Over the past few years, decades of established interior design traditions when it came to bathrooms and accessible bath solutions have been thrown out, with waves of white tiles being replaced with all manner of unique and personal touches.
For the most part, these have attempted to provide a spa feel to wet rooms and showers, but for every piece of marble paradise, there are some trends that have been less well received, with one recent house tour video creating a considerable amount of debate.
The house tour, starring British singer Lily Allen and American actor David Harbour, raised a few eyebrows, almost all of which pointed at their bathroom, which featured velvet armchairs, an antique cabinet, a giant pink fridge and a sink with swan-shaped taps.
A lot of it is affluent, aspirational and rather odd, but there is one particular aspect to the bathroom which used to be a lot more common and was almost always destined to end badly.
The room has a rather elaborate carpet, and this has proven to be the most controversial aspect as even amidst the other strange aesthetic choices that one can make when the budget is practically limitless, a carpet seems to be inherently a bad idea in a bathroom that would see common use.
In this case, it has been chosen purely for stylistic reasons; the intention was to create a lounge or living room aesthetic but in the room seen as least typically suited for it.
It is also possible, although there is no proof that this is the case, that the carpet was specially designed to be used in the bathroom.
There are waterproof carpets available on the market that are designed with stain, humidity and mould-resistant materials to avoid many of the common issues inherent with a carpeted floor.
As well as this, a well-made carpet does avoid the issues with slipping that can be seen with stone-flag floors, and obviously is more comfortable and warm, meaning that you do not necessarily have to rely on underfloor heating or searing hot radiators to stay warm when you step out of the bath or shower.
However, there are so many self-evident issues with carpeted bathroom floors that it is difficult to know where to start.
The first is the build-up of mould, dirt and mildew that whilst a problem for many bathrooms is particularly an issue with carpets due to the fibres that the mould can grow on. This can also spread and potentially infect other soft furnishings.
As well as the issue of mould, there is the problem with the water itself. Water can damage carpet fibres, causing patches that are frequently hit with water to start fading, thinning or even eroding away entirely. This is a problem also seen although not as badly with kitchen carpets as well.
Carpets can be exceptionally difficult to clean at the best of times and being in a bathroom does not help matters here. Ultimately, this is a trend that should be left back in the 1970s, despite some rather classy and stylish maximalist examples.