REVIVAL BATHS for Victorian homes
The wide availability of vintage-look materials means that a restorer can outfit a bathroom to be nearly indistinguishable from a room that might have survived from the 1880s or 1910s. Rooms shown here are not original, although they may incorporate existing woodwork or salvaged plumbing and lighting fixtures. Each gives a great first impression and holds up under scrutiny. They prove that it’s possible to design a room that looks as if it’s been there since the early days of American indoor plumbing—and really, none of us would want to go back any further!
As the 20th century progressed, color schemes and interior design changed, but by and large the basics of plumbing remained the same. Today we have the opportunity (even with jetted tubs, showers with multiple heads, and bathrooms that incorporate steam baths and saunas) to return to another era. Ironically—or perhaps not—the sensuality of the modern bath seems to go with a Victorian decorating sensibility.
So you might include a wicker chair, an antique Renaissance Revival framed mirror, or Victorian gaslight-era light fixtures like those in your hall or bedroom. (Augment these, if necessary, with unobtrusive modern lighting.)
Tile can be both sanitary and decorative; white is best, but consider a border on high wainscots and floors. Choose periodappropriate hardware. Add an antique or two: a chest plumbed as a sink vanity, an armoire or apothecary cabinet, a narrow shelf unit. If the floor is not tiled, go with wood flooring. Decorate the walls with wallpaper, Anaglypta, or a stenciled treatment. Opt for a period window dressing, which might be stained glass, louvered shutters, balloon shades, or a lace curtain or valance and swag paired with a roller shade for privacy.
When it comes to re-creating kitchens and baths, our usual advice in OHJ is to use restraint if you seek to be authentic. The Victorian-era baths that survive cast doubt on that rule!