Good bones, buried in gray

Before, the room had flat gray walls, a pedestal sink with no storage, and a curtained shower tucked inside the arch. But the bones were there: the arched alcove, tall crown molding and a big window. We kept the architecture and planted a garden. The last two photos in the gallery show the room before.

Lucy Tiffney’s hand-drawn floral wallpaper wraps the walls in warm pink. We took out the old shower and the old tub and gave the arch a clawfoot tub against deep green tile, with exposed brass fixtures. A cane-front wood vanity with a marble top replaced the pedestal sink, so there’s finally a place to put things. A white hex floor replaced the old basketweave.

Then come the details people remember: brass hands hold the towels and the toilet paper.

An oasis

Later, during a difficult season, she told us that soaking in that tub became her oasis — the one place she could relax and feel good. That’s what a well-designed room can do.

Wallpaper by Lucy Tiffney. Photography by Anna Addison Davis.