Discover Joy in Design with Will Taylor

Are you looking for a feel-good style for your home? Will Taylor is known for creating designs that are both inspirational and attainable. Not only is he a leading content creator, but he is also a TV host, product designer, and two-time best-selling author who’s known for bringing an audience of millions the latest in home, fashion, and travel trends.

With this bathroom, a statement floor, timeless finishes, and a neutral color palette come together to make the space a welcoming retreat for the start and end of the day. Get to know the designer and his approach to creating captivated rooms like this bathroom.

About Will Taylor

“My mission is to encourage people to live their life in a way that makes them smile, whether that’s how they decorate, the way they dress, or the places they travel. My make-you-smile-style ethos is about bringing joy and happiness to the everyday. I do this via the content I create and share on my social media, writing design books, and my product line.” – Will Taylor

Taylor’s Background

Taylor was introduced to the world of design early, when he worked at a furniture store in England called Habitat. This cemented his long-standing passion for interior design and taught him valuable styling skills. His experience there included learning about the importance of the merchandising process, by which rooms were designed and arranged.

A journalism degree led him to a freelance writing career and the inception of a design blog called Bright Bazaar. It was the middle of a recession and homeowners were advised to paint their homes beige so they would sell faster. Starting his blog was an opportunity to stand up against that advice and encourage homeowners to decorate in a style that brought joy into their lives.

Taylor’s Design Process

Taylor prides himself on having a varied aesthetic. “I don’t have one style I repeat. Instead, I tend to change up the style depending on the space. For example, in my Cape Cod home, the style is more classic and traditional with heritage features, such as aged brass switches, ornate moldings, chair rails, and lots of patterns. Whereas the addition I added to the house is much more modern and Scandinavian in style, with clean lines, neutral colors, and warm wood textures.”

Where Taylor Finds Inspiration

With designs that are so varied in style, inspiration has to come from somewhere. Here, Taylor outlines his three favorite sources of inspiration.

1. Travel: Hotel rooms, lobbies, shops and restaurants are a great opportunity to see sconces, furniture, wall colors and other design essentials in new and eye-catching combinations.
2. Nature: Going on a hike or a walk is a great place to start your design. “Look at how colors and textures in the natural environment play together,” Taylor adds.
3. Online: Taylor explains, “I have always loved that social media provides lots of inspiration to see and experience things that you might not have considered, so I have lots of folders on all the social networks of things that inspire me.”

The Project

Where the Project Starts

Every project needs a starting point and Taylor explains, “I start with the furniture layout. I think about how I would like to live in the space, where does the light come in, how would I like the large pieces of furniture to sit in a space.”

Try starting with the larger items in the room, such as a dining table, bed or sofa. From there, build out the electrical plan and where you want lamps and lighting solutions. Finally, think about wall colors, flooring, and a final furniture layout.

Design Rules Taylor Loves to Break

According to Taylor, “my biggest design rule is don’t follow the trend. I have made this mistake myself where I buy something because it’s cool at the moment, only then to fall out of love with it just as quickly.” He goes onto say that the pieces he buys because he’s truly in love with them, become pieces he has for much longer. For him, one of those pieces is a navy slipcovered couch.

Save vs. Splurge

Every project has a budget, and Taylor likes to save money on the items you don’t touch regularly, such as sconces. That allows for more budget to be allocated for the things that are going to be experienced every day. If you go cheap on a faucet, for example, you’ll notice it every time you touch that faucet. Sometimes choosing quality is essential to how it operates in the space.

Trends Worth Using

When asked which trends he does love and recommend in designs, Taylor said, “I always love to include layered lighting.” By layered lighting, he means to have different light sources used throughout the room to create an atmosphere that’s cozy and warm. For the most versatility, make sure to have lighting on dimmers so you can adjust brightness according to the space and how you’re using the space at the moment.

Final Design Tips

Taylor’s final tip to all homeowners is to incorporate technology that’s hidden. Motion sensors that activate lighting are a great addition to closets, entryways and corridors. Delta has a voice-activated faucet he loves to incorporate into designs because it allows for hands-free use.

The Ferguson Experience 

The incredible range of products and fast shipping speed brought Taylor to Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting, but that isn’t the only reason he’s partnered with us. “I love the chat feature on Ferguson’s website.” He uses this feature anytime he needs to double-check the measurement of a product.

He can bring fabric or tile samples in and hold them up to the array of products offered so he knows for sure that they will all look great together. This results in far fewer delays during the design process.

Do you want to create a bathroom inspired by Taylor’s project? He’s partnered with Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery to create a Shop by Look page with all the stunning products featured in his design. Go to @brightbazaar on Instagram to check out more of Will Taylor’s designs.