Once a bathroom that wouldn’t seem out of place in a Godfather movie, this ensuite has been radically transformed – here are all the details behind its fabulous redesign…

Who would have thought this lovely, now fully-renovated ensuite was once so dark and gloomy, like something out of a Godfather film. Although I can’t admit to watching any of the franchise, this is how owner Natalie Forbes-Jones tells me the team at Simply Bathrooms (Surrey) Ltd described it – and, somehow, it makes sense.

“It was quite something – a big jacuzzi with pillars and two sinks on each side, and a bidet,” she says. “It had a very dark, small shower which we knocked through to make a big shower area.”

The renovation process

The bathroom’s refurbishment is just part of the ongoing renovation of the five-bedroom property. The house itself dates to the ‘roaring 20s’, but when Natalie moved in with her husband, Nick, and two young children about a year ago, the place hardly alluded to the glorious era.

“When we went to view the property, we knew it would need a lot of cosmetic work. It was tired, but it had good bones,” explains Natalie. “The minute we made the offer, I began making plans in my head of what we would tackle first.”

As they discovered when removing the carpet, most of the home’s original features had already been removed by previous owners, and so they wanted to “inject personality back into the house”. Almost half of it has now been modernised, including three reception rooms, the hallway, the cloakroom and the daughter’s bathroom.

Transforming the ensuite

But the neglected master ensuite was a priority. “We wanted to create a calm space to relax, and we really wanted it to feel special, like a treat,” says Natalie. “Sophie from Simply Bathrooms was the reason I decided to work with them. She was full of good ideas, and she guided us through what would work and what wouldn’t.”

The style is simple and rustic but with a touch of glamour. The family was set on a big stone bath, which is the first thing one sees when entering the room – and it took some serious strength to get it there.

“One funny story about it is what we called ‘the Bathgate’. The stone bath from Lusso weighs about 200 kg; it took four men to bring it up the stairs and they were in all sorts of pain for days after. Sophie said they were not very happy with her about it,” she muses.

In terms of layout, the ensuite’s old internal walls were knocked down to create the now-larger walk-in shower. The new vanity has been moved to the other side of the room, and a decorative arch has been created above the toilet, adding a romantic touch.

The details

Lustrous wall panelling in the shower, and marble and brass details throughout, make the ensuite design that bit more dazzling. Yet there’s still a sense of homeliness, thanks to soft pastel shades, the checked cafe curtain, and the underfloor heating which “feels wonderful on a cold morning”.

These days, the master bathroom looks nothing like The Godfather, and more like a refined sanctuary. “I absolutely love using it every day,” says Natalie. “The shower is fantastic; it feels even better than most hotels’.”

Photography: Adam Carter

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