SarahBeenySpringIssue2017 - 167
BAT H R O O M M A K E O V E R ▲ renovations by previous owners, the couple set about looking for companies that could provide products in authentic Victorian styles. A LOW-LEVEL TOILET WITH A HANDLE FLUSH IS AN ELEGANT CHOICE REAL DEAL Before needed both bathrooms in good shape, especially having just moved from a house with two large bathrooms.' Beige wall tiles coupled with a brown floor gave the upstairs bathroom a dark and dingy feel. The long, narrow space had the toilet sandwiched between the wall and the bath's shower screen, and a mirrored medicine cabinet hung incongruously over the toilet. Sarah, a TV script editor, and Richard, a tug master (someone who assists with the berthing of ships), decided they could make better use of the space by installing a luxurious corner bath at the end of the room. This would free up space to site the toilet in a more practical 'We trawled the internet for ideas, looking for "Victorian bathrooms" and "Victorian tiles" in particular,' explains Sarah. 'We came across a tile company called Original Style, and discovered its Artworks Collection. 'Before making any decisions, we wanted to see the tiles in real life. Fortunately, our local retailer, Decoramic Tile Centre in Rochester, is an Original Style supplier. 'For the upstairs bathroom walls, we WORDS: CATHERINE FRANCIS, PHOTOGRAPHY: MARTYN HICKS, FOR STOCKISTS: SEE PG 289 THE TOILET, SINK AND SHOWER WERE SO CLOSE YOU COULD SIT ON THE LOO, WASH YOUR HANDS AND SHOWER SIMULTANEOUSLY Before THE UPSTAIRS BATHROOM WAS CRAMPED AND DREARY position by the sink. They settled on a monochrome colour scheme, with Victorian-style fixtures and lighting. 'Our plan for the upstairs bathroom was inspired by classical Victorian black-and-white tiling I'd seen in a friend's bathroom,' says Sarah. SPACE MAKER 'We also had to consider the size of the space, so we opted for light colours with a simple design so as not to overpower the area.' Downstairs, the wet room required a more radical reworking to create a larger, more practical space with a toilet, sink and large walk-in shower. 'Everything was crammed into a space half the size it is now, leaving a void area in the old back door porch entrance, which had been blocked up,' says Sarah. 'We wanted to keep the original entrance, so we decided to take off the door between the porch and the wet room, to open up the space, and replace the old back door with a reclaimed one. I also planned a full-length wall mirror to reflect light and give the illusion of greater space.' Keen to restore the character and charm that had been lost during chose white metro bevelled edge wall tiles. In the downstairs shower room, we went for brick tiles in porcelain from the Winchester Tile Company (part of Original Style). 'And for the floors of both our bathrooms, we settled on classic octagon and dot mosaic shapes.' The couple visited a salvage yard in Strood, where they sourced a wooden door to fit the original frame of the back door, and then turned their attention to finding fixtures and fittings in keeping with the style of their home. 'Rochester-based Swanway Plumbing & Heating Supplies suggested the Burlington range, which includes sinks, toilets and cisterns that fit the dimensions and style of our bathrooms,' says Sarah. 'The upstairs radiator is also from Swanway, and is a rather unusual sail shape in a dark charcoal colour. 'We didn't want to put a modern chrome radiator in this room, but there wasn't space for a Victorian radiator. This sail-shaped one fits neatly on the wall next to the bath.' The lighting came from Angelo's Lighting in Turnpike Lane, north > www.athomemagazine.co.uk MAY 2017 | 167