By an open fire

When creating a bathroom, designers strive to accommodate the personalities and the lifestyles of its users. The bathroom needs to function efficiently and serve as a place where the owners can feel perfectly themselves.

This harmony was certainly achieved by architect Doug Shields in rebuilding this master bathroom and dressing room from scratch.

"The wish list for this room, as with the rest of the house, was very simple:re-create a traditional Victorian townhouse, down to the smallest detail, without sacrificing any modern conveniences," says Shields.

The homeowners pay great attention to detail, so a large part of the architectural process was spent on painstaking research. Interior designer and antique dealer Roy Williams played a crucial role.

"There are some characteristics of Victorian bathrooms which are less suitable for the way we live today. For example, the showers were not very big. As the owners wanted modern comfort, we had to come up with a way to accommodate a larger shower without disrupting the integrity of the design. Concealing the shower behind a solid door achieved this nicely."

Fixing the proportions of the vanity in the bathroom was another balancing act, says Shields.

"Too big and it would look modern and overblown, too small and it would lose functionality."

Another notable feature is the carpet throughout, which is a rarity these days.

"We had limited space for a combined dressing room and bathroom, so it had to be either tiles or carpet throughout. Carpet better suited the owners' personalities and the warm feel of the room."

The open fire provides a further place for the owners to display antiques, as well as setting a restrained and classical tone.

Story by: Anthony Coates