Country Decor Blog

As much as I’m a traditionalist when it comes to clawfoot tubs (I have an authentic cast iron one from Kohler at home), I do love the look of some of the minimalist slipper tubs on the market. I’ve been in Ucluelet, BC for the last few days for a shoot at Cougar Annie’s garden (we will publish the story in Canadian Gardening magazine next spring), and after an intense day in the chill of a rainy BC day, I was delighted to come home to a decadent tub experience in my hotel room at Black Rock Resort. The tub is by Blu bathworks, a Canadian company located in BC. The freestanding bath tub TW8002B18 is a work of art.
The tub is deep enough for a terrific bubble bath, and has an aesthetic that is elegant enough to suit any type of bathroom (as long as you have the room of course!). I would highly recommend it…
My other tub experience had to do with the Drift spa at Black Rock Resort. As much as the idea of booking a “tub” experience at a spa seemed a little odd, I changed my mind after 20 minutes in the Eau Kur hydrotherapy tub. Granted, this may not be something you want to install in your own house (it is, after all, a spa tub!), but the combination of air bubbles that rotate throughout the tub. If you have the opportunity to experience an Eau Kur hydrotherapy tub, I would recommend it! As I write this though, I am feeling guilty about cheating on my clawfoot back at home. After all, we’ve had wonderful times together over the years! Classic in design and echoing the tradition look of clawfoot tubs, the Kohler Ironworks Historic bath.I will be home soon! And I’m looking forward to rekindling my relationship with my Kohler clawfoot!

…Maybe I exaggerated a bit about my favourite country bathroom in my last post. At least, I thought it was my favourite - that is until I saw this bathroom the next day. At Hampton Island, a tiny private island on the coast of Southern Georgia, beauty and nostalgic architecture reign supreme. In fact, one of the houses that is available to guests of the Hampton Island club appeared in a famous American decorating magazine (which I won’t mention - after all, they are a competitor!). That being said, the decor at Hampton Island is a nice blend of elegance and glamour infused with laid-back country style. The master bathroom in one of the houses had tons of great ideas to steal. I’ll go through all of my favourites here:

1. Create a trompe l’oeil carpet with mosaic tiles.The use of mosaic tiles in a dark charcoal juxtaposed the sleek white carrera marble tiles gives the illusion of a “carpet” under the top. It works well in this large bathroom to help delineate the space where the tub sits. I also like how they have used carrera marble mosaic tiles on the wall - it bridges the two tile styles on the floor.

2. Install a porthole window in your showerOne of my favourite things in my own shower at home is the tiny window that my contractor installed just above eye-level. It’s too high for peeping Toms in the house next door to look in (unless, I suppose, they get on a ladder), but it lets in a wonderful amount of natural light - sometimes I can even imagine that I’m showering outdoors! I loved how this shower, tiled in tiny perfect Carrera marble mosaic tile, has a porthole window. Very fun!

3. The demi-lune is a hit as a vanityContinuing on the theme of creating furniture-like items in this bathroom (i.e., the mosaic “carpet”), these feminine demi-lune vanities with their gorgeous bianca marble (I think that’s what it is) tops, are just perfect. I’ve always loved the demi-lune shape for a table (I have one in my front hall). It is simple but elegant all at the same time! A true “little black dress” of furniture!

4. Please, no angled glass showers!My dad has a lot of influence over me - still - and though I will deny it if anyone were to tell him, when he tells me something, it usually sticks in my mind like parental glue. In the case of designing a bathroom, he always said that a square shower is the way to go - forget about slicing off the corner to create more space. Angled shower doors are “mincey” in his words. And I have never forgotten it. Every shower I have ever designed looks pretty much like this one. (although I always add a shelf for beauty products!)

5. A room of one’s ownDoesn’t this photo feel like something out of a Merchant Ivory film. The soft light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the muted colour palette, the rich look of the room. This simply perfect country bathroom has a lot of wonderful qualities and ideas to steal for your own bathroom at home. I know I have been inspired! And for sure this bathroom is REALLY my favourite!

When I think about the country bathroom ideal, it ALWAYS has to involve a clawfoot tub. None of those decadent four-person, air bubble tubs for me! But imagine if you could take that bath on a screened-in porch? That’s exactly what I did the other night while exploring Hampton Island, a fascinating private island in Southern Georgia; just half an hour from Savannah. The developers have created an idyllic community that blends the best of nostalgia (carriage rides pulled by 18-hand white Percherons), with nature (kayaking and hiking), with gourmet food (a fabulous biodynamic organic farm). The houses that have been built so far all have that Southern sensibility blended with modern-day panache. I plan on chatting about the decor of a number of my favourite rooms here. But first, the bathroom! Simple, elegant and most importantly, built from reclaimed wood. This bathroom is actually a tiny rustic-looking powder room, while the bath was in a separate screened-in space. I like the idea of using a vintage cast-iron sink, as well as the fun 1950s calendar. I have two more “country baths” to show you in upcoming blogs, but honestly, I think this one, in all its simplicity, is my favourite! Take a look at my shots and let me know what you think!

Okay, okay. I know I just wrote this past weekend about how delightful it is in the cold of winter, but I lied! Today’s unbelievably low temperature has caused my toes to freeze and my blood pressure to rise! What I normally do when I’m chilled to the bone is to either hop into my clawfoot tub (it’s by Kohler and I LOVE it) or remind myself of some recent warm weather travels. I recently travelled to the Puerto Vallarta region of Mexico and stayed at some pretty exceptional hotels. My favourite (from both a location and a decor perspective) was called Cafe des Artistes hotel. The view overlooking the Pacific Ocean was spectacular, and the decor (and decor ideas) were even more inspiring. Forget about the balmy temperatures, the decor was enough (okay maybe with the infinity pool as well)