decadence rules

Working with five different ceiling levels in the separate shower, toilet and bathrooms was just one of the challenges. Creating the perfect new bathroom with just the right style was another.

The hero of the new room is an eye-catching centrally placed clawfoot bath, beautifully offset by walls painted in Resene Resolution Blue and Resene Half Sauvignon. The imposing position of the bath not only gives the room opulence and drama but also has a quite practical purpose – it future-proofs the room, enabling wheelchair access if need be.

Says Sandy: “I had used Resene Resolution Blue before on furniture and picture frames. I love the richness of the blue but it would have been too much for every wall. I used Resene Half Sauvignon for its hint of added warmth as the bathroom is on the south side of the house, and the colour goes well with the blue.”

The bathroom renovation has been a labour of love, and an exercise in hunting out just the right fittings. The beautiful French-style vanity is a retro-fitted dresser with a hole cut into the top for a basin, and finished with Resene Aquaclear urethane for protection.

A centrally placed clawfoot bath is a decadent addition to a bathroom with Resene Resolution Blue and Resene Half Sauvignon walls.

Sandy found old-style knobs to customise the towel and toilet roll holders, and repurposed old copper door knobs as robe hooks. Not content with the stunning mirror as it is, she also glued copper leaves onto the frame for an added touch of whimsy.

As a feature on one wall, the couple added a second-hand fireplace surround and cast iron insert, with a view to adding a gas fire later on. That was also finished in Resene Aquaclear to protect the timber.

Those five different ceilings have now been replaced by a new plaster ceiling, painted in Resene Alabaster and decorated with a centre rose to match those found elsewhere in the house.

Various accessories finish the look – a see-through chair (Sandy loves the shape), a chandelier, French-style open shelves, candles and copper pots.

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