Bathroom of the Week: Whimsical With Butterflies and a Purple Tub
A designer creates a colorful and fun bathroom that’s in keeping with the historic home’s vintage
Butterflies, a purple claw-foot tub and sconces with giant gem-like crystals adorn this whimsical bathroom in Cincinnati’s Hyde Park neighborhood. The homeowners, parents of three school-age children, wanted to update their first-floor powder room and had no need for the shower stall that was in there. While they were hoping for a room that wowed, they also wanted it to be in keeping with their 100-year-old home’s architecture. They hired interior designer Laney Reusch to help them reimagine the space.
After: A colorful butterfly wallpaper was the jumping-off point for the design. From there, Reusch’s clients were fully on board with a checkerboard floor. “The pattern fit in with their home’s age and traditional architecture,” she says. A light blue-and-white porcelain tile had the style and durability the homeowners were seeking.
From there, the designer guided them toward light blue tile wainscoting. The herringbone pattern played nicely off the angles in the floor’s pattern, and it also suited the home’s vintage. “This is Fireclay Tile,” Reusch says. “Everything is handmade, and I love their trim pieces like the baseboard and chair rail tiles we used here.” The grout is light gray.
Wallpaper: Seraphina, Anna French
From there, the designer guided them toward light blue tile wainscoting. The herringbone pattern played nicely off the angles in the floor’s pattern, and it also suited the home’s vintage. “This is Fireclay Tile,” Reusch says. “Everything is handmade, and I love their trim pieces like the baseboard and chair rail tiles we used here.” The grout is light gray.
Wallpaper: Seraphina, Anna French
“Knowing we were going to take out the shower stall, I threw the idea of a claw-foot tub out there, and they really liked it,” Reusch says. While the couple knew they probably wouldn’t use it, the claw-foot style was in keeping with the home’s age and was a fun addition to the space.
Browse freestanding bathtubs in the Houzz Shop
Browse freestanding bathtubs in the Houzz Shop
Of course, the decision to go with a purple tub was a big one. “I used a company that custom-paints their tubs, and I presented a charcoal option and a purple option to my clients,” Reusch says. “I knew they wanted to do something really different and have a wow factor. No matter the color, I knew a claw-foot tub would be a wow, but I also knew that a purple claw-foot tub would really be a wow.”
A brief discussion ensued. “The husband started a speech about why they should go with charcoal, but by the time he finished speaking a few minutes later, he had talked himself into purple,” Reusch says. “Then he talked his wife into it.”
With that bold decision made, Reusch matched a Benjamin Moore paint color to the purple butterflies in the wallpaper and sent it to the tub manufacturer to match. “I’m so glad they went with purple,” she says. “I love whimsical designs, and this definitely made their bathroom whimsical, fun and different from any other bathroom.”
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A brief discussion ensued. “The husband started a speech about why they should go with charcoal, but by the time he finished speaking a few minutes later, he had talked himself into purple,” Reusch says. “Then he talked his wife into it.”
With that bold decision made, Reusch matched a Benjamin Moore paint color to the purple butterflies in the wallpaper and sent it to the tub manufacturer to match. “I’m so glad they went with purple,” she says. “I love whimsical designs, and this definitely made their bathroom whimsical, fun and different from any other bathroom.”
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The couple decided to go with unlacquered brass for the fixtures in the room. “This is a living finish that will patina over time, so it will feel like it’s been there forever,” Reusch says. She also notes that the original knobs on the doors throughout the house were brass and crystal, so the finish lends a cohesive feel.
After: The homeowners liked the idea of a console sink, so Reusch had one put together with a marble-look quartz countertop, brass faucets with a vintage look and a brass base. “It’s also important with a console sink to make sure the plumbing underneath matches, because it shows,” she says.
Playing off the shapes of the faucets, tub and wallpaper, Reusch found a brass mirror with curves. In the mirror’s reflection you can see the pretty window treatment across the room.
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Shop for a bathroom mirror
The custom window treatment’s wide stripes pick up the colors in the wallpaper. And the ribbon trim detailing adds a special touch.
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
Powder rooms often don’t require the brighter light that people need in the bathrooms where they apply makeup or shave. So it can be an opportunity to add something different. Reusch took full advantage of that in here with extra-special sconces. The faceted crystal pieces look like clusters of large gems. They also play off the shapes of the butterflies.
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with three school-age children
Location: Cincinnati
Size: 60 square feet (5.6 square meters)
Designer: Reusch Interior Design
Before: The never-used shower stall darkened the room and the homeowners had no need for it. Reusch knew they wanted a standout and fun design that was also more in keeping with their home’s traditional architecture.
At about 60 square feet, the space was larger than the average powder room, so Reusch also knew she needed to fill the space in a pleasing way. This presented an opportunity for the kind of wowing element her clients were hoping for.
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