GLAMOUR REDEFINED Art deco is the star of this stunning scheme
ART DECO DETAILS ARE AT THE HEART OF THIS STUNNING UPDATED DESIGN
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For some time, Nick Rylance and Fermín García-roméu had been mulling over how to extend into the loft of their three-bedroom house, built in 1925 in north London, before coming to a decision. ‘We realised we really didn’t need more rooms, but what we did want was a better bathroom with a walk-in shower,’ recalls Nick. ‘We had a small bathroom with a shower above the bath and a WC, and another loo in a small room on the other side of the wall.’ On a visit to C.P. Hart’s showroom, they met director of design Yousef Mansuri, who drew up plans for one large bathroom created by demolishing the dividing wall. 2 ‘We love the original art deco features of the house and were keen to echo the style in the design of the room and to make more of the original diamond-shaped window,’ says Nick. To achieve this, the striking freestanding cast-iron bath was placed as the key focal point below the window, framed by art deco-inspired fluted glass wall lights.
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Where the extra WC once stood is a generous walk-in shower, screened by simple glass panels framed in black inspired by 1930s Crittall windows. So as not to detract from another decothemed feature – the black and white chequerboard tiled floor – the tiles run into the shower area, with the entire floor tanked using a modular wet-floor system, finished with a discreet drain.
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Named after London’s art deco masterpiece, Claridge’s hotel, the basin vanity unit adds more period style, as does the classic brassware with black lever handles. ‘Yousef made it very easy,’ says Nick, ‘showing us visualisations on screen that gave us a clear sense of how the room would look, so we knew the design would come together well.’
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To contrast with the floor, Fermín, who grew up by the sea in Spain, chose azure-blue glazed wall tiles to remind him of the ocean; they are finished with a polished black trim for definition. ‘This is a wonderful room in which to relax,’ says Nick, ‘and feels utterly in keeping with the style of the house.’
FITTINGS
Camden bath, painted on site, £4,659; Samuel Heath Style Moderne floorstanding bath shower mixer, £3,888; deck mounted basin mixer, £1,272; hand shower, £480; overhead shower, £780;
Claridge basin vanity unit in Wenge, £2,482; Portofino soap dishes, £158 each;
toilet roll holder, £138; London WC with black seat, £1,467; Astro io 420 wall lights, £355 each; JIS Rye leaning heated towel rail, £702, all C.P. Hart
SURFACES
Colori Matt Black/white floor tiles, £37.92sq m;
Farrow wall tiles in Black and Turquoise, £77.29sq m, both C.P. Hart
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