MAKING A HOME Back to Roman-style bathrooms

Press, 6 September 1976, Page 12

MAKING A HOME Back to Roman-style bathrooms

By

Prudence Rothenberg

The last few years have brought a complete turn-around in the design of bathrooms. We have turned a full cycle i back to Roman days. Many bathrooms of to,day include sunken baths, rest couches and 'even home saunas. . The cream and lavender or ,pink and white bathroom is 'on the way out. In fact, bathrooms these days are ■ sometimes the show room of jthe house. It is quite logical to put the design and decoration of your bathroom high on your budget. It is an important room for the general health and wellbeing of the family. And it is also a room in which you can relax, if only for a short time. A business executive once told me that he made his most important decisions while in the bath. Unless you have a powder room the bathroom will always be on show. It must be attractive as well as functional. , There are now numerous 1 fixtures available, such as j sunken baths, square baths, corner baths and square or round basins of all sizes.

For a large family a sepj arate shower room with a i small square tub incorporated as the shower ifloor, is useful. i If planning an extra bathroom consult an architect, ' as the placing of it will 1 make a difference to the cost. A long run from existing piping will be expensive. ' In a two-storeyed house the waste space under the stairs can often be made into a powder room, containing a lavatory and a small wash basin. A mirror and decorative containers for safety pins, hair clips and cotton wool should be (included. Because of its small size it can be made to look quite dramatic for instance by having a mirror covering one wall. Red carpet with black, white and gold wallpaper; gold fixtures and black and red towels, are suggestions. “BEAUTY BAR” A “beauty bar” the full width of the bathroom wall, behind the wash basin, is

both practical and pleasing. The bench top could be of ceramic tiles, a laminated surface or treated natural wood.

Cupboards can be constructed underneath a wash basin. One cupboard with slotted bars for hanging light laundry, such as stockings is handy. A protected, low-volt heater bar inside the cupboard will facilitate drying. More important still, your washing will be out of sight. A clothes chute to the laundry is a bathroom luxury. The cupboard for clean linen should if possible, open from the hall for added convenience. If the medicine cabinet is in the bathroom keep it locked. Leave space at the beauty ■ bar to allow you to sit comIfortably, even if it means losing some cupboard space. The luxury of sitting idown while you cream your

face or brush your hair will be well worth it. Have a localised light over the beauty bar. Make sure it illuminates you as well as the mirror. For this purpose a light on a moveable bracket is ideal. HEATING Heating is a necessity. Bar heaters properly protected according to regulations can be installed. An infra-red lamp is also functional. When bqilding or renovating a bathroom make sure the windows offer enough natural light. If they do not, clear glass windows near the ceiling should provide the additional lighting required.

Walls should be washable. There are many designs in washable wallpaper. Ceramic tiles, laminated wallboard or natural wood with a finish to guard against steam can be I used. j Ceramic tiles can be used on the floor also. Vinyl tiles, 'sheet flooring or linoleum are

also practical. I prefer wool carpet and suggest an inlaid rubber mat beside the bath. CURTAINS There are washable and durable fabrics for curtains or blinds. (Sliding wooden Luvred shutters can be used in the place 'of curtains.) A pretty bathroom I have seen has walls and ceiling covered with a washable wallpaper in a small floral design of turquoise, white and green. The top of the vanity unit is white with turquoise cupboards. The shower curtain is plain turquoise. The bathroom scales are also papered. The towel fixtures 'are gold, as is the framed mirror above the vanity unit. It is not necessary to have plastic shower curtains as there are numerous fabrics on the market that are more attractive and functional. One of the most unusual bathrooms I have seen belonged to a man. It had treated wooden walls, louv-

ered wooden cupboards and a dark brown wool carpet. The couch was covered in orange towelling and had a sun lamp above it. Louvered sliding shutters could be pulled across the windows. The towels were orange to match the couch. Pot plants and ornaments can add to the decoration of the bathroom. Pictures can be treated against steam for bathrooms. In my bathroom I have hand-painted Portugese tiles. They are framed in natural wood and form a panel. As they have no glass it is easy to wipe them over.