decorating | vintage bath left “I love the look of cast iron tubs, but they’re so cold,” says homeowner Shereen de Rousseau. “This one is volcanic limestone, so I get the vintage look without the icy bath water.”
A dated bathroom was given a fresh facelift brimming with vintage character and charm, resulting in a space that’s light, bright and made for long, leisurely bubble baths.
hidden TEXT NANCY WON photography janis nicolay
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gem
hen jewellery designer Shereen de Rousseau and her husband, Wilf LeBlanc, bought their Vancouver home in 2003, it may have looked like a 1950s time warp, but behind the pink shag carpeting, pine-panelled walls and retro Formica laminate, the couple sensed a diamond in the rough. “It was one of those houses where you’d peek under things and find mahogany-inlaid hardwood flooring, lath-and-plaster walls and original baseboards from the 1920s,” she says. “We were like, ‘Wow this place is actually a gem!’” Knowing it would require some work, the couple snapped up the house and immediately turned their attention to the master bathroom. “It had vinyl flooring, wooden slat walls and, my personal favourite, a toilet that was on a wooden platform that you had to step up onto – when you sat down, your feet would dangle!” she says with a laugh. “It wasn’t a bathroom I could live with for very long!” Wanting to create a serene, spa-like escape, Shereen stuck to an all-white
decorating | vintage bath
“Although everything was new, i really wanted the space to look and feel like the original bathroom from 1923.� Shereen de rousseau, homeowner
LeFT Shereen kept all the fixtures in the room similar, choosing a polished nickel finish to imbue warmth and charm to the cool, white space. top A large antique hutch, given to the couple by a friend, hides away toiletries, towels and bathroom accessories and incorporates a touch of roughness to the clean lines of the room. above Watery turquoise glass bottles match the other blue accessories throughout the space. The jewel-like colour really pops against all the white.
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decorating | vintage bath
Bistro Train rack, from $169 US, Restoration Hardware, rh.com.
Rich pedestal detailing on the toilet and the bidet is a subtle but elegant touch in the ensuite. Above, a framed black and white photograph reflects the room’s graphic scheme.
Halfway Sconce in Polished Chrome, $285 US, Rejuvenation, rejuvenation.com.
Hemnes mirror in White, $50, IKEA, ikea.ca.
vintage style
Soft whites, 1920s-inspired fittings and fixtures and a luxurious claw foot tub make for an enviable ensuite. producer morgan lindsay
palette and incorporated 1920s influences through detailed pedestal fixtures, polished nickel faucets and a classic combination of subway and hexagonal tiles. “Although everything was new, I really wanted it to look and feel like it could have been the original bathroom from 1923,” explains Shereen. Once demolition began, her vision turned out to be closer to reality than she’d hoped. “Under the vinyl, we found the exact same hexagonal tile I chose! Then we took the wood off the walls and there were the subway tiles!” she says. “It was kind of creepy.” Sadly, bad plumbing meant it all had to come out. “It killed us to do it – it was in beautiful shape – but it had to be gutted,” she says. Still, although the bathroom is brand new, there’s no mistaking its vintage spirit. As for whether divine intervention or simple coincidence is responsible, Shereen prefers to keep an open mind. “It was definitely meant to be,” she says. “I like to tell people that the house was speaking to me.”
Dune White CC-70 paint, Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.ca.
Randolph Morris acrylic double-sided Claw Foot tub, $946 US, British Telephone fixture set in Chrome, $468 US, Vintage Tub & Bath, vintagetub.com.
Cameron buffet, $1,529, Pottery Barn, potterybarn.com.
Hexagonal tiles in Matte White, $9 per sq. ft., Ciot, ciot.com.
Cloud White CC-40 wall paint, Benjamin Moore; Victoria + Albert claw foot tub, Cantu Bathrooms & Hardware; pedestal sink, toilet, bidet, Robinson Lighting & Bath Centre; sink faucet, towel rack, sconces, Restoration Hardware; subway wall tiles, hexagonal floor tiles, Daltile.
For Sources, see our Workbook
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S @H
Check out five more bathrooms we love at styleathome.com/5bathrooms.
photography, joe kim/tc media (tiles)
Memoirs pedestal sink, $1,086, Kohler, kohler.ca.