Room Tour: An Elegant Master Bedroom With a Stunning En Suite
A cosy bedroom connects to a beautiful bathroom with soft plaster walls, marble surfaces and a soothing palette
When Stephen Nash of ALL & NXTHING was brought in to help at the end of a full-house renovation, his brief was to work out how to utilise two large separate rooms. The owners were keen to have a bathroom and en suite and were open to Stephen’s creative ideas, but this didn’t come without its challenges, one of which was adhering to strict conservation area rules.
The owners were keen to hang curtains over the floor-to-ceiling windows, as the shutters are quite cumbersome to close and don’t block out all of the light.
“We considered linen curtains, but the owners wanted something quite heavy,” Stephen says. “The velvet adds a soft, luxurious feel to the Georgian room.”
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“We considered linen curtains, but the owners wanted something quite heavy,” Stephen says. “The velvet adds a soft, luxurious feel to the Georgian room.”
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“The owners already had this antique bureau and were looking for somewhere to put it,” Stephen says. “It was really nice to find it fitted in the alcove, and it’s now used as a vanity table.”
Stephen asked his cabinet-maker, Daniel Townsend, to build this large wardrobe. The doors are designed to echo the original bedroom door and shutters.
Stephen chose a blush pink pendant light for the ceiling and a similar style of wall light for either side of the bed and in the chimney alcoves.
Lights, Gubi.
Stephen chose a blush pink pendant light for the ceiling and a similar style of wall light for either side of the bed and in the chimney alcoves.
Lights, Gubi.
The door frame on this structural wall was already in position, but the opening was blocked up.
“When we found the frame, we thought it would be easy to knock through, but in fact it was completely solid,” Stephen says. “We had to get building consent to open it up, then Daniel constructed a new door.”
“When we found the frame, we thought it would be easy to knock through, but in fact it was completely solid,” Stephen says. “We had to get building consent to open it up, then Daniel constructed a new door.”
The original door to this room was located to the right of where the painting is now and led to the landing. Stephen had this blocked up, and turned the space, which used to be a bedroom, into a bathroom.
Adding plumbing and pipework was tricky, as the home’s listed-building status prevented the team from running it through the underfloor joists. “We could run the pipes from the front to the back of the house, but we couldn’t cut through the joists to run them horizontally,” Stephen explains, “so we had to think of another plan.”
Parquet flooring, Ted Todd.
Adding plumbing and pipework was tricky, as the home’s listed-building status prevented the team from running it through the underfloor joists. “We could run the pipes from the front to the back of the house, but we couldn’t cut through the joists to run them horizontally,” Stephen explains, “so we had to think of another plan.”
Parquet flooring, Ted Todd.
Stephen came up with the idea of running the pipes along the wall and covering them with panelling. The panels were made by Daniel and match the cabinetry in the bedroom.
Stephen left the plaster walls unpainted. “I’m a massive fan of raw materials, and I thought nude plaster would work well in this space,” he says. “The owners were really happy with the idea.”
The plaster was skimmed and given a stone seal to make it relatively watertight. “With nude plaster, you have to get all electrical work bang-on straight away, as the plaster has to be applied early on,” Stephen says.
Stephen left the plaster walls unpainted. “I’m a massive fan of raw materials, and I thought nude plaster would work well in this space,” he says. “The owners were really happy with the idea.”
The plaster was skimmed and given a stone seal to make it relatively watertight. “With nude plaster, you have to get all electrical work bang-on straight away, as the plaster has to be applied early on,” Stephen says.
Stephen positioned a round bath in the corner of the room and asked his tiler to cut a circular piece of solid marble for the base. “Cutting marble in a circular shape is very difficult,” he says. “We drew out the design on the plywood floor first, and the parquet was then laid around the marble.”
The shower tray was also made from marble, and the box containing the controls was constructed and clad in the solid stone.
Drum cast-iron bath, JIG. Shower, taps and sanitaryware, Lefroy Brooks.
The shower tray was also made from marble, and the box containing the controls was constructed and clad in the solid stone.
Drum cast-iron bath, JIG. Shower, taps and sanitaryware, Lefroy Brooks.
Stephen ran the pipework up the wall behind the basin to the floor above, so he could install a brass shower fitting in the centre of the ceiling.
The double vanity unit was made bespoke by Daniel, as was the floor-to-ceiling cupboard next to the door.
The double vanity unit was made bespoke by Daniel, as was the floor-to-ceiling cupboard next to the door.
The fireplace was another aspect that had to stay in place in the listed building, and adds even more character to the room. Stephen sanded and painted it to tie it in with the greeny-grey woodwork.
“The colour was chosen as it goes so well with the nude plaster,” he says.
“The colour was chosen as it goes so well with the nude plaster,” he says.
Other features in the room are in keeping with the period property, including the loo and floor-mounted, copper towel rail. “We positioned the rail right next to the bath and shower, so the owners can grab a towel easily,” Stephen says. “It would have been nice to have a brass one to match the fittings, but that would have been way above the budget.”
“The owners are really pleased with their new master suite,” Stephen adds. “They weren’t sure how to use the space before, but now they have a whole floor to themselves.”
Towel rail, The Victorian Emporium.
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What do you like about this master suite? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
“The owners are really pleased with their new master suite,” Stephen adds. “They weren’t sure how to use the space before, but now they have a whole floor to themselves.”
Towel rail, The Victorian Emporium.
Tell us…
What do you like about this master suite? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? A couple with a small child
Location Hackney, London
Property A Grade II-listed 1790s townhouse with five bedrooms and four bathrooms
Room dimensions 37 sq m
Designer Stephen Nash of ALL & NXTHING
Photos by Ben Waterhouse
The master bedroom and en suite in this beautiful Georgian townhouse have been designed to work in harmony with each other.
A high ceiling, sash windows and original shutters were already in place in the bedroom, and Stephen did some minor repairs on the coving. He chose a pale parquet floor throughout and teamed this with a soft colour palette of green-grey and blush pink.
Woodwork and walls painted in Hardwick White, Farrow & Ball. Bed, The French Bedroom Company. Handmade curtains, The Curtain Exchange. Bed linen and throw, Toast. Cushions, Tom Dixon.