Second bath update

The second bath, except for new towels, black and white photos and new lampshades, is finished.  Well, maybe not exactly finished as the door trim and door need painting - that is once the door has either had molding applied or itself been replaced by something less 1969 (flush and featureless.)

The walls are a grey iridescent Venetian Plaster with a high wax sheen inspired by the nautilus shell laying on top of the loo.  The plaster is by the same man who took the photos, the excellent Joe Bronzino, a master of both his crafts.  

It's a tiny scrap of a bathroom serving what was the second bedroom, now the library, so it must do double duty as a powder room for us and dinner guests. The looking glass has been with us for the last fifteen years and though we both would prefer something more contemporary, that something more contemporary is as far as we can either see or can afford does not have the drama or the interest of the old Venetian-style glass.  

There was no wiggle-room, no space for innovation except for stylistic and we decided simply to update that which already worked well but was worn out. Forty years is a long time for laminate,  dark cherrywood, plate glass and very, very big fluorescent tubes. The plate-glass mirror was surrounded by the fluorescent tubes and when all were lit I had the impression that the neighbourhood dimmed and besides that it was like walking into a tanning salon. Bright was not the word.  The tub, however, was in very good shape and was retained for resale purposes. Isn't that always the justification when one wants not to afford something - in this case having the tub removed? 

Finishes are waxed, mica impregnated plaster, white thassos marble, grey carrara marble, polished nickel, glass (light fittings, towel rails and shower doors) espresso stained wood and white ceramic.  The floor, not shown, is laid in thassos marble brick pattern with a rug-shaped inset of grey, white and black basketweave pattern. 

It seems that grey is a major theme of the redecoration of the flat.