This airy, spacious bathroom draws on the look and feel of French Country style, yet it was “definitely influenced by spa style” as well, says its designer, Vanessa Raven, who, with her husband, designer-builder Edward Zemla, owns Glenrose Homes. Handmade Mexican tiles in soft butter-yellow are the starting point for the French Country look, adding characteristic warmth and individuality, ingredients that are sometimes missing from the spa aesthetic. A ‘linen’ paint finish on the walls, achieved by layering butter-yellow over warm white, with just a bit of the white peeking through, creates subtle texture. “It’s important to feel warm in a bathroom,” Raven says.
One of the keynotes of spa style is luxury: a two-person air tub set into a cosy niche with arched ceiling under the large window elegantly fills the bill. The vanity countertop, tub deck and floor are honed-finish Crema Marfil marble, and the floor is heated for ultimate comfort.
The mix of casual country with the clean lines of spa style is reinforced everywhere. Graceful polished nickel faucets have a vintage look that’s en-hanced by the candle-sconce light fixtures flanking the tub. A tiny embroidery pattern on the roll-up blind is subtly country, yet simple and unfussy. An open-back antique pine chair epitomizes the balancing act: country warmth meets simple luxury.
Essentials
Yellows and creamy whites create a much warmer ambience than blue-based whites, while they impart the same fresh, clean look.
Put a removable panel on the tub surround to allow easy access for plumbing maintenance.
Make it country
The textural mix is key to country looks: here, the gentle fluting of the vanity’s column detail with the honed marble of the countertop. Uniqueness comes from personal touches, such as the owner’s antique English hand mirror and brush, mementos of her mother.
A telephone-style showerhead, reminiscent of Victorian-era plumbing, is a single statement-making piece that packs a lot of vintage style.
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