since fallen in love with it. It’s shared by her sons and breaks up the neutral pattern found in other rooms.
What do interior designers think of the orange theme?
Alysia is a fan of the tangerine aesthetic, saying: ‘What makes it work is that she hasn’t tried to hide the orange. The stripes repeat it and make the suite feel intentional, while the pale tiles give the colour some space. The brass works well, too, because it sits comfortably with the warmth of the orange. I think chrome would have made the suite feel much more dated.’
‘What I particularly like about Stacey’s bathroom is that she has embraced the original colour rather than trying to disguise it,’ adds Caroline Montague, interior designer and owner of the Tuscan retreat Villa Sartiano. ‘Orange certainly isn’t the easiest colour to work with, but that’s part of what makes the finished room so distinctive.
‘I think the decision to use stripes on the walls is particularly interesting. The white gives the orange some breathing room, while the vertical pattern draws the eye upwards and makes the room feel quite playful.
‘There’s a sustainability argument for working with what you already have, too. Replacing a perfectly serviceable bath, basin and loo purely for aesthetic purposes creates unnecessary waste; often, the most sustainable piece is the one you already have.’
So, our designers endorse the vibrant finish, appreciating both the tasteful pairings and the initial sustainability. But what can other homeowners do to create such a look, where there’s no handy tangerine tub in the attic?
How to create your own orange bathroom
Caroline suggests pairing orange accents ‘with warm off-whites, chalky creams or soft stone to give the orange some breathing room rather than trying to match it. Introducing natural materials, including timber, woven baskets and linen or cotton towels, could also soften the scheme and make it feel considered rather than deliberately retro.
‘Stacey has taken a more playful approach by repeating the orange in her striped walls and tiles. It makes a strong statement, but the pale flooring and white sections of the walls help to balance the colour rather than allowing it to completely dominate the space.’
So, the message here is not to go overkill with the orange. You want accessories that will complement the vibrancy without drawing attention away from it.
Caroline summarises: ‘The important thing is to decide where you want the colour to be the main feature. If you’re choosing brightly coloured sanitaryware, you don’t necessarily need equally bold walls, flooring and accessories. A little contrast can make a strong colour feel much more intentional.
‘Stacey’s bathroom is certainly a bold look, and it won’t appeal to everyone, but I think there’s something rather wonderful about a bathroom that has this much personality.’