Bathrooms & Beyond :)

[atlasfever]

Hi Folks,

I am trying to design my bathroom, and I would like to give it the period feel, instead of today's modernity. Could I trouble you to feedback if you are in the 'know' about the following:

Brief:
- Period bathroom of the georgian-ish period, though willing to mix periods a bit given cost or practicality.
- There is nothing original in this bathroom, literally empty, so to speak.
- I'd love to make this very 'gentleman' like, so chrome/nickel and dark colours, though toilets/sinks can be white.

Questions:
1. Recommendation for good but reasonably priced slipper style baths? I know there are slipper baths with showers, but it's not practical for me.
2. Same for faucets, good source?
3. For shower, I think I will have to go with a glass cube/rectangle and then have the period faucets/rain shower. However, I came across this: http://www.drummonds-uk.com/products/showers/the-spittal/ Ok, I'm sure this is waaaaaaay out of my budget, but I would love something like this, though two people wide. Have any of you come accross this, or come across the metal piping work to try to create this? Maybe all of this pipe work is more victorian, but I'm ok with that...
4. Basins/vanity: I have seen some nice ones, example: http://www.oldfashionedbathrooms.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=345 I would like a double sink version. Any thoughts? I know that such things will cost more than an ikea unit, but still trying to keep things reasonably priced.
5.Toilet: I'm of two minds of those elevated cistern style toilets. I have seen this one http://www.oldfashionedbathrooms.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=347 and it's rather cool as the pull mechanism flushes full, or push up on the trigger and it's half flush. But, what I don't like in these is that the back 'soil' exit is always so visible and exposed. It feels a bit odd to me.
6. Lastly: Faucets: Is traditional english always those star shaped four point ones (hot and ''cold") ones or are they the type that twist (L shape) and you rotate the porcelain part?

Basically: Any sources for period style bathrooms would be great.

 

[LadyArowana]

They didnt have "bathrooms" in the Georgian period. I was telling one of my Asian friends this and her teenage son overheard and was completely shocked, wanted to know why I didn't buy a new house. Of course ours has bathrooms now :lol:

 

[JoceAndChris]

Welcome back! Lovely project, and completely agree that a period bathroom sits better in a Georgian house, even though they're as fake as could be for the age of our houses.

But rather than thinking of a Georgian bathroom, you might like to think of a 1910 or 1920s one. This means you can put in something very elegant, gentlemanly, and period, that could conceivably have been fitted at that time - polished chrome, black and white marble, sanitary ware etc.

It is a problem as the nice quality fittings do tend to be ££££, the cheap end of period style is a bit naff looking. You can still get hold of genuine early 20th C fittings which would work out cheaper but then you'd compromise with size. Trawling through the reclamation sites will give you a strong idea of how the shapes of sanitary ware changed though. You get flowery porcelain and flowing lines with the Victorians, plenty of mahogany and scrolling metal ( look at Thomas Crapper). This could be paired with bright tile work - lots of companies selling those repro tiles. But wrong for a Georgian house, which is why I suggest 20s style which I just think fits the Georgian mood better than flowery bright Victoriana - cleaner lines, taps as you describe, more geometrical shaped basins with metal stands. Simpler loos with overhead cisterns - I've got a genuine 1920s one that's always been here and it's fantastic, the overhead cisterns have real power and you don't even notice the soil pipe.

Having spent a long time researching this topic and facing all the decisions you now face I settled on Albion.

http://www.albionbathco.com/bathrooms/victorianbathrooms.html

http://www.albionbathco.com/free-standing-roll-top-bath/roll-top-bath-apollo/apollo-bath-tub.html

Their baths work out at around £1800 if I remember correctly, as opposed to some of the Drummonds ones at £4000. We haven't had the bathroom put in yet but have visited the showroom and the quality seems very good, the baths made out of a type of resin which is warmer and lighter than cast iron ( you have to think about the weight of cast iron on your floors)

You might also like a look at
http://www.stiffkeybathrooms.com/

 

[LadyArowana]

I agree with Joce that something 1920's might be nice. When I got rid of the avocado colour plastic bathroom I went for something vaguely deco looking. I don't think the vanity and some of the other fittings are made any more, but the taps are.

http://www.hansgrohe.co.uk/816.htm

I had really wanted some Michael Graves design ones, but they were also something that disappeared before I could even order them.

