Feminine Interests

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 901, 19 February 1930, Page 5

Feminine Interests

BRIGHTER BATHS

COLOUR IS NOW POPULAR FLOORING AND FITTINGS A change has come over the spirit of the bathroom, and the once allpervading whiteness has blossomed into an amazing variety of hues. In place of the white porcelain bath and fixtures, so intent on looking clean that they give the bathroom a chilly austerity, there is now a choice of baths in colours to suit all tastes. Pink, primrose, grey, blue or green, lavender, black—if black amuses you—can be had for your bath, basin, and other porcelain fittings. There is hardly a shade which may not be looked for with confident expectation that it will be supplied (says an English writer). And not only is choice of colour open to us, but also variety of texture. The highly glazed uniform service, like that of the familiar white porcelain-enamelled bath, exists in all these coloured glazes, and with it are fittings of duller surface whose pink, grey, or greenish complexion is lightly flecked with variations in the tone of its colouring - not with strongly differentiated markings, like some coloured marbles, but mottled similarly to a slab of alabaster when the light shines on it. The appearance of these new wares sets the mind thinking of their right accompaniment in walls and floor coverings. A new era in bathroom design is possible when the scope of decorative effect is no longer circumscribed by that large, glossy, white object. The fixed pedestal lavatory basin, which increasingly replaces the wash-hand stand In modern bedrooms, need no longer seem obtrusive. Harmonising in shade with the decorations of the room, it does not draw attention to itself. White slabs of green onyx, with an onyx panel be-

hind the basin to take the splashes, accord well with veneered bedroom suites, coloured porcelain may look more in keeping with enamelled furniture chosen to contrast or match its colour, and if the basin can be accommodated in a recess the whole of the wall behind it can he painted or tiled m practical fashion with good decorative effect, no matter what the general wall covering may be. GLASS AND MARBLE Increasing varied treatment is possible for bathroom walls where glass and surfaces with a marble finish provide an alternative to tiles. The initial expense of suitable wall surfaces, good littings and up-to-date bathroom equipment is money well invested in subsequent comfort apd economy. Papered walls, plastered ceilings which show disfigurements when subjected to the steamy conditions created by hot baths are not economical in the long run. The modern bathroom can be made lastingly serviceable with enamelled surfaces, or lined with materials like those already referred to: built-in recessed fittings of glazed fireclay for soap sponges, etc.; Porcelain-enam-elled hangers; chromium plated taps and towel rails, which need no cleaning; and bevelled-edge mirrors without any frame screwed to the wall by glass studs. The floor can be of compressed cork, jointless composition, linoleum, tile or mosaic, all of which are proof against the inevitable splashing. Where there is a geyser, too, it can now be obtained porcelain-enam-elled like the rest of the fittings. The bathroom is the one entirely modern room in the house where we need fear no comparison with other periods. It offers a field for modern experiment in colour and decoration, where we can give rein to our fancy for gaiety of colour without the danger of tiring or shocking anyone. Now that brighter bathrooms are possible there will, no doubt, be some interesting experiments. Hitherto the only alternative to white porcelain has been black marble, and not always with the

happiest results. Black and white floorings in large squares are always effective, but wall panelling of the same character is apt to suggest the mausoleum. WALNUT TONES Light walnut tones, so popular in other parts of the house, might be made more use of in the bathroom. A i floor of the honey-coloured jointless composition, so largely used in shops ; and modern commercial buildings, might accompany walls finished with the same colour and a white bath with ; sides panelled in mottled marble of walnut brown tone. The colour of the bath itself Is often intensified when filled with water—as with an almondgreen bath, to give one instance; and in association with this might be n. high dado of small green tiles, creamysurfaced tiles above, and plated taps and towel rails to give contrast. Red quarry tiles on the floor are inexpensive, and suit a country bathroom. The window sill, serving perhaps as a shelf above the lavatory basin, can be formed with them also. Glass shelves on porcelain-enamelled metal supports are now available in a variety of sizes, and are much to be preferred to the wooden brackets which were once the only kind used in the bathroom, and it is sometimes possible to contrive a built-in cupboard, taking advantage of the corner or end of the room, where space can be provided for miscellaneous articles which, iu small houses, have to be kept in the bathroom. This is a more satisfactory arrrangement than open shelves. Wine stains will often yield to a simple three-part treatment. This is to rub the marks first with soap, then with powdered starch, and finally with cold water. Another remedy is to stretch the stained part over a basin, sprinkle it thickly with borax and then pour boiling water through. Repeat if necessary.