Changing rooms

After a restoration by the previous owners, this Italianate Victorian building needed just one little change one less bedroom, and one more bathroom

A view of this bathroom featuring polished timber bathroom, floor, flooring, hardwood, home, interior design, laminate flooring, real estate, room, sink, suite, wall, window, wood, wood flooring, brown — A view of this bathroom featuring polished timber flooring, antique franch farm table vanity, dual basin, frameless shower

A view of this bathroom featuring polished timber ceiling, curtain, decor, furniture, home, interior design, light fixture, lighting, living room, room, table, window, window blind, window covering, window treatment, wood, brown, orange

A view of this bathroom featuring polished timber ceiling, curtain, decor, floor, furniture, interior design, room, textile, window, window covering, window treatment, brown, black

a view of this closet constructed out cabinetry, ceiling, door, floor, flooring, furniture, hardwood, home, interior design, room, window, wood, wood flooring, wood stain, brown

When a designer creates a master bathroom from an existing space, there will always be certain restrictions on the scope of the project. When the house is his own, he wants to make especially sure they don't affect the result.

So when Antonio Martins, of Antonio Martins Interior Design, decided to transform an adjacent bedroom into a master bathroom, his 13 years in hotel design proved handy.

"I drew inspiration from the way hotels combine closets,bathrooms and sleeping areas into a single space. The goal was to build more than just a bathroom we wanted to build a spa, using Victorian design techniques but maintaining modern comforts," says Martins.

Two elements were found immediately and were the basis around which the project developed four antique fir doors and an antique French farm table.

The biggest challenge, though, would prove to be the shower area. A shower box would make access difficult, so it was decided to use a recessed shower pan, with a teak grate flush with the floor, to allow drainage.

"To control the water, we used silk velvet drapes, which could be drawn back to allow more floor space for the dressing room," says Martins.

The bathroom was still missing a water closet, but Martins had the solution.

"We placed the water closet inside the old bedroom closet, and then built a shoe cabinet between the bathroom and the master bedroom to complete the project," he says.