A new bathroom was required to for a Georgian farmhouse that was being updated by our client.
Challenge
Our client wanted to replace the dated and tired looking bathroom that they had inherited when they moved into their home. As our client both worked long hours, they wanted somewhere to relax at the end of they day so were looking to achieve a calm and luxurious feel. Although a period property, our brief was to design a contemporary looking bathroom, that would be easy to maintain, and be in keeping with the age of the property.
Solution
The floor had been raised so that piping could be hidden under the floor. While this gave us a great foundation to work with, it meant that the window was very low to the ground, creating potential issues with privacy. As a result we retained the existing layout of the room so that none of the furniture was directly in front of the low window. There had been a leak underneath the bath and as a result the paneling had become rotten. Firstly we stripped back the carpet and removed the rotten panels and lay underfloor heating. We used Karndean wood effect flooring in ‘Country Oak’ to create a warm appearance to couple the warmth of the heating underneath. The walls were mainly painted, but we used Corian panels in ‘Witch hazel’ as a splashback behind the vanity unit, and surrounding the shower. Corian is a good low maintenance choice as there is no grout joins or silicon seals to keep clean.
The main feature of the bathroom is the Ashton & Bentley ‘Isis’ bath. This is a lovely example of a slipper bath with additional height at one end for neck and back support. The client selected a matt finish to match the matt Corian basin they had chosen. The tap is a Hansgrohe ‘Metropol’ bath mixer with a hand held spray, useful for rinsing the bath down.
The handleless vanity unit, from The Bathroom Company in ‘White Gloss’ adds to the modern design. The Corian basin surround also in ‘Witch hazel’ ties the colour scheme together as well as being easy to clean. The client wished to have a ‘square’ theme running through the taps and bathroom brassware. The tap we suggested was a Keuco Edition 11 wall mounted tap with matching accessories.
Above the vanity unit and the bath, running the full length of the wall, we installed bespoke mirrors from Decoglaze. Both mirrors were designed to run at the same height and at the same level to create consistency and clean lines. Above the mirror overhanging the vanity unit we installed a light from Astro lighting. The full length mirror helps bounce light around the room as well as making the room feel bigger.
We created a wet room effect shower with recessed shower tray also in matt Corian to maintain the same finishing throughout. The Corian shower tray provides a very solid base that doesn’t move underfoot. The shower screen panels are from Kudos. The Keuco shower with Ixmo controls have a simplistic square design and are easy to use – allowing you to reach into and turn the shower on without getting wet.
To heat the room, as well as the underfloor heating, we recommended a Zehnder Roda Spa radiator in ‘Beige Quartz’. The client chose this modern asymmetrical design which enables towels to be hung conveniently from the side.
We replaced the back to wall toilet with a Villeroy & Boch ‘Architectura’ toilet that goes down to the floor which again is easy to keep clean.
“This room has been a great success. When you walk in you immediately feel calm, which is what you want in a bathroom and what we set out to achieve. I’m also glad to hear that my client is happy that they made the investment in the luxurious slipper bath – they’ve told me that it is extremely comfortable and they use it all the time.”
– Rebecca Brown
