The Rural Voice, 2004-06, Page 441
Home Decorating
Voila! A personalized mini -spa
Patti
Robertson
operates
Classic
Interiors in
Wingham.
By Patti Robertson
I've had a most interesting spring
decor season. I've been called to
assist with homes and rooms in all
shapes and sizes and states of repair,
but as things go this spring I've had a
bevy of calls to deal with small
spaces. •
I get a great thrill tackling small
spaces and bringing them into their
full glamorous potential. Personally 1
don't think small but rather how
much pizzazz, glamour and decorum
I can infuse the space with, without a
cramping effect. My goal is always to
create as much character and charm
so all that enter feel right at home in
the space.
Such was the case when tackling
the petit bathroom in a very large and
airy condo owned by a young
professional couple. The dominating
colour scheme of the condo is
varying tones of sage green with
black as a key accent along with
muted taupes and a little white to
freshen the effect.
The bathroom to be tackled had an
overall size of six feet by eight feet
with no window and was tiled on all
the walls and ceiling with an orange,
gold and green Italian mosaic tile ...
UGH!
The "lady of the house" lamented
that what her heart really desired was
a spa -type room where she could
relax in a warm tub by candlelight.
but alas "how could this .ever be
possible in such a small space?
All the white fixtures in the room
were in excellent shape and the room
sported a 'large wall-to-wall vanity
and a huge corner mirror. Bonus!
My first plan of attack
was to find a colour that
would blend with the
entire home so that
when you entered
the bath from the
extensive
hallway, the bath
would appear to
be a continuation
rather than
separated from
the flow. This
meant utilizing a
tint of sage green
already present.
Next it was a case of
coating all walls and the
tiled ceiling with BIN primer
for all surfaces. Next we painted all
the walls, ceiling and vanity with our
selected colouration. The flooring is
beautiful plush carpeting just a shade
deeper than the walls. This
effectively gave the space a unified
background. wherein the texture of
the tiles adds relief to the painted
surfaces adding interest without
overpowering the area.
We bejeweled the entire perimeter
of the iarge corner mirror with satin
and clear glass beads in a sage hue
and added a sprinkling of mini
mirror -tiles for extra sparkle. A new
crystal vanity lighting fixture adds
extra splash and upgraded the
lighting value. A large mirror
sporting an ornate gilded gold frame
was strategically placed on the
entrance wall to add to the illusion of
space as well as adding more subtle
elegance.
By divine design 1
managed to find a corner
shelf which extends
from floor to ceiling.
It features an
upscale faux
finish of white
wrought -iron
coated with a
golden glaze
and is of a trellis
and ivy motif.
This effectively
created much-
needed shelf space
for towels and spa -
type toiletries and
accessories. Upon these
shelves is also a wonderful
I 940s -period mini -brass -and -crystal,
drop -accent lamp. It sports a low
level, soft pink bulb. which is left on
to provide a glow and sparkle that a
room without a window rarely has.
As requested. I added a truly unique
wall sconce in a golden bronze hue to
add drama while bathing.
The tub and shower stall was
treated to a lavish pair of silk -
textured semi -sheers in white, topped
off with a matching arched valance
that that has been garnished with a
crystal and pearl -beaded fringe.
Finally we added a few gilded gold
pots of very real looking lavender and
ivy, towels in a lovely floral design in
varying tints of sage and white, and
gilded vanity accessories. Voila! We
have a personalized mini spa. My
clients are both in shock and awe at
the transformation. The "lady of the
house" now bathes in splendour.
Ahhh! I'm so very passionate
about making people happy in their
spaces and proving that bigger is
certainly not better.0
PATTI ROBERTSON'S
Unique Residential and
Commercial Inferiors
135 Victoria St., WINGHAM
357-2872
• Custom-made Window
Fashions, Bedspreads
& Accessories
• Fine Domestic &
Imported Fabrics
• Select Wallcoverings
• Furnishings, Lighting
& Artwork to suit
any interior...
40 THE RURAL VOICE