In Partnership with Adobe Express

Just over a year ago, one of my reels blew up on Instagram. It took me a few minutes to film the clips and not much longer to edit them together. Within a few days, it had several million views, and I had a spike in new followers like I hadn’t seen for a very long time. This was, of course, my Wes Anderson Bathroom Reel.

In this post, I’m going to share my creative process for designing the space along with the tools I used to create the viral reel. I’ll share my tips for creating a space that you love and creating eye-catching content like this.

The journey started in late 2022 when I began planning the bathroom/shower room renovation. It had remained the same since we moved into the house a few years earlier, while we saved up for creating our dream space. While we’d added a few personal touches with new vinyl and some freestanding shelving, we were eager to strip the space back to the bricks and start fresh with our vision.

 Designing the Bathroom

I started on Pinterest, where I gathered ideas and inspiration. I didn't go in with a concrete plan at the beginning, but instead had a bit of fun pinning a variety of inspiration until I had a clearer idea of the kind of aesthetic I liked. I was drawn to pastel colour palettes and themes, as well as other beautifully designed spaces. 

There’s nothing I love more than a bougie or characterful hotel bathroom - so I knew that this was a vibe that I wanted to aim for. I started saving various hardware and fittings that fitted with the style and loosely planned a colour palette of pastels, pinks, greens and gold. 

Creating the Moodboard with Adobe Express

To bring my ideas to life, I created a mood board using Adobe Express. This step was crucial for ensuring all the elements worked together harmoniously. There are over 1200 moodboard templates to choose from in Adobe Express, which is a fantastic way to get started. Sometimes, starting from a blank page can be intimidating (especially when it’s a big project like a renovation) but having a template made the whole process super simple to get started with.

I love beginning by collecting visual ideas on Pinterest (find my original board here), and then my next step is collating these elements on a mood board is essential to see if everything works together as envisioned. I started from this template in Adobe Express and added my own colour swatches, tiles, gold hardware, and some inspiration photos from Pinterest to tie it all together.

While there are plenty of interiors-specific templates, I landed on this one as I loved the focus on photography as well as the paint stroke and cut-out hardware imagery. I knew that this would be useful to showcase my ideas and keep on track with the visual style. I’ve resized my template to A4 so that it’s the right size for printing with most UK home printers, but you can easily resize the template in Express to whatever works best for you.

For a video tutorial on how I create my Bathroom Moodboard with Adobe Express, check out my reel here.

Inspirations and Influences

Many might be surprised to learn that much of the inspiration for the bathroom didn’t actually come from a particular Wes Anderson film, but was actually more influenced by the visual aesthetic of the Room 237 bathroom in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” a film that we go back to time and again. While a full-on replica of the iconic mint green bathroom wasn’t something that we were aiming for (although I admire those who have recreated it, like the terrific job done at this Airbnb at Big Bear Lake, CA), I wanted to pay homage through arched shapes, candy-coloured tiles, and symmetry.

This inspiration, combined with my disdain for the "big light," especially first thing in the morning, solidified my desire for wall-mounted lighting. After some searching, I found correctly IP-rated bathroom lighting with fluted glass shades that matched the shower screen perfectly. 

I learned so much about bathrooms during my research phase, including all about IP (ingress protection) ratings, which make certain electrical items usable in spaces like bathrooms. Here's a list of the various zones that you should consider when choosing lighting for a bathroom space*.

Bathroom Zones:

• Zone 0: Inside the bath or shower itself. Requires a minimum of IP67.
• Zone 1: Above the bath or shower up to 2.25 meters. Requires a minimum of IP44.
• Zone 2: 0.6 meters outside the bath or shower and the area around the wash basin. Requires a minimum of IP44.
• Zone 3 (Outside Zones): Anywhere outside zones 0, 1, and 2, where no direct water jets are likely. IP20 is generally sufficient.

* This applies in the UK - for those outside of the UK this may differ. I'd always recommend consulting a professional for any electrical work. 

