Bathroom

Between gardening, home needs, dentist, shopping and the reading of a book much recommended by my daughter, which is proving a little annoying, I’ve managed to shoehorn in some thought on the room box which I deliver for your perusal.  Apologies, my language is being influenced by the reading of aformentioned somewhat ‘over written’ book.

So, without more ado, wend this way for the viewing of the bathroom works.

The information and photos on Arts and Crafts interiors tends to be a bit short on detail regarding both kitchens and bathrooms.  Thankfully, there are many images of both covering general late Victorian cooking spaces and ‘powder’ rooms.

Also I’ve a firm memory of visiting a number of Victorian created bathrooms, both in large stately homes and in my grandparents’ house.  Some of rooms were huge and echoingly high and some so narrow you smashed your elbow if you moved too fast. There were plain white procelain items, much patterned lavatory bowls inside and out, wash handbasins big enough to swallow you whole and baths so narrow someone was going to get stuck. I once fell off the step upon which the lavatory was raised and was too embarassed to explain how I’d managed to bang my head while visiting the bathroom.

Very broadly bathrooms seem to fall roughly into two categories:  all boxed in with plenty of woodwork not a pipe in sight with the possibility of a raised bath and/or toilet, or every pipe available on show with the latest contraption looking more like an instrument of torture as a main feature of the room.  I came across Vivacious Victorian, a site with some delightful examples of both types and lots more plus historical details and publications which I found very entertaining.

I tend to lean towards the steampunk idea of a Victorian bathroom though not so dark and with a definite tilt in the direction of Heath Robinson with cogs, pipes and possibly an elastic band thrown in for good measure.  (Heath Robinson Museum)

Unfortunately I lack the skill and wit to carry out any of the above so have gone for a compromise between the two styles to which I’ve reduced my choices.  I’ve boxed in the toilet cistern and put it on a plinth plus crammed in a number of copper looking things in the very small space I’ve left to build it in.

Plain decoration, steam staining at top of off-white wall
White cistern with gold chain and bath with fancy feet

Replaced chain, added old lever mechanism and boxed in the cistern, raised toilet on step

Threw in random water heater and even more random plumbing and gas pipe with stop tap

Oil bottle cap shower head, lots of wire and painted wiring cover

Drainer spoon shower head and more of the wiring cover painted up

I need to clear up a bit, perhaps re the oil bottle stopper shower head.

Have you ever opened a bottle of olive oil or similar, usually while in the middle of cooking and needing the oil urgently?  They tend to have a plastic ring-pull which your hands, too slippery with adding ingredients to the pan, just won’t manage to grip.  When you’ve finally get it out of the bottle neck you may have in your hand a plastic ring attached by a short stem to a slightly domed cap.  I hacked off the ring and stem, painted the cap copper and glued it to the similarly hacked off head end of a copper draining spoon.  I made a hole in the center of both (before gluing together) and inserted a length of real copper wire through them, hammering back the drainer spoon end of the wire to hopefully make it stay in place.  One shower head.

Off to see what seeds may have germinated today in the trays of basil, marigolds and nasturtiums and then I’d best go check to see if that shower has fallen off the wall yet.