A beautiful new bathroom at Castle Howard

Period bathrooms in country houses can sometimes look a little bleak, but not so at Castle Howard.

A recent addition to one of the dressing rooms, this splendid tub provides an inviting focal point and glows beautifully against the muted Japanese wallpaper from the 1880s. It’s a wonderfully considered space, where old and new sit together with an ease that feels both elegant and wonderfully homely.

We particularly love the thoughtful little needlepoint footstool and the collection of fine floral artworks, although we do hope they’re suitably damp-proof!

There’s something rather irresistible about the idea of lingering here as the evening draws in… imagine the atmosphere with a real fire crackling away, a few candles flickering and the room gently glowing in the half-light.

The styling is understated but full of character, with those little details that make a bathroom feel less like a functional space and more like somewhere you might happily disappear for an afternoon.

Just add some Floris bath essence, wonderfully soft Christy towels and a well-earned G&T.

We’d be as happy as pigeons in a puddle!