Photoshop Room Mockup & Tile Plan

Using Adobe Photoshop, I created a mockup and tile plan for the bathroom. Our tiler was impressed that I had chosen a tile that fit perfectly in full rows within the space with no half tiles or parts of the design cut off. Was this sheer good luck, or was it all down to my meticulous planning? I’ll let you decide ;)

I started with a rough sketch using Procreate on my iPad and then, once I’d narrowed down the hardware and fittings, added them to the next draft of the mockup on Photoshop. I tried to work to scale—again, working out how many rows of tiles would fit. This detailed planning made the installation process smoother and ensured that the final result was exactly as envisioned. 

The Installation Process

Our fitter had initially estimated 1-2 weeks for installation, but this was before he’d seen our choice of very narrow wall tiles. Between tiling, and a few other delays due to items having to be replaced or sourced again, the whole process took around 3 weeks of work.

Creating My Viral Reel with Adobe Express

The bathroom had only been finished a few days and already felt like something from the Grand Budapest Hotel. I spotted this beautifully shot but hilariously accurate Wes Anderson parody reel by Ava Williams and decided to make my own version. I used similar shots to her “dollhouse” style upward pans as well as static shots to show the space.

I created graphic typography slides to pair with my video clips using accent pink and green colours from the bathroom design using Adobe Express. Wes Anderson is well known for his love of Futura (which features heavily within some of his early works such as "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenenbaums") so using this was crucial for that unmistakable Wes Anderson vibe. Futura is not only a staple in Anderson’s films but also a brand font for me, which made it a natural choice for my project.

My Tips for a Successful Bathroom Renovation

Make a Detailed Visual Plan

Share it with your contractor to ensure everyone is on the same page. Our fitter said that this was the first pink bathroom he’d ever fitted (which was a surprise to me, but I guess not everyone is on the same page when it comes to colourful interiors!) so it was important that I was able to share my vision with him at the start. I love Adobe Photoshop for visualising room mockups, but Adobe Express is also a great way to dip your toe into creating visuals like mood boards. Adobe Express is free to sign up—check it out here. If you sign up using my affiliate link above, I get a small kickback as a thank you for your support.

Give Yourself Time to Reflect: Before you start the installation or ordering process, try printing out your moodboard and put it somewhere you’ll see it every day. Do you still love it a month later? Tiling & fitting bathroom hardware is a semi-long-term commitment and can be expensive, so it’s a good idea to make sure you’re happy before you go ahead.

Be Ready for Changes: Expect some things to change during the process. The mirror I originally ordered arrived broken, prompting me to keep looking. I found this beauty from West Elm which has storage and is even more beautiful and functional than the first one. It was definitely more of an investment piece, but the storage is invaluable and keeps our daily essentials tucked away tidily.

Budget for Contingencies: Following on from my last point, it’s important to have a budget for unexpected changes or issues, like having to return and re-order items that don’t work in the space.

Addressing Concerns

Some people advised against creating such an "extra" and colourful space due to potential resale issues down the line. But with no plans to move any time soon, we decided that it was more important for the space to reflect our personality and tastes. We didn’t want our home decor or environment to be dictated by what might please a potential buyer years in the future! This is our home now, and we want it to be a space that we love and enjoying living in.

My Tips for Creating Viral Content

Here are a few things that worked for me:

Be Quick Off the Mark: This trend was popular for several weeks. Posting early helped me gain early traction. A follow-up reel in a similar style didn’t get as much attention.

Focus on Visual Styles and Aesthetics: The unmistakable shots and style made my video stand out. Look for unique colour palettes and typefaces that differentiate your content. Create a brand library in Adobe Express so that to keep your content visually consistent. 

Final Thoughts

One year later, my Wes Anderson bathroom still brings me joy every day. As of today, the reel that I made has had 4.5 million views, and I’m still fairly stunned that so many people have seen inside the bathroom of my home! The design process was a creative journey, and seeing the final result, loved by so many, has been incredibly rewarding. If you’re considering a bold design choice, my advice would be to go for it. It’s your space, after all. Almost 14 months on, I can confirm I have no regrets!

Thanks again to Adobe Express for sponsoring this post. If you want to have a go at creating your own interiors mood boards, don’t forget to sign up to Adobe Express for free today and check out the template I created here.

Links in italic are affiliate links.

Want an eco-friendly alternative to single use cotton wool pads? These adorable biscuit versions make great gifts, if you can bear to part with them! 

If you don’t have a sewing machine or overlocker but have a friend that does, why not organise a group crafting session? Don’t worry if not, you can also make them by hand! I’ll go through a variety of methods of making them. 

