
We’ve been working on a new project at Treseren that we are very excited to share with you. You could be forgiven for thinking that the installation of a new bathroom doesn’t sound like the most newsworthy announcement, but we are confident that once you have discovered quite how fabulous our new facilities are you will feel differently!
For practicalities sake, the addition of a new downstairs bathroom at Treseren is great, positioned just next to the Cocktail Bar it makes perfect sense for the flow of guests through the house on a wedding day. However, when Loveday’s Cocktail Bar boasts a gold leaf ceiling, vintage cocktail cabinet and a statement neon sign, this was never going to be a boring loo!
For Loveday’s, we looked to the glitz and glamour of the Art Deco period to inspire the mood, which seemed more than fitting for the evolution from store room to a place of celebration and merriment. To marry the two spaces, we chose to include a little glitz and glamour in the new bathroom (yes, there is a crystal chandelier!), but we also looked back to the Arts and Crafts movement, where form and function were considered in harmony and craftsmanship was of upmost importance. We wanted the bathroom to look fabulous, whilst being a functional and comfortable space.
‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful’ – William Morris
Luckily, we have our own resident carpenter, and Paul gallantly took on the task of panelling the lower half of the room and creating a hidden cupboard, with a combination of new and reclaimed timber. The uneven Georgian walls made this quite a challenge and the purchase of a new laser level was a must!
Panelling and wallpaper were the initial design choices we knew we wanted to include, and the wallpaper choice really influenced all of the design choices that followed. The William Morris Pimpernel wallpaper is such an iconic, bold botanical design and the Bayleaf/Manilla colourway from Jane Clayton immediately felt perfect for the space. We almost lost our nerve when choosing the darkest of greens for the panelling, but we’re so glad that we trusted the process and went with Farrow and Ball ‘Carriage Green’, which creates the perfect moody vibe. We used a combination of ‘Pigeon’ and ‘French Gray’ on the walls, ceiling and doorframe. We made the decision not to wallpaper the back wall, as we love the wobbly texture of the original Georgian plaster!
We initially hoped to use reclaimed tiles for the flooring, but the floor itself had to be entirely dug out and levelled (Paul even found an original door escutcheon in the rubble!), so time restraints meant that this wasn’t possible. We were delighted when we found these black and white tiles which created the look we wanted whilst saving some all important hours – A big thank you to our lovely tiler Barny for always being patient with our grand schemes!
We chose a traditional white ceramic toilet and basin from The Remarkable Toilet Company and of course, we had to get some fabulous vintage pieces in there somewhere. The reclaimed vintage brass taps and reclaimed ‘vacant/engaged’ door lock were perfect finishing pieces, but the basket chandelier wall lights and early 20th century prism chandelier were perhaps our most exciting finds. Our electrician may not agree – and we would certainly have made his job easier if we had purchased new pieces, but we cannot thank him enough for working his magic to get these lights in safe working order for us. The glistening light dispersed from the chandelier is just magical, and the wall lights create the perfect glow for a lipstick reapplication mid-wedding day! Thank you to Retrovation and Rupert Landen Antiques for helping us with these fabulous treasures.
The final addition was of course hand soap and hand cream by the fabulous Bloom Remedies who make natural, organic skincare here in Cornwall which you will find throughout the house. We are so delighted with the final outcome of this new space, and can’t wait to show wedding guests to the bathroom!
Finished space photos by Olivia Rossi Photography