Bathroom Suites | SuiteBathrooms.co.uk

Old-fashioned bathrooms, or traditonal bathrooms can be copied from those created in the original era of interest or can be taken from the charms of old-fashioned life and blended with the romantic ideas of a rural idyll. It is possible to adapt an existing suite from a house in the 1950’s for example.  It is also possible to buy old-fashioned bathroom fittings and incorporate them into a particular look associated with a period in history.  Today antique bathroom fixtures are much sought-after and some are highly collectable.  Original china washing sets of basin and jug (or ewer) on a stand, with a matching chamber pot, can be found in many antique shops and accurately reflect the Victorian and Edwardian eras of history.  Decorative porcelain lavatories and rolltop baths, as well as original taps and shower fixtures, can be found if you are prepared to do your research.  Those in less-than-perfect condition can be polished up, restored and re-enamelled in specialist shops. If the enamel finish on old baths is chipped or damaged it is possible to buy an enamel repair kit.  But if it is impossible to get hold of the original item, there are many companies making excellent reproductions.

The Victorian, Edwardian or Art Deco style bathrooms have a timeless appeal, perhaps because of their lushness which is so different from the spartan modern look. Brass or decorative chrome fittings, rich and deep-coloured decorations and authentic accessories are easy to purchase and lend themselves to the decadence of the period.

If you are planning to plumb in a cast-iron bath, it is best to check that the floor of the bathroom and the ceiling of the room underneath can take the weight, both of the bath and when it is filled with water.

Traditional bathroom features that are popular today are claw-foot baths and toilets with high level cisterns.  Claw-foot baths stand alone to show off the fine curved lines and delicate feet of their design.  The high level cisterns need to be wall mounted above the toilet pan and flushed by a chain and pull.  The old ‘Thunderbox’ was a toilet boxed with wood panels and a solid wooden bench, with a hole cut in the centre, placed across the top.   The comfort of a wooden toilet is still sought after today, and looks the part in a traditional bathroom setting.

Victorian ‘telephone’ mixer taps with ceramic tops, or chrome Art Deco versions, will also help achieve an authentic look.  Ceramic tiles with reproduction motifs are available in DIY stores and from tile merchants.  For Art Deco stye, a simple checkerboard effect of black and white tiles will suffice.

In a bathroom that features wood, perhaps in the skirting boards, under-basin cabinets and cupboards, then the bath panels can be made of the same timber.  The panels are fixed in place either with sunken screws that are filled to belnd with the wood or with brass screws, caps and rings that become a feature of the panel.  However, if wood is used in a bathroom environment for a tradional effect, it should be oiled or varnished to make it water-resistant and to prevent it warping in the steamy conditions.  Bath panels made from wood such as mahogany could be expensive, but a similar effect can be achieved using a fake panel.  The panel could be made from plywood and then painted to look like a piece of well-grained wood, as you could find in a traditional bathroom.
Such fake effects can also be painted to resemble marble, granite or a whole range of woods.  Decorative  beading can be added to the flat panel  for embellishment and interest to the surface.  Wooden panelling can be used instead of ceramic tiles and painted or lacquered and then stencilled with gilded designs and motifs.