Bathroom design and trend update from Laurence Llewelyn Bowen

My constant desire is to balance the bathroom more and more. It still needs to be the functional machine, which gets you clean first thing in the morning, but somehow has to convert to a far more romantic and sensual space in the evening. Now more than ever, bathrooms are becoming increasingly indulgent and I'm always trying to get people to start seeing them in a new light.

The trend for adding a glamorous, freestanding bath means that the bathroom is now an ideal place to relax and recharge after a hard day - a freestanding bath is very much like a chaise longue. Baths should be at the heart of every bathroom and Venus, the first range I styled for Dolphin, is perfect for this. The room is very sultry and smoky, and it adds a certain kind of Hollywood glamour to the room - it opens up a whole new world of experience to people.

I'm constantly saying to people that they shouldn't be afraid to add detail and glamorous touches to rooms, which is why I was so keen to have the Venus bath available in so many colour options. It's easy to add instant glitz and glam with a colourful bath, or even with a feature wall of tiles either in your shower area or behind your basin.

Introducing adaptable mood lighting will also enhance the atmosphere from day to night and by simply adding some candles and vases, the look will be complete.

Colour isn't for everyone though and for those who enjoy a simpler palette, monochrome is very popular in bathrooms for 2011. We are seeing it sneaking through now quite a lot - for instance, Dolphin's Galaxy mosaic tiles are proving very popular, as are the Damask tile designs.

It's a wonderful way to calm down that rather clinical bright white look you can get with a bathroom if you're not too careful. I'm advising more and more people to use more dramatic tones in their bathrooms - it can look fabulous when used in moderation.

Of course, we still need to make sure the bathroom remains practical and few people can live in a truly clutter-free way. People are increasingly on the lookout for storage solutions where they can put their bits and pieces and various nic naks. There are some brilliant options out there, and it's a great way of storing a book or two away so that they're there when you want a soak in a bath full of suds!

Essentially, anything is possible in the bathroom and it is very much a case of you needing to experiment a bit more. People need to find the balance, which best suits them, between having a family bathroom that has a very set purpose and having a personal bolthole where the door can be locked and escape from everyday life.