2019-05-01 Homes & Gardens

(Joyce) #1
DESIGNERNicky Dobree, director,
Nicky Dobree Interior Design, 020 7828
5989, nickydobree.com.
THE PROPERTYA seven-bedroom,
Twenties villa in west London.
DESIGN BRIEFThe brief for this master
en suite focused on achieving refined
elegance and a touch of glamour, with
details inspired by the owners’ Parisian
forays and their home’s Art Deco heritage.
They also wanted plenty of storage and
room to get ready for the day ahead.
DIMENSIONS 5x4m.

LAYOUT
Therectangular room has two
doorways on opposite sides (leading
to bedroom and dressing room), and
a tall window between on one side,
leaving only one wall free of apertures.
By building a stud wall in front of
this clear run, Nicky has effectively
created an extra wall against which
to install fittings. ‘Bringing the wall
forward allows the bath to take centre
stage in here,’ she explains. The new

stud wall also conceals a generous
showering area and the WC.

SURFACES
‘Calacatta marble was selected for
its beautiful golden veining. It was
bookmatched, with the pattern
radiating outwards from the bath, for
maximum effect,’ says Nicky. Painting
walls and woodwork in a soothing
white stops the busy marble from
overpowering the space.

FITTINGS
Positioned opposite each other, the
Twenties-inspired mirrored glass
vanity units were designed by Nicky,
and include inset bronze details and
elegantly tapered legs in crisp white
lacquer. ‘Bronze towel rails were
added on each side and the mirrored
cabinets above provide additional
storage,’ adds Nicky.

LIGHTING
Designed by the late American artist
Tony Duquette, the brass chandelier
forms a glamorous crowning feature
above the bath. The original Art Deco
wall lights provide a quieter note of
sophistication above the vanity units.

STYLING
The dramatic feature wall framing
the bath plays a key role in achieving
an air of exclusivity. ‘It was inspired
by Monsieur Bleu restaurant in Paris,
which has similar niche shelving
behind the bar,’ says Nicky. ‘The gold
metallic finish that echoes the
Calacatta veining is actually polished
plaster.’ Bringing the bath forward
also makes better use of the room’s
full footprint, rather than placing
fittings along the perimeter walls


  • a common design pitfall that, here,
    has been cleverly swerved.


WHERE TO BUY
FITTINGS
Celine freestandingbath,
£7,738, Devon & Devon.
Bespoke mirroredvanity units,
Nicky Dobree Interior Design.
Henry exposed floor-mounted
tub fillerwith hand-shower and
metal lever handles (bath taps),
£4,345; Henry gooseneck
three-hole deck-mounted
lavatoryfaucetswith metal
lever handles (basin taps),
£1,267.20 each, Waterworks.

SURFACES
For similarmarble,try
Calacatta Oro tiles, £91.32sq m,
All Natural Tiles.Wallspainted
in Wimborne White modern
emulsion, £46.50 for 2.5L,
Farrow & Ball.

ACCESSORIES
Dandelion 24chandelier
(DC4610.24) by Tony Duquette
in brass, £5,229, Remains
Lighting. For similarwall
lights,try brass Naples wall
sconces, from £449 each,
Holloways of Ludlow.

A mirrored vanity
unit references the
property’s Art
Deco heritage.

FEATURE

LINDA CLAYTON

PHOTOGRAPHS

PHILIP VILE

DESIGN


&
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