Low Step Over Baths

These low step over baths make it easy to get in and out of the tub.

Browse baths: http://bit.ly/ir14Ve

How to Create a Modern Bath in a Vintage Style

Timeless Appeal

Shapely cast-iron claw-foot tubs, hexagonal floor tiles, and chrome cross-handle faucets are the go-tos for crafting modern bathrooms with timeless appeal. 

In wide rotation since the late 1800s and early 1900s, when the Victorian, Craftsman, and Art Deco styles reigned in succession, these fixtures and finishes look so good and function so well that they've left little room for improvement, even after all these years.

For help pinpointing even more design elements to guide your own classic bathroom revamp project, the editors ofThis Old House created the following primer on the three most influential and enduring styles of the past.

Victorian

With cleanliness at the heart of the Victorian-era design philosophy, bathrooms built between the 1860s and 1900 often featured an all-white color scheme with marble accents and freestanding fixtures.

Scrubbable Surfaces

Smooth marble or tile floors, and porcelain coatings on tubs and sinks, made spotting dirt—and wiping it away—a cinch.

Exposed Pipes

Fillers, risers, and valves funneled water to freestanding fixtures while Victorians marveled at new indoor plumbing.

Furniture-Look Fixtures

Tubs perched on ornate claw feet and curvaceous sinks with spindly legs elevated utilitarian objects to a place of importance.

Wainscot Walls

Whether white-painted beadboard, raised wood paneling, or glazed subway tile, the cladding stood up to splashes and was easy to clean.

Craftsman

A naturalistic look prevailed in Craftsman-style homes built from 1905 to 1930. Bathrooms often featured clean-lined fixtures and boxy built-ins, as well as block-printed wallpapers and molded tiles with botanical motifs.

Hand-Hewn Hardware

Light fixtures and cabinet knobs were made of oiled bronze, hammered copper, or wrought iron. Faucets and tub fillers were typically nickel-plated brass.

Warm Wood Accents

Vanities, medicine chests, moldings, and window and door casings were often varnished or stained to highlight wood grain.

Earth-Toned Color Palette

Paint, wallpaper, and textiles in mossy greens, amber-hued yellows, and burnished reds and browns brought the colors of nature indoors.

Geometric Motifs

Stylized windows with square- or diamond-shaped muntins and cabinetry and interior doors with rectangular recessed panels celebrate simple lines over the more fanciful curves and twists seen in Victorian-era designs.

Art Deco

Homes built from 1920 to 1940 often had Art Deco–style baths with colorful wall and floor tile. Chevron patterns and Moorish arches added glamour.

Bathing Niches

Recessed into the wall, often with an arched opening, stand-up shower stalls and semi-enclosed tubs offered a modern built-in look with plumbing concealed behind the walls.

Bold Tile

Walls and floors were clad in ceramic squares and octagons in shades of yellow, green, blue, even pink. A black or patterned border tile often topped wainscoting and stood in for baseboards.

Streamlined Fixtures

Pedestal sinks with a rippling, stepped design echoed new skyscrapers' soaring, aerodynamic lines.

Reflective Finishes

Polished chrome faucets and frameless etched-glass medicine chests provided Jazz Age–inspired glitz.

 By: DANIELLE BLUNDELL, This Old House magazine

Elkay sinks + faucets

Elkay's e-granite Expansion – the Dawning of Dusk Gray!

Clear the clutter. Clear your mind, with e-dock™!

Bridge Faucet

Bridge faucets are the perfect fit for a vintage farmhouse, a sleek and modern downtown apartment, and everything in-between. Do you like this timeless design?

GROHE New Tempesta

GROHE New Tempesta. THE ULTIMATE HAND SHOWER COLLECTION. GROHE New Tempesta is the next generation of our Tempesta hand shower. Significantly enhanced

Small Bathroom Solutions

Does your small bathroom feel cramped? These products and tips can help even the smallest spaces open up.

Get more tips: http://bit.ly/pala1q

Stainless Steel

Traditional stainless steel sinks in various shapes are a top modern sink design trend!

Summer Design Trends – 2011

Summertime, and the living is easy, breezy, casual, light and warm! As the warm weather moves in, it’s surely a signal that it’s time once again to shift gears. And delightfully for many, that means slowing down. The warmth of the summer sun nudges us toward rethinking our interiors to reflect our changed mood. As always, summer trends provide inspiration, and this summer serves up a plethora of fresh looks. I’m loving the many shades of “warm” that I am seeing in metals. From sunny warm tones in cabinet hardware (easy to change out with the seasons), to fixtures, fittings and lighting–these lighter, warm finishes add a brightness that is perfect for summer.

White in any form continues to be strong, and is a natural for the summer months. White and very light-painted floors are perfect for summer cottage living. White cabinetry and fixtures in the kitchen and bath are also classic. Butoff-white shades are also looking fresh this summer, adding a sort of modern-meets-vintage look to a space, especially when the overall design is simple in nature.

Speaking of nature, shades of pebble and sand in any form add a visceral, zen-like feeling to a space. Woven fabrics like natural fiber rugs, textures in tile, and soft, neutral matte countertops add that earthy, organic feeling we crave in summer.

Watery blues and greens in softer shades, like aqua and turquoise, are definitely on trend this season. Clear blue accents are a natural for the bath, as are light green-blues. And it’s easy to bring these colors into the bathroom, through tile,decorative mirrors, sconces, artwork, hardware, and of course, towels. Even a simple change in window treatment to these breezy blues or soft whites quickly transports us to the cool seaside!
Recent finds that I have spotted at design shows are “new traditional”furnishings. Relaxed coastal, pastel prep–the modern perspective of fresh colors and the wonderful shapes and forms of vintage furniture design are coming together. A coastal approach to living is everywhere right now!

By Susan Serra

Vapour Colors

Our bright vapour colors make a bold statement in the kitchen and bathroom. What color would you add to the collection?

See our full color palette: http://bit.ly/2sZOlb 
Browse KOHLER Cast Iron: http://bit.ly/6RfKAi 

Bowled Over

While much of the design focus in the bath centers around spectacular bathing and shower areas and beautifully detailed sinks, the more functional portion of the room has been hidden away or begrudgingly accepted as an undesirable necessity. Not anymore.

Today’s toilets are highly styled to go along with their increased functionality, and can now take their rightful place as part of a dazzling bathroom design. From soft curves and geometric shapes to bold and striking colors, bath designers are now met with countless options to complement any style décor.

In addition, the latest group of high-efficiency toilets provide greater flushing capabilities with less water usage, a bonus that will make environmentally and cost-conscious customers smile. And, bidets with multi-purpose options and “smart” toilet seats only add to the pampering environment that highly styled baths provide.

This month, Kitchen & Bath Design News takes a closer look at the latest offerings in the world of the water closet.

Gerber Avalanche two models: Avalanche 1.28 LS and Avalanche gravity one piece. Both use 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf) and are engineered with 3" flush valve for quick evacuation. The toilets are available in white and  bone.

Kolher is celebrating the 75th Birthday of its Wellworth toilet by introducing a new version with Class Five flushing technology. The new model flushes at 1.28 gpf and is WaterSense Certified. It is also available in a comfort-height model.

Catalan mirrored cabinet

The Catalan mirrored cabinet is a perfect place to store toiletries, keeping your counters and sink tops clutter-free. Where do you store your grooming gear?http://bit.ly/q3Mx24

Loure Bathroom Accessories

Our Loure accessories add that little extra detail to the bathroom, perfect for any contemporary space.