Colin and Justin: Vanity thrills

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Seeking the best in bathroom accessories? Let hotels be your inspiration

As a consequence of  our career, one that dispatches us to disparate locations on a weekly basis, we can safely say we’ve been in more hotel rooms than the Gideon Bible.

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But hey, it’s all good – as fans of hotel style, we gather inspo via the restaurants and bedrooms at many of the hotels in which we lodge.

But it takes more than a quilted headboard, a vertiginous cushion stack or a waxy ‘pillow chocolate’ to conjure the spirit of luxury. For us, real style is defined by a welcoming room that’s preheated and illuminated to a cozy, inviting level.

It’s the indulgent feel that settles as thick towelling gowns are draped across travel-weary shoulders. It’s the fresh flowers, the next-day-weather note, or the friendly concierge who calls to establish that everything is up to par.

This observed, however, it’s not always about splashing out: we’ve lain weary heads in many a three-star outpost where staff have gone the extra mile to make us feel indulged.

Conversely, we’ve camped out in five-star boltholes where disappointment settled from the moment we arrived. It’s less about spend, you see, and more about how far your hotel is prepared to go to ensure your experience is memorable.

So, what’s the common denominator that links our favourite hostelries? The bathroom, and its vanity.

But which level of indulgence does yours serve? Does it feel like part of a rewarding home spa, or does it sit within a chaotic scene awash with soap scum, razor blades and half squeezed tubes of toothpaste? If yours occupies the latter category, worry not: here’s our vanity charter, composed to help you reflect…

Ready assembled

For pre-built vanities (with shelved storage) scope Unikstone (www.unikstone.ca) whose ranges have proved invaluable across many C+J projects. We particularly admire their models that feature dramatic limestone tops and sturdy steel bases. Affordability and quality, in equal measure? What’s not to like?

Bespoke

Alternatively, instruct your contractor to create a custom counter (supported, perhaps, on articulated metal brackets) to accommodate single or twin sinks, or opt for tailored drawers, sized wall to wall.

Whilst you (or your contractor) can perhaps deal with cutting wood or laminate counters, we advise engaging a fabricator to install stone or quartz specifications. The House of Granite (www.thehouseofgranite.com) is equipped to template, cut and install right across Canada, and are a favourite with the country’s design fraternity.

Make a splash

Protect surrounding areas with interesting tile, such as ‘Pim Pam Pum’ (featured here) from www.eurotilestone.com Available for delivery, cross country, the brand’s inspired collection is amongst the market’s best.

Reflect on this

Statement mirrors look imposing and ‘amplify’ smaller rooms. Alternatively, consider glazing the area above your vanity, but, if your installation is wall to wall, it’ll require pre drilling to accommodate light fittings, sockets and switches. This, again, is a job for a professional, so Google a local glazer to assist.

Order, please

A well-dressed vanity should immediately suggest order and cleanliness. Opt for mirrored trays, chrome-lidded bottles and cut-glass jars: scour The Bay for sensibly priced, well-designed options.

The Brian Gluckstein line, for example, is affordable, as is the Calvin Klein Plush towel range (also at The Bay) which starts around $12.

Luxury on a budget

Collect perfume miniatures and store in clear glass jars, wrap soap bars with organic twine, or decant supermarket bath oil into vintage crystal decanters to suggest luxury. In our quest for accessories, you’re as likely to find us in Dollarama as you are Holt Renfrew: we’re not shy when it comes to tracking down deals at either end of the spectrum. A mix of high and low spend? That, as we oft’ opine, is our mantra.

The best hotel souvenir we’ve ever enjoyed wasn’t a complimentary pair of towelling slippers (or some furtive, purloined bubble bath miniature), rather a wealth of ideas which we employ to this day in our domestic endeavours.

Our final vanity fare? Scope hotel websites, scour magazines and pin images to virtual mood boards until you feel sufficiently inspired to start transforming your home bathroom into a luxurious destination. One in which you’ll feel refreshed, each and every time you visit…

Watch for Colin and Justin on City-tv’s Breakfast Television and Colin and Justin’s Sub- Zero Reno on Paramount TV. Find the Colin and Justin Home Collection in stores across Canada.
Visit www.colinandjustin.tv.