The Gold Is A Neutral bathroom reveal: Part 2, The Details

It's one week since I first revealed our new bathroom and I'm still every bit as in love with it as I was then. I can't see this changing for a very long time to be honest and you'll definitely get bored of it before I do.

Last week I gave you an overview of the renovation as a whole and now it's time to get down to the business of what we put in it, once the tropical fish tank and walls of beige had been ripped out and tossed onto the 90's scrapheap and replaced with pieces from Victoria + Albert Baths, Perrin & Rowe and Topps Tiles, who I was delighted to collaborate with on this renovation.

So let's start with the bath, as that was one of the first things I picked out and it helped shape my vision for the rest of the room. I wanted to reference the fact that this is a Victorian house, but I also wanted something that was going to work well with the very modern elements going on elsewhere in the room. The York bath from Victoria + Albert Baths was the standout for me. It's actually a very traditional shape but it sits beautifully alongside the contemporary crosshead taps, marble and brass elements in the room. It is made out of a unique volcanic limestone composite called Quarrycast,  which retains heat for longer, meaning that if I ever do get that rare solo bath, I'll be able to make it last that little bit longer.

Choosing the hardware was a little less straightforward as I just couldn't make up my mind but thank goodness for Perrin & Rowe who guided me through their options and helped me make my selection. With the traditional aspect ticked with the bath, I wanted the taps to be unfussy and contemporary so I opted for the Three Hole Bath Set with Crosshead handles in their Satin Brass, which is available as a special finish. I love the simple but sleek, strong and sturdy design. All the S's.

Moving on to the shower, I had spotted the Arabescato marble tiles from Topps Tiles at the Houzz house at the beginning of the year in the bathroom designed by interior design studio Run for the Hills. They had gone for more of a Scandi luxe vibe, but as soon as I saw them I knew they were exactly what I had been searching for. I had been originally been looking at bookmatched marble for all of about ummmm, 30 seconds, after the first quote came in.

We were able to gain extra space in the shower which meant we could justify a big show-off shower rose. I went for the traditional shower rose, despite having contemporary taps, for no other reason than that I preferred the style. And I think it's fine to mix it up so long as they are not wildly different. Speaking of which, I went for the contemporary thermostatic shower mixer with lever handles because it was more practical in the shower. All the plumbing was run behind the tiles to keep the overall look clean and unfussy.

I decided to be a bit brave on the floor and picked out the Black Pradena tile from Bert and May. The idea was that the charcoal tiles would complement the grey vein of the marble and I'm happy to say I think I was right. The fact that the tiles create an amazing starry reflection in the Custom Fronts brass vanity cupboard is a happy coincidence. Obviously the tiles are stunning, but on a practical level I love the warmth of the encaustic tiles underfoot, and that's why I've chosen to use them again in the hallway.

I've talked a little already about where the idea for the bespoke brass cabinet came from, but here's a little more on how I brought the idea to life. I looked at a few different suppliers for the cupboard doors but this was a case of needing style and substance and I was a bit nervous about ordering brass sheeting and attempting to attach it to the doors myself. Then someone flagged up to me that bespoke ply kitchen fronts company Custom Fronts were just about to launch brass fronts and I was on it like a car bonnet. Given that they already create some seriously stylish kitchens I trusted them entirely to make exactly what I was looking for, and they didn't let me down. I've been blown away by their customer service, which has even extended to having to deal with a panicked call from me after I overdid it with the Brasso on the day of our shoot. Nightmare customer, me????

The top of the worktop is a slab of Arabescato marble that I chose via email from Marble Building Products, a marble yard based on the same estate as my dad's workshop in Yorkshire. I used to play out on the street with Rob, the business development manager there, when we were about 7-years-old.  We go wayyyy back, though I probably haven't seen him for about 20 years, so it must have been a bit of a surprise when he got an email from me asking him to source the dream slab of marble. Which he duly did. And call me sentimental but it feels that little bit more special that the marble comes from my homeland (by way of Italy obvs). 

Our previous vanity unit had two sinks, which I know some people consider #lifegoals, but there was no way I was going to carve two giant holes out of that marble. Plus the Pembroke sink sits perfectly in the centre of the unit, along with the deck mounted Satin Brass Crosshead basin taps.

There are a lot of round brass mirrors around to suit every size and budget but I found the perfect piece in Laura Ashley, of all places and it's a total bargain! I've had lots of questions about the lighting...I'm notoriously fussy about choosing lights and I searched high and low for the perfect sconces. I found these mid-century sconce lights on Ebay, from the same seller I bought the sputnik lights in our living room from. It's such a great source that I'm kind of reluctant to share the details on here because then the secret will be out. But I will, because that's what I'm here for, and I've had loads of people ask me where they came from.

Finally, I created a gallery wall of abstract nudes selected from Desenio. The simple and mostly white background of the prints add balance and light to the otherwise dark room. Oodles of faux foliage from the marvellous Hello Flora is also key to livening everything up. Add some glamorous gold planters and some sexy brass handles and switches from Dowsing and Reynolds and I am officially DONE. 

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and if you have any other questions just ask!

J x

**The York bath and Pembroke sink were kindly gifted by Victoria + Albert Baths; the Bath and Basin taps, Shower mixer and Shower head were kindly gifted by Perrin & Rowe and the Arabescato Marble tiles were kindly gifted by Topps Tiles. All design, project managing and styling was done by me.