Five Beautiful Things

 

Five: Bathrooms

Many unmentionable things happen in this room, which is ostensibly devoted to hygiene and sanitation, and yet it is central to our lives. Without these rooms, we’d be in quite a mess – literally and figuratively. For centuries, bathrooms consisted of just a hole in the ground, outside the home in a hut. There were chamber pots for convenience, which would be emptied later outdoors, and portable basins and tubs for quick washing. In the 1800s, with the proliferation of indoor plumbing, the bathroom became an actual room in the house with flushing toilets, sinks and tubs with taps.

In the mid-1900s, with the advent of Hollywood, bathrooms, like kitchens, became regarded as canvases to illustrate one’s status. People wanted the kinds of bathrooms the movie stars had. The number of bathrooms a house had became increasingly important. A private bathroom for mom and dad (or ensuite bath) was a true luxury. Modern fixtures and luxurious finishes turned the bathroom into a refuge and a retreat: a place to escape for a long soak surrounded by marble and gold taps. At least that was the ideal.

Below are five bathrooms – large and small!

 

 

Throughout the months of August and September, stay tuned to this column as we go room by room through the house with design inspiration. Be sure to pre order the new book  Beekman 1802 Style by Brent and Josh, out September 15th! Order autographed copies here!