An essential guide to period style bathrooms

ABOVE: The Victorians liked slipper baths, which have a higher back at one end for extra comfort. The Roxburgh slipper bath from Victoria & Albert recreates the look using modern materials. Prices from £1,499.99 with lion’s paw feet detail.

Today, it’s not particularly unusual for properties to have as many bathrooms as bedrooms. However, the modern bathroom that we now happily take for granted has only really evolved in the last 140 years. Although the Romans are famed for their social bathing, it wasn’t until the Victorian era that the idea of a private domestic bathroom, with inside WC, became established, and even then it was mainly confined to the gentry.

Following years of outdoor or public privies, and tin baths in front of the fire (if one washed at all that is), the turning point for domestic bathrooms came in 1865, when the Victorians completed the world’s first sewers. Unlike the Elizabethans, the Victorians established the link between unsanitary conditions and disease, and throughout the subsequent Edwardian and Art Deco periods, indoor plumbing slowly became universal, and properties began to be built with a dedicated bathroom.

The problem facing period homeowners today is that in most homes these bathrooms were significantly utilitarian. Thus, while there’s certainly authenticity to be found in antique or reproduction baths and chinaware of the Victorian and Edwardian periods, when it comes to decorating there is a certain degree of artistic license involved. For example, a Victorian or Edwardian bathroom in a typical family home would be devoid of pictures, window treatments or accessories, since bathrooms were mainly regarded as purely functional spaces.

Since few of us would settle for such austerity today, when seeking to emulate a Victorian or Edwardian bathroom the solution is to take inspiration from the luxurious salons and dining rooms of that era or the bathrooms of its upper classes, which were considerably more grandiose.

Those seeking accuracy might prefer to consider the Art Deco period, c1908-1935, by which point domestic plumbing and electric lighting were bringing previously unimaginable comforts to the bathroom, making them more desirable spaces. Art Deco design tends to take a more holistic approach to bathroom decoration, encompassing lighting, tiles, art and accessories. The comparative modernity of the Art Deco period can also make it easier to find original pieces that work with modern plumbing or that can be upgraded by a specialist.

Whether you are inspired by Victorian prettiness, Edwardian grandeur or Art Deco elegance (or a mixture of the three), the key is to pick pieces that appeal and use one or two statement ideas to create a striking focus. Then lie in the bath, and be thankful that you didn’t have to boil the water over a fire.

Find out more about creating a Victorian or Edwardian style bathroom...
Find out more about creating an Art Deco style bathroom...
Find out how to complete your period style bathroom...

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FEATURE LINDA CLAYTON
Featured in the August 2010 issue of Period Living