Bathrooms are hot this spring. Go into the new season minty fresh and smelling sweet - make your bathroom the sanctuary you always dreamed of with our expert tips.

It's the one room in the house where you can pull the lock across guilt free and ease away your troubles away in the tub. The bathroom is the best place to indulge in a little bit of 'me time'.

An inviting bathroom serves a multitude of purposes: pampering and preening, unwinding and relaxing - oh, and keeping ourselves smelling sweet!

Besides the comforting qualities of a bathroom, they're big business for adding value to our homes too. An extra bathroom can slap on 5% to the price of a property, a Nationwide survey revealed.

But if you don't have the space or funds for a new bathroom, make the most of your old one with a few simple renovations to give it the wow factor. Forget the annual spring clean - give your bathroom a stylish overhaul.

So how do you go about turning your bathroom into a sanctuary to rival a lavish spa?

"Nowadays, rather than being purely functional, the bathroom is considered an area where design is becoming increasingly important," says Georgina Britten of Roca Bathrooms.

"The trend of choosing a coloured suite is now long gone and minimalism combined with functionality is en vogue.

Consumers are finding ways to inject colour into the room in a more subtle and stylish way."

For the modern day family, one bathroom is never enough, but you can minimise those angry queues outside the door with a cloakroom bathroom that utilises unused space.

"Consumers have become much more design savvy and realise that small spaces can look just as stylish as larger bathrooms," Georgina explains.

"The cloakroom bathroom has evolved, and there is a much greater choice of design-led products manufactured specifically for the smaller bathroom."

Thinking of giving your bathroom a much needed makeover?

"Planning a bathroom must be done meticulously," advises Shelley Hargreaves, senior designer at Ripples Bath. "The bathroom is where you start the day and wind down at the end of it so it must be both relaxing and energising."

She divulges some trade secrets for planning your new bathroom.

Well-planned lighting can create stunning effects. Spotlighting can help to create the feeling of space while chromatherapy lighting (coloured lighting that can be changed to reflect your mood) can help soothe the senses.

Storage must always be considered, as clutter and wet towels will spoil the look of a beautifully designed room.

If you're working with a small space why not opt for cut-out squares in the walls, which can be great for storing bottles, while circular towel rails can be used to store piles of towels.

If you are working with a large space it's a great idea to use a bath or shower area as a focal point. Having a bath in the centre of the room is a lovely idea.

Mirrors can also be used to make a large bathroom look even bigger.

White suites are back on the bathroom style barometer, according to the experts, but that doesn't have to mean your bathroom is bland. Here are some bathroom style suggestions that you could be brushing your teeth in.

Give your bathroom the feel of a five-star hotel suite with refined ceramic fittings and luxury, deep-pile towels.

Fancy injecting a little shabby chic character? Take your bathroom back in time with a touch of vintage style.

It's a great look if you're working with an older bathroom where modern makeovers will look out of place.

Use sumptuous chrome fittings and curved accessories.

A few well-placed accessories will set the vintage ball rolling in your bathroom.

White fixtures and fittings doesn't have to mean minimal. Create a clean, crisp look with white as a versatile base that will complement any colour scheme, from hot pink to powder blue.

5:35pm Wednesday 26th March 2008

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