Hannah lives here with her husband, Dan, and their three cats - Albert, Delia, Mable - and Henry the dog.
When Hannah and Dan moved into their two-bedroom Victorian terrace in Cheltenham, they knew they’d need to ‘steal’ a bedroom to create their dream bathroom. ‘We had to walk through the kitchen to get to the original bathroom,’ explains Hannah. ‘Also, the existing tub was a short, half-length design, not good for relaxing in, and the shower was tiny.’
The couple had already decided to incorporate the downstairs bathroom into a large kitchen-diner with a bedroom above, which meant in the long term they would get their second bedroom back. So it seemed sensible to work on the new bathroom first, while the old one was still in place.
However, the project was bigger than it initially seemed because the room had to be completely taken back to brick so it could be tanked and waterproofed. ‘We also had to reroute all the plumbing to install the bath, basin and loo,’ says Hannah.
The couple began planning the space, old-school style, on a piece of graph paper, with a freestanding bath and the largest walk-in shower that could fit being top of their wish list. Luckily, the layout came together easily.
‘We didn’t want the shower near the window, so it had to go in the corner, which naturally led to the bath going under the window,’ says Hannah. ‘And I didn’t want the loo to be the first thing I saw when I opened the door, so we put the washbasin by the chimney breast.’
When it came to the decor, the couple leaned into the period style of the property while adding contemporary touches. ‘I was aiming for a timeless rather than traditional look, but I also wanted it to be fun, so the green floor tiles were the start of the scheme,’ says Hannah.
Luckily, being a builder and carpenter, Dan was able to do the majority of the work himself, including making the wooden vanity unit. ‘I love the vanity unit that Dan made; it cost a fraction of high-street designs and is completely bespoke,' says Hannah.
‘Dan loves to have a bath every night, so we went for the biggest one possible, and this showstopper design is lovely and deep.’
‘We couldn’t remove the chimney breast because of the fireplace in the living room below, so we made the most of it by creating a niche, which has given us handy storage in the shower space.’
The finishing touches came next, with Hannah choosing sleek brass hardware. 'I was determined that all the finishing touches would be brass, even down to the loo handle. We have brass everywhere else in the house, and I wanted to encourage a flow and cohesion in our home.’
'We love Victorian style with a modern twist, and the traditional radiator and fun fish print follow this “rule” we’ve set ourselves perfectly.’
‘I wanted the space to feel fresh and bright as well as warm and relaxing, and the mix of contemporary touches with wood accessories and brass fittings has hit that brief.’