You will need:

• Mini Printed Biscuit Fabric Pieces - Set of 10
• Scissors
• Needle and thread
• Pins or clips
• Backing fabric*
• Optional: Erasable fabric pen

*Choose a fabric that feels nice against your skin such as towelling (you could repurpose an old towel / facecloth), flannel / brushed cotton, or cotton jersey (you could use an old t-shirt). As I make some of my own clothes, I used my cotton jersey scraps.

You’ll also need at least one of the following:

• Overlocker
• Sewing machine
• Pinking shears
• Stranded embroidery floss

1. Start by cutting out your chosen biscuit. You could use the printed guidelines on the design, or draw your own with fabric pen.

2. Pin your biscuit onto your backing fabric and use it as a guide to cut your backing. I used two layers of cotton jersey to make them extra soft and squishy, but you’ll only need one layer of towelling.

3. Attach your biscuit fabric and backing fabric using your chosen method. I used an overlocker for the rectangular biscuits and a sewing machine for the circular designs. You can allegedly overlock a circle, but I made a right mess of it! I’ll continue showing the overlocker method for now, but keep scrolling for the sewing machine and hand sewing options…

4. I overlocked each of the four edges separately, as this gave me a neater result than trying to pivot at the corners.

5. Trim the overlock threads to about an inch, and tuck them into the seams using a tapestry needle. This gives a much more secure finish than snipping them.

6. If your biscuit has stretched out or gone wrinkly in the process, give it a good steamy press with an iron. 

7. …and voila! A beautiful biscuit cotton pad!

Using a Sewing Machine

As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t have much success trying to overlock a circle so I used my sewing machine for the party ring, digestive and jammy heart. These methods also work for the rectangular designs, you just need to pivot at each corner. Thankfully, that’s much easier on a sewing machine than on an overlocker!

You can either use a thread that blends into your chosen design, or a contrast colour. I used pink on my samples so it’s easier for you to see my stitches. There’s a few different ways to make them, depending on your machine’s settings. I used an overcasting stitch, but not all machines have them - check your manual! I tried a few different ones, but found that this one worked best:

Even if you don’t usually use pins, I highly recommended them here as three layers will move around a LOT. There’s a bit of a knack to sewing a circle which involves continuous rotating, and occasionally lifting the presser foot to reposition. There’s lots of helpful videos on YouTube that will explain this better than I could, and I recommend having a practice run first with some scrap fabric if this is new to you. 

This method causes a lot of wrinkling, but fear not, a good steamy press with an iron will fix that! 

…and voila! These don’t look quite as crisp as the overlocked edges, but I made some in August 2019 using this method, and they’re still going strong. 

If your machine doesn’t have an overcasting stitch, a zigzag will achieve a similar effect. Use a nice wide zigzag (4-5mm) with a stitch length of 2-3mm and ensure the needle goes just off the edge of the fabric to encase the raw edge. 

If your sewing machine only stitches in a straight line, stitch approximately 5-10mm from the edge, and use pinking shears to stop the edge of the biscuit fabric fraying. Make sure you don’t snip through your line of stitches!

Hand Sewing

You can also use pinking shears with a hand-stitched line, although I must confess I didn’t demo this method as my hand-stitching is atrocious! 

Alternatively, you could blanket stitch around the edge with embroidery floss. Again, there’s lots of wonderful tutorials on YouTube if you’re not familiar with this method. It’s a firm favourite of mine and I guarantee you’ll want to blanket stitch everything in sight!

These are absolutely one of my favourite things I’ve ever made and I’m so excited to use them! I’ll be saving these to use with toner on make-up-free days to keep them looking fresh, as I have a good stash of less-biscuity ones to use for make-up. 

You could also the rainbow biscuit fabric pack and cut them to your desired shape and size. Use a glass or mug to get a nice neat circle, or simply divide each 20cm square up into smaller squares for minimum waste!

To clean: Pop them in a mesh bag in the washing machine with your usual colour/dark wash. I roll mine up in a towel and pop it on the radiator to dry, because if I leave them on a flat surface, my cat sits on them…for some reason. 

You can see more of my craft projects on Instagram, and read my bullet journal blog posts on Nikki’s Supply Store.

Happy sewing!

Joy