When interiors blogger Jessica Hurrell began designing her bathroom, she had a clear vision of what she wanted – marble and brass surfaces against a black backdrop.

Her bold choice paid off when she recently came first in the bathroom category of the Houzz and ES Magazine London Home Design Awards. In the process, she realised, “I can and should trust my instincts.”

“It was the reason I initially dismissed even going to view this house,” says Jessica Hurrell of the original bathroom in her Victorian home. “But I kept coming back to it, because I knew I could make the house – including this room – beautiful again.

“I wanted to be rid of all the beige travertine tiles and create a bathroom that was more functional without compromising on style,” she says. “I think bathrooms should be a bit indulgent and this one definitely is, but it works much better for our family than the previous one.”

Jessica kept most of the layout the same, but decided to replace the wall that divided the shower from the bath with a glass panel.

She also installed a freestanding bath. “The previous tub was built in and almost two metres long,” she says. “Replacing it with a freestanding one added floor space and made the room seem much bigger.”

The existing spotlights worked well with the unusual pitched roof, as a pendant would have been difficult to fit. “We just switched the spots to brass-plated LEDs,” Jessica says.

The dark walls were another clever trick for making the room seem larger. “I knew that going all black would make the room look bigger, as the ceiling disappears,” Jessica says. “It’s actually fairly narrow, but you can’t tell.”

The wall colour was also influenced by the choice of materials in the room. “I knew I wanted statement marble and brass hardware, and that I didn’t want anything else to be fighting for attention,” she explains. “Black brought out the beauty of those natural textures and kept it looking elegant rather than shouty.”

“The inspiration for the brass cabinets came from kitchens,” Jessica says. “I’d seen lots of images of brass kitchen cabinets and marble surfaces, and I didn’t want to wait until we did our kitchen to use those materials in a scheme.

“The brass cabinets will patinate naturally over time, which will give them lots of character,” she adds.

Jessica chose encaustic tiles for the floor, which don’t feel cold underfoot and don’t need constant polishing. “It’s a happy coincidence that the star pattern reflects in the brass cabinet and looks marvellous,” she adds. “I hadn’t considered that when I chose them, but I’m really glad it does.”

Jessica chose matching, midcentury-style sconces for either side of the mirror. “I love the lighting from that era and that’s always my go-to,” she says.

The chimney breast previously housed a tropical fish tank. “That had to go,” Jessica laughs. “I added the fireplace as a nod to the fact that this is a Victorian house, despite the modern bathroom fittings.”