LIFEINTHEBIGHOUSE
A historic bathroom
at minimal expense
Choosing antique fixtures from unlikely sources
BY LAURI KRAMER SERAFIN
A
dated bathroom can become a charm-
ing period piece. The renovation
spanned three years, as I was busy and
had started demolition prematurely in my
excitement for the project. This was far lon-
ger than the project needed to take.
I approach my projects in the follow-
ing manner, by assessment, strategy, design,
execution and evaluation. The process is not
always linear. Sometimes demolition pro-
vides key information that prompts a reas-
sessment. This is what I call the mushroom
factor. With more knowledge, the project
mushrooms out of control and budget, a
common renovation problem.
Working with a small, 6 1/2 square foot
bathroom brought challenges. The claw-
foot tub was boxed in for a modern stream-
lined look. Original light fixtures and plas-
ter walls were gone, wallpaper pieces made
from historic salmon can labels were dam-
aged. However, the bathroom had origi-
nal door and window moulding, wainscot,
radiator, one panel door and hardware, the
clawfoot tub and sink. The bathroom was
dated, terminally cute and needed a period
look.
My strategy was to minimize cost by
retaining historic elements, not moving the
placement of the plumbing fixtures. I pur-
chased needed items at the salvage yard.
It was essential to minimize professional
labor of our plumber and carpenter. As
always, do no harm to the historic structure
and document work.
My design plan was a 1915 bathroom
with polished nickel hardware and well-ex-
ecuted detail. The room would feature a
cream trim, rich gold paint, white plumbing
fixtures and light shades. I would have so
loved to include a mosaic tile as well, but it
was out of my budget.
Execution of the plan required careful
deconstruction, working from the top down.
Gathering supplies at the salvage yard takes
patience and luck!
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Painting the relief areas of the anaglypta with
a solution of glaze and paint.
For the ceiling paint, I chose a warm
white. The bathroom’s 1980s light fixture
was replaced with a secondhand antique.
Some parts were missing and rewiring was
needed. I found a simple ceiling medallion,
held in place by a fixture canopy. This isn’t
permanent, nor is it historically accurate,
but I like the look.
The room’s cove molding is a find from
the salvage yard. Since the walls are not
square, we used corner blocks at a carpen-
ter’s suggestion. Installation of the cove
molding was a breeze. This is was a great
tip!
Wallpaper is a great place to express cre-
ativity. I favor thick, embossed English
wallpaper called anaglypta. I painted the
base coat and then the relief, using a solu-
tion of two parts glaze and one part trim.
Paint with a small, sharply tipped brush.
Adding glaze thins the paint, causing it to
appear more translucent while lengthen-
ing its drying time. This gives more time to
work in the desired look.
After removing four layers of paint
applied through the decades, wainscot was
See Page 7
Photos by Lauri Kramer Serafin
The finished bathroom with anaglypta wallpaper and polished nickel hardware.
The bathroom
in 2015.
The mosaic
pattern of the
wallpaper is
made from
vintage
salmon can
labels with
a maritime
border
applied to
cover fading
and water
damage.