Mid century-modern bathroom design

Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Sophie. We’d love to hear more about how you created this mid century modern style using our Zurich range.

Where did you start with the design and colour schemes? What brief were you given?

A lot of our clients come to us with an open brief, we start by having a meeting to get to know them and understand their family and their house style so we can come back to them with design direction and layout proposals based on their required use and style.

How did this develop through the design process?

Our process is quite personal, we spend a lot of time with the customers and get to know them and as we learn more about them (likes/dislikes) the design develops naturally through the process. We take as long as it needs to get our design right. In this bathroom the customers liked the idea of a classic marble bathroom, but their home was a beautiful 50’s style period property with some amazing features and they had a love for retro furniture and objet’. A more mid century modern style felt right for them.

Did you have any design challenges or did it all go smoothly?

We found it hard to find any bathroom furniture that was quirky enough for the design or that was in the right wood colour for a nod to the mid-century vibe. In order to deliver the design aesthetic we had to design a walnut vanity unit in house and have this made bespoke for the look and feel we wanted in the size needed. This process took slightly longer than buying off-shelf furniture but the end result was really worth it for this project.

Which Coalbrook products did you use and what was it about our products that particularly appealed?

As this bathroom blends a modern style with a classic feel the Coalbrook lever handle brassware was absolutely perfect. With many brassware brands the style is either very traditional or very contemporary but Coalbrook’s lever handles are the perfect mix and helped us to pull the styling across the bathroom together perfectly. We initially looked as a natural brass finish but as this was for a busy family bathroom we wanted something much more practical so the lacquered brushed finish was ideal instead.

Where did you find your inspiration for the room?

Our original inspiration came from looking at retro furniture combined with modern colour schemes for the coming years. We often look to a lot of American interior designers as they have some amazing mid-century inspired projects, this was where we liked the idea of the walnut unit combined with a darker tiled wall alongside classic marble hexagons. We used the Coalbrook brassware in brushed nickel for a modern twist.

What were the key features that helped to create this mid-century bathroom design?

The avocado green was a must for the feature wall tiling as this accent colour is synonymous with mid-century interiors. We wanted a back wall that had depth to balancer the lighter marble, so we wanted a deeper colour without it being too dark. Greens have made a real resurgence in today’s interiors and will continue to be strong over the next decade so we were keen to find the right shade for the wall bathroom tiles, so we were keen to find the right shade that would have longevity. The mosaics we chose had an artisanal style reactive glaze that features heavily across 50s and 60’s style pottery and objet’ so they couldn’t have been any better for this design. Their colour and depth really made the brushed nickel brassware really pop!

And finally, what advice would you give to someone looking to create their own bathroom space?

Always stay true to your personal style and colour preferences for a design that will transcend current trends.