{a guide to : glamour-ising your bathroom}

Yesterdays flick through Lonny Magazine got me rethinking bathrooms - and how it can be difficult to change a bathroom without having the funds (or permission in a rented property) to re-fit with the roll top bath you've always dreamed of, or a walk in shower the size of a small sauna?

I've a few little ideas that can be applied to the smallest, most basic or boring bathroom to allow for a far more glamorous space to apply your makeup in the morning..

 01 | re-think your shower curtain

Why have a boring, plain shower curtain? Who says you cant have a silk taffeta shower curtain? Acheive an even more glamorous look by hanging it as high as possible, you could even hang it from the ceiling..

 02 | make your bathroom more comfortable 

Treat your bathroom the same as any other room in the house, bring in a beautiful chair or table or lamp and favourite art or photography.

 03 | hang a vintage mirror

One of the easiest ways to change the look of your bathroom is to hang a statement mirror, vintage ones are always real centerpieces, consider anything ornate, gilt or oversized!

 04 | hide ugly pipes

Paint ugly pipes the same colour as your walls to make them blend in, or hide them entirely with something clever like this handmade skirt, interior designer Eddie Ross made this 'skirt' by hanging cheap, basic dishcloths and fastening to the sink with black grosgrain.

{currently reading...}

Spending my Sunday morning eating chocolate croissants and drinking umpteen cups of my favourite coffee, watching snow fall through the window (will it ever stop?) while getting a late-month magazine fix, its always a hard time in the week before the new glossies are released and I'm all up-to-date, from the stylish online Lonny magazine.

Now wondering how to persuade the boy that thick monochrome stripes on wood panelling are exactly what the bathroom needs.. Have a lovely Sunday, rachelle xo.

{beautiful details : smokey violet}

Loving the juxtaposition of bright spring bouquets against smoky lavender and charcoal grey marble, of course with some ornate details; chandeliers, gilded mirrors and marble . . .

The Rachelle Lust List: 20th November 2012

1. Laura Mercier bath and body products are in my eyes, second to none. The Ambre Vanilla Honey bath creme and body scrub are a combination made in heaven to transform tired winter skin to LBD ready while you relax in a bath that literally smells like heaven (£25 each). 2. I love this gift concept from Harvey Nichols, the 'Twos Company' hamper includes a bottle of brut rosé champagne and two Riedel Champagne Flutes £40. 3. Believe it or not, its the end of November and I'm still yet to fall in love with this years ultimate winter coat. I've been heavily reliant on a fur-lined Parka I found last year in Zara and on more mild days, simply running around in amazing little jackets I've collected over the years but, I think I've found a winner here from none other than New Look! For £50, its got lovely faux leather detailing, a laid-back boyfriend feel and Stella McCartney-esque cut to the neckline. 4. If you've an excitingly high bank balance and need somewhere luxurious to store all of your jewels, look no further than this stunning Smythson croc-effect leather jewellery box.. there are no words! (£2,215). 5. I've fallen in love with the Essie nail varnish formula and colour range, the most recent hue thats got me is the soft nudey/beigey shade of Jazz. This will be mine, soon. Probably the next time I pass Boots to be honest... 6. Sunglasses this good, should be worn all year round. An expertly-shaped cat-eye are the perfect size to suit any face shape - Linda Farrow Luxe do sunnies SO well (£350). 7. NARS eyeshadows are incredibly popular, with good reason. Long lasting and highly pigmented; they're some of the best - the beautiful Douceurs de Paris palette (£37) has the perfect collection of shades to compliment your peepers through any occasion. 8. Possibly the most hyped nude lipstick ever to be released ever, Tom Ford Lip Colour in Blush Nude has me drooling all the way to the counter in search of my go-to winter nude lip. Yes, there is one. rachelle xo

Places to Stay: The Feversham Arms, North Yorkshire

I adore a romantic (see term; dirty weekend...) break with the boy, and its often refreshing to opt not for a city break, but for a gorgeous rural hotel in the country with nothing but an amazing room, spa, restaurant and each other  In the pretty (up)market town of Helmsley, The Feversham Arms is made up of a cluster of rustic pale stone cottages arranged around a heated outdoor pool, this place has it all.

For me, the highlights of staying here include, but aren't limited to, the gorgeous champagne afternoon tea by the fire, Aroma Stone massage and Anti-Ageing Smoothie facial in the Verbena spa, our amazing suite - Room 22 – a galleried poolside suite with a wood-burning stove and the Poached white peach, vanilla shortbread and lemon verbena granite. As amazing as it sounds.

Michelin-starred chef Chris Staines (formerly of Marco Pierre White’s Oak Room) is now at the helm, alongside head chef Simon Kelly (ex The Waterside Inn, Bray and Nico at Ninety Park Lane). Dinner is served in the hotel restaurant between 6.45 and 9pm with a choice between a five-course tasting menu and a three-course a la carte. The restaurant has a modern take on fine dining and comes with a real sense of occasion, so pack heels and your favourite clutch. The five-course tasting menu is treat not to be missed. Dishes such as lemon-baked halibut with chervil hollandaise and asparagus keep the local foodie fraternity flocking here (and my chef beau happy!).

Inspired Interior: Eco Chic

My somewhat unhealthy obsession with this glamorous Arkansas space, which interior designers Chris & Anne Laidler call home, is sort of justified with the fact the building materials & furtnire were all sourced locally or made domestically. Items that they didn't need were donated to Habitat for Humanity. The results? A home that is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) platinum-certified yet still looks stylish. Obsessed.

Places to Stay: Riad Meriem, Marrakesh | Morocco

I adore Morocco. Its one of my favorite counties, when in Marrakesh I love nothing more than soaking up the strong North African sunshine and completely losing myself in the romance of the city and Moroccan culture.

Ex-pats doing up riads has been an ongoing trend in Marrakech for years now, and the sunning Riad Meriem is the creation of New York interior designer Thomas Hays. Inside the riad, dappled sunlight lands on oriental rugs and doorways lead into secret hallways. But it’s not all archways, polished plaster and filigree lanterns, there are modern touches, too, such as dramatic fine art, photography and custom-made lighting. You can book one of the five rooms and stay a deux, or rent the whole place, and take it over for exclusive use – the managers are experienced event planners from London and can organise special meals and even belly dancing.

Places: Wythe Hotel, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Its easy to fall into the routine of always staying on the island when visiting New York, but the gilded mirrors and retro-modern style of the wythe hotel on the Brooklyn waterfront may convince us otherwise - not to mention the rooms with views of the Manhattan skyline...

At Home With: L'Wren Scott in Paris

L’Wren Scott opens the doors to the City of Light aerie she shares with Mick Jagger—a space she designed to her own exacting tastes.

Where does L’Wren nest? Somewhere high up and sequestered, with a view over treetops—when she’s in Paris, that is. This turn-of-the-century Left Bank apartment is just one of the homes the American fashion designer L’Wren Scott has put together for life with her rock-’n’-roll legend partner, Mick Jagger. And the serene, delicately airy atmosphere is about as far from glitzy rock-star louche as could be imagined.