Bathroom Design
Chelsea Neighborhood Inspires Elegant, Urban Bath
Bring a little New York home with patterns from the city's metalwork and architecture
I spent an awesome few days in New York during fashion week as part of a group of 19 bloggers and designers. One of our activities was a design challenge: we were broken into groups and had to design a bathroom based on a given neighborhood in New York. It was part Project Runway and part The Apprentice as we ran around our neighborhood, looking for inspiration and debating about the design.
We took pictures of architecture, wrought-iron work, elevators, building lobbies, man-hole covers, looking to capture the essence of what what would become our Chelsea-inspired bathroom. Here's a little recap of the process, and ideas for how you can get the look, too.
We took pictures of architecture, wrought-iron work, elevators, building lobbies, man-hole covers, looking to capture the essence of what what would become our Chelsea-inspired bathroom. Here's a little recap of the process, and ideas for how you can get the look, too.
Vetromarmi Danse Lucido
Our first stop for materials was a tile store. When it comes to bathrooms, that's typically my first inspiration as designer. Find a tile you love and the bathroom practically designs itself.
Michael S Smith Cosmati Stone Mosaic Tile - Ann Sacks Tile & Stone
This laser-cut mosaic tile is directly inspired by metalwork. This sort of material defines a bathroom, and everything else needs to be weighed against this primary inspiration. At the tile shop, we were like kids in a candy store, but we finally focused and solidified our initial choice: a graphic tile on the floor only, and simple, large-format Calacatta marble on the walls.
If you don't want your bathroom to look like it's brand-spanking new, think about mixing metal finishes. Don't be afraid to have polished nickel faucets and antique brass mirror or lighting, it gives a room character and a collected look.
The Normandy Sink
This stunning sink is just dripping in glamour and style. It's like a perfect accessory for an outfit.
Tony Duquette - California Sunburst Chandelier
I'm crazy about this light fixture; it reminds me of a '70s modern interpretation of a Deco piece. Glam with a sense of humor. New York is such a melting pot, our bathroom couldn't be all serious and historical. It had to have something unexpected thrown in.
Calacatta Oro
Nothing says classic elegance like Calacatta marble, whether it's used as a countertop in slab form or as tiles, the gold and gray veining is a timeless favorite.
Empire Freestanding Rectangular Bathtub
A vintage style bathtub completes the look. We went for this pedestal-style tub rather than a clawfoot.
Artiste Stone Mosaic - Ann Sacks Tile & Stone
Strong geometric-patterned tile in neutral black, brown and white almost has a Deco feel. This is another direction the bathroom almost took, rather than the organic shapes of the wrought iron.
This tile that could easily be used on the floor of a bathroom for a strong graphic statement. Again, we're sticking to the classic neutrals and high contrast drama of black and white.
Afraid to do your entire floor in a pattern? Opt for the look of a rug or in runner of patterned tile for a bit of old-world glamour.
The wrought-iron fencing and architectural details on the facades of Chelsea's buildings were among the first things to inspire the group. We immediately knew we wanted a strong, graphic tile pattern to remind us of the wrought iron we saw, and of course marble for a bit of elegance.