•Draw inspiration from vintage Hollywood style.
•See how this bath accommodates a couple beautifully.
A classic example of classic 20th-century traditionalism, yet perfectly in place in a contemporary home, this bath designed by Brian Covington and Oscar Shamamian of Ferguson & Shamamian Architects, LLP, in New York combines the warmth of old world style and materials with up-to-the-minute modern fixtures.
The mood of the room is calm and relaxing, the style sedate yet not overly formal, evoking a timeless elegance. Stodginess is averted thanks to modern details such as fiber-optic overhead lighting, which adds a bit of Hollywood-style glamour to the space.
This bathroom’s expansive size, plenty large enough for two, reflects a trend that Covington says he’s noticed recently. “What I’ve been hearing from lots of couples who each have their own bathrooms is that they end up leaving the doors open so they can talk to each other while they’re getting ready. I think that feeling has evolved to people feeling very right about using the same bathroom again. People are very busy, and [time in the bathroom] is a little more time that people can have to be together.”
The room expresses a refined yet tactile sensibility. The linear French boiserie-style oak paneling echoes the clean, pared-down shapes of the fixtures themselves, including the leather-covered, tapered legs of the vanity table and the bold geometry of the rectangular tub. The warmth of the paneling sets off the sleekness of the fixtures. And although the black-and-cream floor is highly polished, its hues are soft. These features lend a somewhat grainy character to the room’s backdrop, not unlike the texture of an old photograph.
While heavily influenced by 30s French decor, with a smidgen of Louis the XVI thrown in for good measure, the bathroom doesn't rigidly adhere to one style exclusively. Says Covington, "I think we wanted to kind of blur the edges a little bit because that seemed to be what the fixtures were capable of doing — fitting into a lot of different settings."
The bathing features, including a
steam-generating shower and whirlpool tub, offer tension-banishing luxury that’s enhanced by the tub’s elegant black marble surround. Details like the schoolhouse window shades and framed prints from Hollywood’s heyday add a touch of whimsy and romance to the room.
“It just feels like a very quiet space that gets people feeling relaxed” says Covington. “And to me, that is graciousness.”
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Bathroom
Bathroom
