‘QUALITY MATERIALS GIVE OUR BATHROOM TIMELESS LONGEVITY’
A spare bedroom gets a luxe repurposing
Sarah and Pete Limbert live in a Victorian townhouse in Herne Hill, southeast London. Sarah is an in-house lawyer and Pete is general counsel at Fulham Football Club. They have two children, Jude and Jasmine
Why did you decide to create the new bathroom?
Although the house already had another bathroom, an ensuite and two separate loos, they were all quite small for the size of the property and our growing family of four. One of the loos was on the raised ground floor, so it was also the one that was always used by guests. We wanted to create something a little special for them and ourselves! The bedroom next door was one of five and was little used, so it made perfect sense to knock the rooms through and create the spacious, luxurious retreat we were after.
What did you want from your new bathroom?
Somewhere that felt more like another living space, but was still a functional bathroom – so, no wall tiles. We incorporated personal items such as family photos and artworks to create a welcoming feel. There needed to be plenty of storage, too, to keep it clutter-free.
Did you have to make any compromises?
I really fancied a feature cast-iron bath to be our centrepiece, but because we weren’t having tiles, we couldn’t have a separate shower. However, this wasn’t a huge compromise because we already have two other showers upstairs.
How hands-on were you in terms of design?
Very! I designed the vanity unit, from the measurements and materials to the final finish. I love reading interiors magazines for inspiration, and I use Instagram, too (@spenser_road). As we didn’t need planning permission, we simply sourced the builder via a friend’s recommendation and delivered our completed plans to him.