The Brief
This country house in Hampshire required a master suite renovation that matched the elegance of the rest of the property. ‘The brief was to make it feel more cosy and warmer,’ says Georgina Taylor of interior design studio Overbury Interiors. ‘It was a vast room before that was very cold and open. The client wanted something that felt bespoke and more intimate.’
Calacatta Oceana marble from Artisans of Devizes was the stone selected for the en suite bathroom. ‘It has a warmth to it,’ explains Georgina. ‘We needed something that felt soft and warm because we were going to use so much of it. We had seen a slab of this marble a long time ago and thought it was absolutely beautiful and when this project came along, we thought it would suit it perfectly. The clients went to see it at the Artisans of Devizes’ showroom and they loved it too.’
The Project
A seamless feel was key to the look so Calacatta Oceana was used on the floor and in the shower so that the bathroom flowed. In addition, the marble was used on the vanity tops for consistency.
The marble brings texture and character to the space and a unique feel to the floor. ‘We had a bespoke pattern cut, a diamond lattice, and in the shower we did a book match on the back wall, which is quite striking, and we clad the whole shower, including the ceiling in the same marble, so it’s quite a feature. We also did the architrave around the shower in marble to give a timeless look that won’t date,’ notes Georgina.
The statement roll top bath was placed on a platform to elevate the bath in the bay window, and the shape of the bay was reflected with the plinth. ‘It also works really nicely with the diamond lattice pattern on the floor,’ says Georgina. ‘We angled the plinth so it was the same 45 degree angle ensuring that it flowed nicely with the cut on the floor and then we boarded the whole space with marble.’
To enhance the period feel and link the two spaces, the existing panelling in the bedroom was extended into the ensuite up to dado height. The panelling was then painted in a soothing grey shade, Panel by Paint & Paper Library, with walls painted in a softer tone, Pearl by Little Greene.
Integrated recessed storage was cleverly concealed behind vintage foxed mirrors above each vanity, with the antiqued mirror enhancing the timeless look. Three different types of mirror were layered and crafted by artisans to ensure that the mirror met with the marble seamlessly. ‘The basin units don’t have any storage so that’s why we decided to do hidden storage above the wash stand,’ explains Georgina.
The starting point for the master suite scheme was an exquisite hand painted de Gournay wallpaper in the bedroom, which features blues, greys and peachy pink and works beautifully with the Calacatta Oceana marble. Fabric-covered shutters were then chosen to inject softness into the bathroom scheme. The natural landscape themed fabric by Schumacher carries through the bird motif from the de Gournay wallpaper. ‘The Schumacher fabric was more tonal so it didn’t feel so busy on the panels.’
An impressive chandelier marries beautifully with the glass wall sconces and provides a classic finishing touch that elevates the scheme further.
