Decisions and DIY for a Timeless Bath

IN DESIGNING A TIMELESS BATH

A couple of hands-on restorers remake a tired, remodeled bath into a period-inspired retreat.

An epic undertaking even for two experienced DIYers, the new master bathroom in our 1880s row house took years of planning and labor—not to mention numerous emotional meltdowns as we second-guessed decisions and occasionally each others’ judgment. Cold in winter and hot in summer, the large but oddly shaped space began with a passageway though a closet, with a direct view of an ugly bump-out for ductwork on the far wall next to the only window. To the left was a shoddy vanity with a mildewed tile counter; on the right stood a massive jetted tub /shower combo with a broken stopper.

Two hands- on restorers transform a played- out bath into a bright, beautiful, periodinspired spa retreat.

Remarkably, we used this nightmare of a bathroom daily for more than a decade before finally achieving our vision: a master-bath spa that looks appropriate in a Victorian-era house, complete with a marble mosaic hex tile floor, white subway tile shower, and a high wainscot of painted white beadboard finished with a moulded top rail. Blowing out the closets (we relocated them to a bedroom) meant we gained enough space to comfortably accommodate a large, two-person shower, a double vanity flanked by floor-to-ceiling cabinets, and a vintage clawfoot tub. The most luxurious touch is the shower, fitted with two 12” rainshowerheads bought years ago, when plans for our new bath were still just a sketch on a paper napkin.

We also repurposed a vintage late-19th-century bureau into the marble-topped double vanity of our dreams, and restored an antique cast-iron clawfoot tub found on eBay for $150. We built the custom cabinets ourselves. Thanks to Alex’s obsessive attention to detail, the four lower cabinets are fitted with pulldown laundry bins that each hold almost exactly a single load of laundry. Although that aspect of the project took much longer than we expected, the results were worth it.

Every day, we wake up looking forward to taking our showers. The large and luxurious frameless glass shower has a panoramic view of the bathroom, so we can enjoy everything that took us so long to build. One of our favorite features ended up being something you can’t even see: The radiant heat under the floor is wonderful on cool mornings, when tile would be be

ABOVE Since 2011, Alex and Wendy Santantonio have been blogging about the restoration of their 1880s brick row house in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia (top right). OPPOSITE Now outfitted with a bath caddy and European-style “telephone” shower, the...

LEFT (top) The couple revel in taking showers under the 12” showerheads they bought when renovation was still years in the future. At the time, however, the lack of an in-between size sparked an intense exchange between the married authors. (below)...