House to Home with Debbie Travis
One of the most exciting materials used to make bathtubs is Quarrycast. This is the bath I chose as it really is superior to everything I saw. Made by Victoria+albert, vandabaths.com, from finely ground volcanic limestone mixed with resin, it has a wonderful hand-finished feel. The natural white comes from the stone and is glossy and silky to the touch. It is harder than acrylic, which makes it incredibly strong and ensures there is no creaking when you lower yourself into the tub. I was hooked; time to move onto the flooring and shower tile.
Again, there’s so much from which to choose. Ceramica Santíagostino is an Italian tile company that is available worldwide. They lead the way in innovative floor and wall tile. Last year they introduced a tile that looks like carpet. Sounds crazy, even awful, but it is a textured tile, which I love, as I am constantly slipping in the bathroom, probably due to the fact that I am a “splasher”! This bathroom is small but I still put down oversized tiles and the room actually looks bigger.
In the shower I took the same gray as the floor and added a pure white, creating fat stripes. I did not apply the tile to the rest of the bathroom walls. Instead, a giant black and white photo of Sophia Loren was blown up onto thick canvas by Motive Media, a visual communications company, and adhered to the surface with wallpaper glue. They can take your art and photos and turn them into wallpaper. The photo is a stunning background for my stylish tub. The wall taps are also by Victoria+albert and are part of the entire drama of the bathroom. It is exciting times for the house.