As a general rule of thumb, we're not fans of “themed” rooms. All too often, despite good intentions, they wind up looking forced. The best decorating exudes an air of ease and comfort, a naturalness that somehow gets lost when a room is awash in a singular motif from floor-to-ceiling.

Being small spaces however, bathrooms are an ideal place to experiment with something daring or whimsical that we may be less confident attempting elsewhere in the house. This time of year can be particularly tempting where themes are concerned, the most obvious being of the nautical variety. Rather than channelling summer through an endless display of seashells or a shower curtain printed with an oversized ship’s wheel, here are two examples of nautical done right.

In the former, an arresting crystal chandelier is all that’s needed to carry the theme, lit by a series of Edison bulbs in the ship’s hull. While this one is antique, Canopy Designs makes a similar style and can arrange shipping to the UK. In the latter, a collection of model ships are displayed on ornamental brackets adding to the exotic allure of the heavily adorned room. Both of these spaces work so well because if the boats were removed, there’d be nary a trace of nautical in sight. They are singular elements that merely suggest a theme - a classic example of that age-old adage, less is more.

Photograph © Francesco Lagnese, Unknown*

*We'd love to hear from you if you know the source of this image!