Whether you prefer a contemporary or classical bathroom, there’s one thing that needs to be perfect, to make your guests gasp in admiration: first impressions! 

Kristin Hansen-Øvre thinks so, at least. She’s an interior designer and owner of OJ! Design and interior.

– The first I think about when designing a bathroom, wherever it is: ‘What’s the first thing you see when you open the door?’ It definitely shouldn’t be the toilet! she says.

This is her philosophy for whichever room she designs.

– Some elements just have to be there. In the bathroom, this is usually the toilet, washbasin and often a shower or bath. In a bedroom, it’s the bed and a wardrobe. I always bear in mind that the first thing you see should be something really striking, like a nice shower or a beautiful washbasin with a mirror, she explains.

As an interior designer, Kristin Hansen-Øvre has been involved in designing many bathrooms and she therefore has some general advice for anyone wanting to make their cabin’s bathroom something out of the ordinary. This might be a cabin in the mountains or by the sea.

– It’s really important to think long-term when designing a bathroom. With the shower, for example, it’s a good idea to fit the shower cubicle, as well as integrated niches for shampoo and soap, in advance. Then you don’t have to drill into the tiles afterwards and the overall impression will be far more cohesive and elegant.

To get the cosy look you need in a cabin, it’s very important to have the right lighting. This helps to set the mood, but in a worst case scenario, it can relegate the bathroom from the cabin’s centrepiece, to just being a … bath.

– If you’re building a brand new bathroom, it’s not enough to instal a few spots and think that’s enough. You also have to think of wall or pendant lamps. This adds a little bit extra to the look, and when the bathroom is used, the ambience will be quite fantastic. The bathroom becomes part of the cabin experience.

The types of materials Kristin uses depends on the rest of the cabin. 

– We all have different views on how classical or modern a bathroom should be. As an interior designer, I love to design modern bathrooms, because I get to challenge myself. I also understand that many people want a timeless design in their bathroom, so then I have to make rather safer choices, she explains.

For a cabin in a modern style, Kristin would go for a more stringent design.

– To give a cabin – or house for that matter – a modern look, I really like to use dark colours. So if I were to use slate, I would choose rectangularly cut dark tiles. I use slate a lot to achieve a classical look in a cabin bathroom. For a more traditional bathroom she would use flagstones.

Kristin explains that slate is great to create a cohesive look, such as right from the entrance and all the way out to the terrace. In some instances, however, she wouldn’t use slate at all.

– I rarely use slate in the shower itself. I think it’s really nice to create contrast by using tiles in other materials. Tiles and slate can be combined really effectively, as long as you stay within the same colour range, she says.

The colours in the rest of the bathroom also play a role in how you experience the room.

– I like to make bathrooms warm and cosy, which is why I’ll tend to choose earthy and other natural colours. Autumn colours inspire me the most when I design bathrooms, she concludes.