6 minute read
WE SQUEEZED IN A SHOWER
from Cdfgcfg
‘ We squeezed in
TILE TRIO
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‘I used three types of tiles on the walls and floors yet they don’t overwhelm the space’
COME ON IN!
ABOUT ME I’m Joanna Thornhill, 39, an interiors stylist and writer (joanna thornhill.co.uk). I live in an 1890s terrace in Walthamstow, London, with my partner Paul Hughes, 40, a TV development executive. We moved here in 2012 and initially gave the dilapidated bathroom an inexpensive makeover, but it took us seven years to get round to properly renovating it. MY CHALLENGE The floor wasn’t level, which was causing the tiles to crack. There was no built-in storage, aside from a rotting under-sink unit. MY WISH LIST I wanted a separate walk-in shower, and to create better built-in storage. I also hoped to bring more unity to the room through design, and create a smarter space. CALMING COLOURS
‘I used soothing blues and greens on both the walls and cabinetry. I love how the teal sits with the monochrome of the tiles and woodwork’
A SHOWER, TOO’
IDEA TO STEA L ‘A semi-sheer bathroom blind looks neat and lets the light in, while offering extra privacy’
TOTA L £5,724
TURN OVER FOR MY SHOPPING LIST Joanna shopped smart to ensure she maximised her bathroom’s floor space without losing out on storage
ur house was rented before
Owe moved in, so while on the surface it all looked relatively clean and neutral, albeit a little tired, we soon realised how bad its condition was,’ says Joanna. ‘However, this gave us the opportunity to strip everything out (aside from original features) from top to bottom and create a space which was totally to our taste. Starting from scratch While budget prohibited us from relocating the basin and toilet, we knew that due to the faulty sub-floor and waterlogged plaster walls we’d need to completely gut the room and start again, which gave me the opportunity to work out how to incorporate the walk-in shower of my dreams. There was a wasted space at the end of the bath behind the door which was the perfect spot, though with most baths coming in at around 170cm long, frustratingly this was too tight to fit in an adequate 80cm width shower tray.
I’d always loved the idea of a roll-top bath, but had assumed they’d be out of my budget – however, a friend recommended the Cast Iron Bath Company: at just 153cm in length, their Petite Millbrook roll-top did the trick. By building a stud wall to close off the side of the new shower area, we could just fit this into the remaining space and, thanks to its smaller size, it worked within my overall budget, too. Victorian touches To reflect our home’s heritage, I wanted to bring some period-inspired pieces into the decor, which I achieved through our choice of toilet, taps and shower head. I fell in love with Gemini Tiles’ Cuban range: the mix-and-match designs have a lovely matt finish and a faded grandeur. I chose two different patterns – one for the floors and another for the shower area – then introduced marble hexagonal
BOX CLEVER
‘Rather than boxing in the space around the concealed toilet cistern and under the wash stand, I designed niches to store toilet rolls and cleaning products’
Make it! BESPOKE PICTURE RAIL
1Source enough ready-made picture ledges to fit across one whole wall (you’ll probably have to go longer than required, then amend one to create the exact fit).
2Starting from one side, screw in the ledges until the remaining space is shorter than the final ledge.
3Using a handsaw, cut away the excess length from the final ledge before fixing into the gap.
4Saw a decorative wooden trim to the same total length of the fitted ledges, then attach across the front with wood glue.
5Using some wood filler, fill in the joins between the individual ledges before sanding and painting.
Find more tips on creating an industriallook bathroom at idealhome.co.uk SUPER SOAKER
‘The touches of black on the handles here help it tie in visually with my all-black basin mixer’
STEP RIGHT UP
‘Although this space isn’t designed as a wet room, the walk-in configuration of this shower evokes the same fuss-free feel’
Buy it Shop Joanna’s eclectic mix PAGE 99
HOTEL CHIC
‘Having a roll-top bath is a luxury and its tall sides make for a comfortable soak. Despite its small size, it still manages to look generous in the space’
IDEA TO STEA L ‘A bath bridge offers an extra way to sneak in styling space, as well as providing a handy perch for drinks or books’
mosaics into the bath area, to visually distinguish between the different zones. Keen to ensure the scheme didn’t feel overwhelming, I went for a calming blue on both walls and ceiling, using teal on the built-in units for a harmonising look. Bespoke on a budget To make up for a loss of storage (a cabinet had to go to make space for the shower) we decided to go for built-in cabinetry along the entire left-hand wall. The building costs, however, were looking likely to spiral out of control given the level of storage I was after. In the end, I went for a ‘best of both worlds’ approach, by mixing two Ikea units (one freestanding cabinet and one wash stand) with some additional boxing, before painting it all in the same colour to blend everything together. This also hid some unsightly pipework, meaning we didn’t have the increased labour costs of having those chased in. Space to style As a commercial stylist, I love having surfaces to play around with and wanted space for both bathroom products and decorative accessories to create a more homely feel. As well as incorporating niches into the stud wall, I added a picture ledge above the bath for framed artwork to rest on, and chose pretty gold metal wall shelves for everyday essentials. To finish the look, I sourced a marble offcut, which we fitted either side of the basin, allowing space for my plant collection.’
Where to buy Joanna’s style
Black grid wet room shower enclosure panel, £631; acrylic stone capped shower tray, £302, both Roman Showers. Godmorgon 80cm wash stand, £150; Rattviken wash basin, £100; Ivar cabinet, £45, all Ikea. Carlton back to wall toilet, £99; Chatsworth soft close toilet seat, £49.95, both Victorian Plumbing. Belle de Louvain Castello basin mixer tap, £179; The Bath Co Winchester bath shower mixer tap, £149; Dulwich riser shower system, £389, all Victoria Plum. Fog Stone Hexagon marble mosaic tiles (W48xL48xD8mm), £33.55 each; Peronda Cuban tiles in Black Block and Silver Star, £49.99sq m, all Gemini Tiles. Walls in Pale Wedgwood; cabinets in Tea with Florence; bath in Thai Sapphire, each £66 for 2.5ltr, all Little Greene. Petite Millbrook cast iron bath, £877, Cast Iron Bath Company. Finn radiator in Anthracite, from £520, Bisque. Honed marble worktop, £150, Capital Granite. Xavier roller blind in Ivory, approx £100, Hillarys. Bernadotte wall lights, £96 each, Holloways of Ludlow. Wooden bath bridge, £58, Dyke & Dean. Brass shelf unit, £95, Rockett St George. Mimi drawer handles, £12 each, Anthropologie.