 

[88v8]

Some pics of the bathroom we created from scratch in an extension we had built on our previous house.
The gold stars in the wallpaper had a lovely shine at night.
The fireplace was 'live' (gas).
The loo cistern was old, the loo new. The bath & taps new (the supplier went bust). The basin old, the cupbord began life as a sideboard. The shower enclosure was a Matki bi-fold. The rads were old. Behind the oak double-doors was a gas boiler/airing cupboard. The light fittings were all old.
It was superb, although I do say so myself.
The house was 1920, but I didn't let that inhibit me in creating a period mood.

Ivor

 

[atlasfever]

Thanks for the images, interesting indeed.

I just googled and I believe the shower type I was describing is called a rib cage or needle shower, of the victorian period. Now, I am obviously not interested in one of these, original or reproduction as they are thousands of pounds, but I wanted to know if any of you know who can create some of that chrome/nickel pipework. I want a 2 person wide shower, spacious, with glass, but thought an imaginative sort could create a rib cage esque design to complement it. Maybe just a pipe dream (pun intended

 

[JoceAndChris]

Haven't heard of anyone making such a thing as you describe.

If you could find someone to make it I suspect it would be thousands. Unless you made it yourself.

 

[AMc]

We used Hudson Reed Topaz taps and a wall mounted "bath pourer" to fill the cast iron bath. The taps are good and were economical without feeling cheap I bought them online and hunted for a deal.

The French 1880's cast iron bath came from Stiffkey Bathrooms and was "professionally" refinished. It cost an arm and a leg and now has developed a small fault in the enamel which means I wouldn't use them again. If it were perfect I would have forgiven them taking much longer to refinish it than they said when they took my money, making a big deal of an expensive waste trap which they then substituted for a less attractive one when they delivered it and not painting one of the feet properly - not very good.

I bought cheap toilets and sinks and regret the economy - there are minor blemishes in the glazing which weren't apparent when they were fitted but with a few years use have begun to make themselves obvious. I also had some teething troubles with the flush mechanisms which have been sorted out but I have a nasty suspicion that when they go wrong I'll end up not just replacing the mechanisms but the whole toilet.

For showers I bought 3 Mira discovery mixer units which were apparently a pig to fit (my plumber told me) but have worked very well so far.
In our ensuite I fitted a large resin cast shower tray with 4 upstands (which help prevent leaks when the sealant fails) from Just Trays and a Mira drench shower head embedded in the ceiling (which is quite low). The shower head was a bargain from ebay - someone else who paid the premium price but couldn't use it in their project. The drench head is really nice, as is the large (900x1200) enclosure, it takes some of the pain out of getting up in the morning

If I were doing it again I would hunt for good prices on branded bathroom items. I would be wary of "antique" or "renovated" fittings unless you are happy to do your own plumbing and take your time doing it.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I hoped you'd post - any chance of any pics of the bath? Bet it looks stunning, but yes, annoying in the extreme for the finish to have developed a flaw.

Atlas fever - Jim Lawrence say they'll take on bespoke metal work and I bet they'd do a lovely job of your rib shower frame. Then you'd need to get the appropriate glass cut to size, and some kind of porcelain tray made, unless you'd be happy for it to drain away wet room style.

There are people who make bespoke sinks who might be able to make the bottom section, or maybe a modern double shower tray exists that would do?

It's an interesting idea and I have sympathy for people looking to buy something that doesn't exist anymore.

 

[plasticpigeon]

Maybe it would be possible to make your own shower cubicle. Once you have the elbows you'd be away. THese might work.
http://www.hafele.co.uk/hafele35a1/templates/hafele/browse.asp?newrecordset=yes&classname=Ball+rail+connectors&classlevel=5836

I realise that the cubicle framework is also pipework, so maybe not.

 

[skier-hughes]

We bought all Burlington items for our bathroom, apart from the bath, which I picked up at our local yard and sent off to be properly refinished, very happy with our result.

 

[vicky whitworth]

On Joce's suggestion I bought taps from Catchpole and Rye and I have been delighted with them - excellent quality and look like originals but work!
Good luck with the project.
Vicky

 

[robgil]

I would first of all study fittings from the late 1800's through to the early 20thC, find out who made them. A few foundrys are still making the same taps.
One thing I did find was that victorian/edwardian taps were a lot smaller than todays. The brass is totally different as well and the build quality compared to modern stuff can be quite different, unless you pay for good quality items.

