RENO OF THE MONTH

before

PROBLEM A very pink and functionally awkward bathroom SOLUTION Rearrange the elements to make room for a dream tub, taps and tile FLOOR PLAN 80

sq. ft. tall order

The beauty of designer Nicola Marc’s modern-meets-traditional family bathroom is all in its proportions.

TEXT LESLEY YOUNG | PHOTOGRAPHY MONIC RICHARD

ABOVE Homeowner and designer Nicola Marc is grateful for the preexisting skylight over the vanity, the only source of natural light in her bathroom. The custom-cut extra-long mirror draws the eye up; it was hung high enough that splashes won’t mar its beauty.

DESIGN, Marc Gold Interiors, marc- goldinteriors.com; CONTRACTING, Entrepreneur S.C. & Fils; Cornforth White 228 WALL PAINT, Farrow & Ball; Beauti-Tone White Dew FD065-0 TRIM PAINT, Home Hardware; VANITY, Wetstyle; WALL TILES, Ciot; FLOOR TILES, Ramacieri Soligo; IN-FLOOR HEATING, Flextherm; FAUCET, Batimat; SCONCES, Restoration Hardware; yellow TOWEL, Anthropologie; grey TOWELS, West Elm.

Designer Nicola Marc used her savvy eye to see beyond the layers of outdated decorating trends in this 1915 Montreal home. “When we bought it in 2013, a lot of original features were still intact, including the crown mouldings, wide baseboards and high ceilings,” she explains. Nicola made sure those were preserved in a year-long whole-house renovation that took place before the family of four moved in. Among the rooms in most dire straits was the upstairs family bathroom, with its awkward door placement, super-tiny bathtub and jarring pink walls. “It wasn’t conducive to a soothing bathing space,” says the co-owner of Marc Gold Interiors. Nicola, who loves a relaxing soak, had already picked out her must-have item – a stunning sleek tub – so it was just a matter of working in the other elements. The planning process “I designed

the bathroom around the scale of the bathtub,” says Nicola. She opted to keep the toilet where it was to avoid the extra plumbing cost, but she moved the existing door to create a more logical entry point and to maximize usable wall space. Nicola wanted the shower separate from the tub and chose a low-profile tray and an all-glass enclosure to keep it as unobtrusive as possible. She had the glass walls raised up to lock in postshower heat. “I find showers feel a little cold when you turn off the water,” she says, so add- ing in-floor heating was also a must.

The design decisions Nicola’s second

favourite item is the vanity; with its shiny chrome washstand base and white glossy countertop, it embodies the space’s mix of classic and contemporary styles. To that end, she chose über-modern faucets with white tempered-glass handles that recall old-world porcelain versions. Nicola justified the pricey fixtures by saving some money on the tiles, which you would never guess are all porcelain and ceramic.

The result Nicola loves her new family bathroom. Between taking care of the kids and her own long baths, she spends more time here now than she does in her master ensuite.

THIS STOOL BOASTS A SPOT TO HOLD BATH-TIME ESSENTIALS.

ABOVE The dreadful pink walls were painted over with “a soft stone colour that works well with the white elements in the space,” says Nicola. A simple rack holds multiple towels, and the stool is handy for helping daughter Clara, 8, climb in and out of the bathtub.

BATHTUB, Wetstyle; STOOL, TOWELS, West Elm; FAUCET, Batimat; Parc National du Bic ARTWORK, Donna Griffith.

LEFT Nicola opted for open shelving because she enjoys creating little vignettes. Each family member gets a shelf (she plans to add one for her 20-month-old son, Luka).

SHOWER TILES, Ramacieri Soligo; SHOWER TRAY, Wetstyle; SHELVES, EQ3; SHOWER FIXTURES, Batimat; BATH MAT, West Elm.

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