The canopy design and the use of intense colours in this room suggested a sort of quirkiness, as though the room has a sense of humour. I really felt we could exploit that further and introduce accessories that said the same thing. Moreover, as an alternative to a huge bathroom cupboard, we felt that many of the lotions and potions could go on view, rather than piling them high on a precarious windowsill. So we chose an assortment of little trays and cages that could be fixed to the wall.
They were arranged around the room so that they punctuated the walls rather like a series of full stops. The deliberate choice of different colours was used to soften the hard edge of the purple tiles.
Wire basket
These wire items are the kind of thing on sale in high street stores, made in the Far East and imported with a galvanised steel finish for use in bathrooms and kitchens. Their look, if anything, is rustic, belonging in the farmhouse kitchen or a Conran bathroom. However, by spraying them with intensely coloured paints, their character changes completely into something that is much more in keeping with this room. I find that metallic or pearlescent car paints are excellent for this kind of work.
- paint will not adhere to galvanised (zinc-coated) steel, in practice, red oxide primer will stick well enough for nonindustrial purposes.
- When dry, apply the first coloured top coat, spraying over the old newspaper. Aim the nozzle at the basket, but not too near. To recoat, turn the object when dry.
- Carefully spray a second and even third colour on the object, directing the spray carefully to avoid too much blending. Respray the first colour as necessary.
