Creating old world style in your bathroom

Allison Williams, owner of Allison Williams Interiors in Hanover shares a bathroom where contemporary details and timeless Tudor style mingle

Allison Williams Interior Design - bathroom

In Lancaster, a Shingle- and Tudor-style home evokes Old World beauty both inside and out. Most striking is the home’s spacious master bath, where this aesthetic reaches new heights with fresh colors, pristine amenities and striking textures. 

For this bath, Alice Williams, owner of Alice Williams Interiors in Hanover, strived to create a space where contemporary details and timeless Tudor style mingle. “I wanted to update the look and impression of an Old World, European bathroom,” Williams says. “I sought to make this room fresh and appealing, while maintaining its Old World charm, which is also expressed architecturally and ornamentally throughout the rest of the house.” Williams’s achievement of this goal was recognized when she won the 2014 New Hampshire Home Design Award for Excellence in Bath Design.

Inspiration began with basket-weave floor tiles and curtains made from Belgian linen with silk embroidery. “The decorative tiles are an intricate design anchor, and the delicate curtains add sophistication and introduce a softness to the room,” Williams says. 

A large walk-in closet sets the stage for the serene master
bathroom beyond.

Other details, such as the room’s woodwork, create a striking framework for the various bathroom amenities, which include a footed tub, a shower, a sauna, linen closets and a toilet room. Williams cites the extensive tile wainscoting, along with baseboard and chair-rail pieces, as the room’s strongest Old World details. In contrast, the room’s paint color is fresh and new. A mixed color palette of cream, yellow and gray was layered and painted horizontally in a matte finish to give the impression of movement and water. “The wall color and its treatment bring this large room to cozier proportions,” Williams says. “It also gives the space a vibrant energy and airiness.”

The dappled pattern of the vanities’ granite countertops also evokes a feeling of motion, while the rounded pilasters give the cabinetry weight. In addition, the curved edges of the vanities complement the arched doorways throughout the room. “Architecturally, this bath has many angles, edges and corners,” Williams says. “So it was important to have these curved details to soften and freshen this Old World space.”

 

More ways to get the old world look in your bathroom

Allison Williams granite vanity countertop

 

The dappled granite on the vanity countertops adds a classic touch, while a nickel faucet with crystal egg knobs from Waterworks provide a jewel-like refinement.
A freestanding bathtub from Waterworks and luminous linen curtains with silk embroidery from Vaughan make an elegant statement.
Bathroom by Allison Williams Interiors in Hanover, NH
The bathroom’s strongest colors belong to the wool/silk rug and bench cushion. Their hues and patterns invigorate the room’s soft color palette.

What makes this bathroom beautiful

Categories: Bathroom Designs