Travertine bathroom accessories: choose and care

A soap dispenser, a soap dish, a tumbler, a tray: in travertine, everyday bathroom pieces take on a warm, calming, mineral presence. The trick is to build a set that hangs together, and to know how to live with a porous stone in the dampest room of the house. Here is how to choose your travertine bathroom accessories, look after them, and light the room with stone lamps.

Building a matching set: round or square

A bathroom set is taken in at a glance, so it pays to pick one line and stick to it. Most of our pieces come in two shape families, all in the same creamy beige natural travertine with a smooth surface and visible pores.

• The round line, softer: the round travertine soap dispenser (17.5 cm tall), the round cotton jar (Ø 8 × 12 cm), the round tumbler (Ø 8 × 10 cm), the round travertine soap dish (Ø 11 cm) and the round reed diffuser holder, low (Ø 8 × 6 cm) or tall (Ø 7 × 11 cm).
• The square line, more architectural: square dispenser (7 × 7 × 19 cm), square cotton jar (8 × 8 × 12 cm), square tumbler (7 × 7 × 11.5 cm), rectangular soap dish (12 × 8 cm), square diffuser holder (7 × 7 × 11 cm) and the clean-lined travertine tissue box (18 × 13.5 × 9 cm or 25 × 13.5 × 9 cm).

Gold details tie it together: the gold pump on the dispenser, the gold lid on the cotton jar, the gold ring on the diffuser holder. Three touches of gold are plenty; any more and the stone starts to lose its presence. The soap dish, tumbler and tissue box stay pure stone, which gives the whole set room to breathe.

For toothbrushes, the tumbler also comes as a double compartment holder (14 × 9 × 10 cm) and a three-slot version (13.5 × 6 × 8 cm), handy in a shared bathroom.

A tray to bring it all together

Scattered across the vanity, even beautiful things look messy. A tray groups them and gives the eye somewhere to land. The travertine bathroom tray comes in six formats: with a raised rim, from 23.5 × 14 to 30 × 25 cm and 3 cm high, as a 30 × 12 cm slab, or as a 25 × 12 cm oval. The hand-cut and polished oval travertine tray (24.5 × 12 or 29.5 × 15 cm) sits neatly by the basin, while the footed travertine tray (25.8 × 10 × 2.5 cm) lifts bottles and soap off the counter. For a single bottle or a perfume, a raw travertine display slab with open pores (10 × 10 to 10 × 20 cm) is all you need.

An easy arrangement: on a 30 × 20 cm rimmed tray, the dispenser, tumbler and soap dish from the same line; next to it, the cotton jar and tissue box. The diffuser holder works best a little apart, on a shelf. Browse the full range of stone trays and our bathroom collection.

Travertine and moisture: is a sealer worth it?

Travertine is a porous limestone. Clean water does not harm it, but stone that stays wet can be left with water rings, especially in hard-water areas, and the pores can trap soap or toothpaste residue. Our product pages do not call for any special treatment: just a soft, slightly damp cloth and no acidic products.

A penetrating sealer made for natural stone can still help reduce absorption, particularly on the soap dish and the tray, which see the most water. If you decide to use one, choose a product suited to limestone, try it first somewhere discreet such as the underside, and follow its instructions, as some sealers darken the stone slightly or give it a sheen. Our guide to caring for travertine explains how to apply it. Either way, no sealer replaces wiping up water.

Everyday care

• Wipe away standing water: in the bottom of the tumbler, under the soap, around the base of the dispenser. As the soap dish page puts it: empty the water and let the stone dry between uses.
• A soft, slightly damp cloth, then a dry one: the same rule appears on every one of our product pages.
• No acids: vinegar, lemon, limescale removers and toilet or shower cleaners eat into the limestone and leave dull marks.
• No scouring pads or cream cleansers, which scratch the surface.
• Move the stone pieces aside when you descale taps or the basin, to avoid splashes.
• The diffuser holder is sold on its own, without fragrance oil. Spilled oil can mark porous stone, so fill it carefully and wipe up any drop straight away.

Pores and natural variation

Every product page says it: veining, pores and colour vary from piece to piece. Two dispensers from the same line will never be exactly alike, and that is what sets real stone apart from an imitation. Visible pores are the signature of travertine; a soft brush now and then is enough to clear out dust and soap. In a set, these small differences blend on their own, because it is the same stone in the same creamy beige.

Lighting the bathroom with stone

A travertine lamp gives a warm light and stays a beautiful object when it is switched off. Three new pieces join our travertine and wood pendant:

• The swivel travertine wall light: a stone disc (Ø 10 × 4 cm) that turns through 180° to aim the light, integrated 9 W warm white LED, light wood or walnut finish, with a pull cord or without a switch (it then works from the room’s wall switch).
• The travertine LED ceiling light: Ø 10 × 6 cm, integrated 9 W warm white LED, lighting roughly 1 to 3 m², in natural wood or walnut.
• The travertine cylinder pendant: warm white light directed downwards, slim (Ø 4 × 28 cm, G9 base) or short (Ø 6.5 × 16 cm, E14 base), 5 W bulb and 180 cm cable.
• The travertine and wood pendant: about Ø 20 cm, E27 socket, in walnut or light wood.

Safety first: our product pages do not state an IP rating or suitability for damp areas. Bathrooms are divided into safety zones around the bath and shower, each with its own rules. Before fitting any of these lights in a bathroom, ask an electrician to check the planned position and the zones in the room. As the product pages say, electrical installation should always be done by a professional.

These stone lamps also belong close by: the ceiling light is designed for a hallway, an entrance or a bedroom, and the wall light can be turned towards the wall, the bed or a reading chair. To clean, use a soft dry cloth with the light switched off. See all our and , and our .

Pairing travertine with linen

Creamy stone and the texture of washed linen are a natural match. The washed linen bath towel (70 × 140 cm, 100 % stone-washed linen, in natural or white) swaps terry cotton for a light fabric that dries quickly. For hands, the pure linen towel, 38 × 55 cm comes in six colours: linen or caramel echo the stone, grey or black add contrast. On the floor, the waffle bath mats finish the look. Find it all in our bath linen, and keep your towels soft with our linen care guide.

FAQ

Is travertine a good choice for a bathroom?

Yes, as long as you wipe up standing water, let the stone dry and avoid acidic products. A sealer for natural stone can add extra protection.

How do I clean a travertine soap dispenser?

With a soft, slightly damp cloth, no acidic cleaner or limescale remover, then dry it with a clean cloth.

Can I put a travertine wall light next to the basin?

Our product pages do not specify use in damp areas, so have an electrician check the position and the bathroom safety zones before installing it.

Why are my pieces not exactly the same colour?

Because travertine is a natural stone: veining, pores and colour vary from one piece to the next.

Shop the bathroom