Judith’s bathroom gets a mini-makeover – twice!

Almost five  years ago Robert and I moved into our house.  We were happy with all the elements for the upstairs bathroom (selected in collaboration with our architects) but, in the excitement of moving in and getting ourselves established, the finishing details got pushed to the side with the result that we never really completed simple things, such as adding the backsplash!

My newly-acquired obsession over Tuck’s Ceragres St. Barth tile was the just the provocation I needed to take the bull by the horns and finally finish the bathroom.  I called Wayne McCluskey, the best tiler I know, and asked him to book us in!  It occurred to me at that point that it would be fun to do a mini-makeover blog highlighting two very different design approaches to the space.

First off, here is a pic of our bathroom BEFORE the tiles:

As you can see it is crying out for a backsplash.

MINI-MAKEOVER OPTION ONE:  HYGGE

So here’s the thing.  As you’re no doubt aware, Hygge is all the rage right now, but the reality is that this Scandinavian aesthetic is not new to our style or designs. When we first opened TUCK almost five years ago, because we were enamoured with all things now-labelled ‘hygge’ we positioned ourself as a Scandinavian-style studio. We even travelled to hygge’s mecca, Denmark, to meet with many Scandinavian industrial designers and design houses.  In short, we truly get the rage for those etherial interior spaces captured in so many instagrams, rooms replete with cactis/succulent/black/white/jute/white walls!  We’ve been doing it for almost a decade!  Therefore, in the spirit of our original passion, I’ve created the first mini-makeover in this style.   All photos were taken on my iphone.

Here’s the newly-installed Ceragres St. Barth tile above the sink and below the mirrors. These tiles are $9.99 sq/ft.  There are ten pieces per box (3.22 sq/ft per box) and each of the ten tiles is unique which obviously allows for a great deal of latitude in how they’re arranged.

Detail: Here are the ubiquitous cacti which make a strong showing next to my newest obsession – disco balls! (Cacti – Cedarcrest Gardens; urbio planter left; Kera tumbler [hacked as a planter] through Umbra/TUCK, along with the Poise Ring Holder brass, also from Umbra/TUCK).

We love our mighty little ANKER speaker, capable of injecting a surprising amount of ‘tunage’ to our morning ablutions!  Raury anyone?

Over on Robert’s side of the double sink is one of my favourite ceramic pieces by the late Deichmann potters. The metal chess pieces were turned on a lathe by Robert when he was a machine fitter’s apprentice back in the day.  Aveda product through Element5.

Above our bathtub is ‘Reward,’ a photograph by visual artist, Ryan Livingstone (available exclusively through TUCK STUDIO).  The nest is the perfect for this warm, organically-driven bathroom makeover.

Dried cotton stalks add considerable warmth of the space (Sandra Miller Floral Designs).

This towel rack has been in play since our bathroom’s beginning. Designed by Brothers Dressler I’ve never felt the need to replace it. The bronze sculptures on the right are from Anna Karlin, towel (the Beach People) and scrub from Antropologie.


An acrylic chair as plant stand adds drama to a corner (Plant: Sandra Miller Floral Designs, chair/TUCK STUDIO.)

The towel (suction cup) hooks came from Droog/Amsterdam.

On the antique library card holder that Robert scored in St. Andrew’s a few years ago, with Moss candle sticks /TUCK; Bath salts / Feel Good Store; candle /In Pursuit; Skull Ceramic: Alison Gayton/TUCK; large jewelry holder (Umbra/Tuck); ear cuff & Alexander McQueen bracelet/Ella the Shop, earrings; Jenny Bird/Urban Shoe Myth and watch / the Pristine Store.

Not your average bath mat but I’m very pleased with how the round shape and the jute fit in so nicely with the other organic elements, through TUCK STUDIO.

MINI-MAKEOVER OPTION TWO:  BOLD MINIMALISM

Truth be told, minimalism is my (new) happy place. Here I’m waving a big hello to colour as a source of drama, and pushing the principle of ‘less is more’ – which isn’t always easy. Robert has been working on a new series of paintings called ‘Watching The Pulp Detectives’ and I’m in love! His most recent piece featured below has an intricate palate of pastels, but also bold yellow (not a colour I’m usually drawn to), but when I saw the painting last week I knew that it was going to be placed over the tub, that it would be my springboard for the second mini-makeover.  (Hexagon carpet tiles through Shaw Contract Group).

We’ve added pattern over pattern with the glorious Moooi Delft Blue No. 03 (through Tuck Interiors)

Detail: Delft Blue No 03./ Marcel Wanders

A dash of iridescence courtesy of these Jacks Ring Holder from Umbra.  By the way, brace yourself this year – the rainbow or iridescent is, from all accounts, going to be huge this year.

Detail of another Moooi vase (the Egg Vase – created by stuffing latex rubber condoms with hard-boiled eggs); floral from Sandra Miller Floral Designs

Detail: Robert Moore “The Underdressed Detective’ 24” x “36; acrylic & watercolour on one of those mass-produced cityscapes on sale…well, everywhere.

Detail of artwork; shower curtain Hetkiä/Moments Marimekko

The Timber Table from Gus Modern/ TUCK STUDIO works as a place to put our tea / wine / reading material as we soak our bones. I’m especially fond of the placement of Darren Emeneau’s ceramic placed inside the table to keep it from being knocked over or damaged. The glaze could not be a more perfect fit for this pastel palette.



Over the Tub are two framed pictures of my mother, walking with her father when she was a teenager, in London just after the war. The simplicity of these two pics work perfectly on this wall (where the towel rack was in the first design).


And, I’d be remiss not to thank my worthy assistant Scout for all the love and companionship throughout today’s adventure in decorating!

What are you working on in your home? Send me some pics or instagram them tagging @judithmackin or @tuckstudio I’d love to see!
Thank you for reading.  Feel free to share any images you may have liked, or the entire blog post! Always appreciated. Happy Monday!

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