Period features combine with contemporary elements to create this whimsical yet timelessly chic bathroom. Fancy a tour?
This classic bathroom, with its checkerboard flooring, antique furniture and an exposed wooden beam, takes a page from the Grand Trianon’s iconic black-and-white floor (within the Palace of Versailles), with extra doses of creativity on top.
“I wanted to create a classically styled space, one which suits the period of the house and wouldn’t date; and I wanted to give it a luxurious feel,” Katy Smith, the interior designer and owner of this quaint, opulent bathroom, tells me.
Katy moved in her five-bedroom Georgian farmhouse – built in 1731 – in Northamptonshire, along with her husband and two sons, 17 years ago; but the bathroom hadn’t been touched for the past 16. “It was last renovated when we first moved in and, lately, I felt it had come to the end of its life, and looked dated,” she says.
So, Katy decided to refurbish it, designing the new space herself, and collaborating with local builders who had worked on her house before, for the installation. “The layout worked well, so I kept that the same,” she continues.
The bath
Having a bath was important to Katy, as this is the main family bathroom. “I wanted a small, freestanding tub, and BC Designs’ roll top Boat bath was ideal – I chose an acrylic one so it wasn’t heavy (given the old floors) and would be warm to the touch.”
The bath was painted in Farrow & Ball’s Pitch Black, perfectly matching the Amtico checkerboard flooring, chosen for its eye-catching and classic design. “The use of pattern on the floor pulls the room together much like a patterned rug,” says Katy.
The lighting
With the room facing north, it was also essential to design the space with the compromised lighting in mind. Antique-style wall lights either side of the vanity, as well as lights hanging from the statement wooden beam above the bath, help create a brighter scheme, as does a serene, panelled window seat – already there when the family moved in, this was kept in its existing position.
“I took inspiration from the window, continuing the panelling around the room, which was made from water-resistant MDF,” says Katy. “Panelling has a warmer feel than tiles and gives an instantly luxurious period look. It also conceals pipework, especially in old homes where the walls are thin.”
A large, aged mirror above the bath adds to the ‘old-world glamour’ aesthetic and brings in more light, while creating a wow factor. “It reflects light, which is especially important in this room, and makes the space look bigger,” explains Katy. “Plus, it creates an atmosphere of elegance and indulgence.”
Challenges
Installing the mirror along with the striking beam that cuts through it and houses the overhead lights involved skill and precision, and was no easy feat, she reveals.
“I used bespoke furniture makers Fraser James to template the space, leaving a cut-out for the beam. It took six people to navigate the mirror up my narrow winding staircase and into the bathroom. Spindles had to be removed, and the handrail cut to get it up there… But it was totally worth the effort.”
Another challenging task was levelling the bathroom floor, given the six-inch slope from the doorway to the window, explains Katy. “Channelling the pipework through the joists without compromising their strength and safety was not easy.”
However, despite the difficulties, she is more than pleased with the outcome. “Apart from the mirror nearly not making it up the stairs, everything went exactly to plan,” she says. “I feel as if I am in a luxury hotel bathroom – apart from the fact that I’m the one who has to clean it!”
Photography: Darren Chung
This house tour was featured in the June 2025 issue of Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms magazine.
Enjoyed this post? Click here to tour a periwinkle blue bathroom with a brass boat bath
About Post Author
