Project Details:
Products Used: Caribbean Island Marble, Long Island Marble Honed, Avant Garde Marble Honed, Palazzo Oro Marble Hexagon Mosaic, Antartide Panda Marble, Emperado Porcini Marble
Bespoke Details: Floating Shelves in Caribbean Island Marble, Backlit Florida White Marble, Floating Long Island Marble Backlit Vanity
Designer: Jess Weeks
Bringing light into what was once a dark period country house in the Cotswolds was the aim of interior designer Jess Weeks of Jess Weeks Interiors. When a fire damaged a section of the property, Jess was brought in to modernise the downstairs. ‘The clients didn’t want the interior to be too cold nor too modern,’ she explains. ‘They live overseas and this is their UK family home so they wanted it to be warm with a contemporary and crisp finish.’ Once the downstairs had been transformed into a brighter space with a more modern aesthetic, the bathrooms then looked very different in terms of age, character and style. ‘The clients wanted the bathrooms to match,’ says Jess. ‘There was no light coming into them so we were brought in to lighten up the spaces and make them more functional.’
A serene neutral palette was used throughout the downstairs to maximise the sense of light. A sleek contemporary kitchen with clean-lined white cabinetry coaxes light in from a rooflight overhead, while the lounge areas centre on generous and stylish modular sofas that provide plenty of seating for friends and family.
The downstairs cloakroom had been redesigned as part of the previous renovation and it set the tone for the upstairs bathroom schemes. ‘When we worked on the cloakroom, we wanted to freshen up the space and give it a far more contemporary feel, so we brightened it up and introduced a very minimalist look, while still making it inviting and homely,’ says Jess.
Long Island Honed marble was chosen for the floating vanity, which forms the focal point of the space. ‘We wanted to find a way to make the space as bright as possible without having to introduce too much furniture so we used Long Island on the vanity base and counter top and introduced clever lighting to ensure it created a soft glow,’ says Jess. Elegant wall lights and a softly curved mirror ensure the vanity is a stand out feature.
A considerable renovation was undertaken in the three upstairs bathrooms. The main bathroom was particularly dark so Jess removed a chimney breast to create a more open-plan feel and added Velux windows that allow in lots of natural light. ‘We wanted the space to be minimalist but also be cosy and inviting, and to bring it up to the much crisper and brighter look of the rest of the house. Caribbean Island marble was chosen for the shower wall, vanity splashback, shelves and vanity countertop. ‘The clients absolutely loved the stone. They wanted something beautiful for everyday living and that gave that wow factor when you walk in, without being over the top. A timeless feel was quite important.’ The dual vanity unit was cleverly designed to be wall hung and to hold the stone on top too. ‘The idea was to install the marble on the shower wall and vanity side too so that it spoke a similar language to the other side of the room and balanced the space,’ says Jess. In addition, the stone is backlit for extra effect. ‘What’s clever about it is that when the lights are switched off, it tells a very different story,’ says Jess. It allows you to almost have two stones in one bathroom - lit up is a completely different look.’ The beautifully veined marble was teamed with a more subtle marble on the floor, Emperado Porcini. ‘Emperado Porcini complements it softly,’ says Jess. A freestanding contemporary statement bath adds to the spa-like feel.
The family bathroom revolves around earthy tones that are in keeping with the countryside setting and that are warm and inviting. ‘The clients wanted to create a tranquil space that guests would really enjoy using,’ says Jess. Different textures, depths and tones were combined to create a different aesthetic. Because the space is small, the layout was a challenge. ‘The clients didn’t want a bath that was built in because it makes the bath feel smaller but they also wanted to add in a shower which was difficult to do. We managed to curve the wall around the freestanding bath to create a shower and then had the shower screen fitted on top of the bath edge and fitted into the ceiling to make the most out of the space.’ The walls are clad in Florida White marble, backlit on one wall, to create a striking effect. For additional interest, a niche is clad in Palazzo Oro Marble Hexagon tiles for a contemporary twist.
When it came to the son’s bathroom, Jess was keen to reflect his personality with layered finishes. ‘I wanted him to have a slightly more edgy bathroom that would stand the test of time and not be too dissimilar to the rest of the house,’ she says. Individuality was injected with Avant Garde Honed marble with its dramatic charcoal black hue on the shower wall. To provide juxtaposition (and also link with the other bathrooms), white Long Island marble was book ended on the walls on either side of the shower, while Antartide Panda marble with its distinctive veining was used in the alcove and on the vanity countertop to make a statement.