E Bay is your friend.

Dont be afraid to have to restore fittings such as cast iron cisterns, they can be had for pennys however a restored one will sell for hundreds. Lead piping is just as nice to look at as polished brass and is more fitting in a period bathroom setting.

I like to look here from time to time. http://www.antiquetaps.com/ Then have a look on E BAY to see how much money I can save by polishing the brass and fitting new washers my self.

Here are some taps and things I have done.

20 quid bought this,

A quick De-rust and a paint, polished the brass fittings and fitted washers etc etc,

Then I was lucky enough to find these edwardian Ascot taps on E Bay,

75 quid and a 200 mile drive later I had them home and stripped.

A day with a polishing machine, some cutting paste, a few washers and a lot of swearing had them looking like this,

My basin taps,

my pan cost pennys, I had to travel to collect it. Still not sure what to do with it , I have cleaned it up and it is perfectly useable but the glazing isnt the best.

Also , the little things make the biggest difference, toilet pulls for instance (people collect these which makes them pricey) and even the chains to connect them to the cistern. Cistern brackets, loo roll holders etc etc, reproductions if done well dont look too bad but if done not so well can make everything else look repro and some of it just looks cheap and nasty.
Dont fall into the Thomas Crapper hole, Its expencive and there are nicer toilets out there than crappers.

Edit - also think about lighting, I have used some old converted brass gas lamps, polished up with cranberry shades. No point in putting in antique fittings then spoiling it with modern lights or radiators etc etc. Even the loo seat can spoil it if it is a new one, unless you go for a nice solid wood one but even then the edwardian/victorian seats look much better.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Rob - I love your pictures, and your work, in this field. Maybe this is what you should be doing professionally.

 

[Feltwell]

Rob - I love your pictures, and your work, in this field. Maybe this is what you should be doing professionally.

The danger always being that you can't bear to sell anything as it might come in useful for your own place one day!

 

[88v8]

Also , the little things make the biggest difference.... No point in putting in antique fittings then spoiling it with modern lights or radiators etc etc. Even the loo seat can spoil it if it is a new one, unless you go for a nice solid wood one but even then the edwardian/victorian seats look much better.

Hear hear! Too often it seems to be a case of creating a modern interior with a couple of token 'period' touches. Few people are prepared to take the trouble and attend to the detail. And doesn't it feel good when you've done it yourself, not just waved your wallet around...

Ivor

 

[Penners]

Thass a lorra lorra pitchers, Rob! I seem to remember that there used to be a limit of three per post. Have you found a way around that?

 

[MdB]

Thass a lorra lorra pitchers, Rob! I seem to remember that there used to be a limit of three per post. Have you found a way around that?

The pictures are on photobucket rather than PPUK so the three pic limit doesn't apply.

 

[Flyfisher]

Also , the little things make the biggest difference.... No point in putting in antique fittings then spoiling it with modern lights or radiators etc etc. Even the loo seat can spoil it if it is a new one, unless you go for a nice solid wood one but even then the edwardian/victorian seats look much better.

Hear hear! Too often it seems to be a case of creating a modern interior with a couple of token 'period' touches. Few people are prepared to take the trouble and attend to the detail.

I'd suggest that few people are really prepared to live a truly period lifestyle, which is why we have things such as 'Georgian' electrical fittings. :lol:

The 'period' thing is most often an aesthetic aspiration, to be superimposed upon modern conveniences. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but let's not get too carried away with the notion of living an authentic 'period' lifestyle just because we have draughty houses with single glazing and some form of fireplace.

 

[JoceAndChris]

It is all about the look of the thing, nothing to do with any kind of authenticity as Flyfisher rightly points out.

I think you can make a happy marriage between some old and some new aesthetically, especially if well designed good quality items are chosen. It's a shame, perhaps, to be completely contemporary in furnishings, fixtures and fittings in an old house; (unless a converted hospital or barn or warehouse) it seems like such a waste of an opportunity, but then again, the Victorian house posted in plastic pigeons thread "Dedication" runs the danger of making the owner look insane. There has to be some kind of balance.

And it must also be borne in mind that filling your home with antique treasures and expensive bespoke work, unless you're very rich, can lead at worst to financial ruin and at best to being unable to complete.