Special Section:
The Country Bath
Over the last few decades, renovating has often meant out with the old and in with the new. Not surprisingly, kitchens and bathrooms have been subject to the most rigorous 'updating,' and tend to be the rooms that most show the march of the decades. Walk into a bathroom of a century-old house that was renovated in the '50s or '60s and you'll likely find pink, blue or green fixtures. If it was done in the '70s or '80s, you might see black fixtures, brass fittings, lots of mirrors and absolutely no mouldings.

To be fair, turning the clock back on a bathroom isn't always in a modern day homeowner's best interest. In 1874, for example, only 15 % of Toronto's homes were hooked up to the municipal water system; so faithfully recreating an authentic Victorian bathroom could mean installing an outhouse or privy. But it was a time of rapid development and within a couple of decades indoor plumbing was becoming standard in most Canadian cities.

In rural areas, however, it took longer, which explains this shocking statistic: in 1941, just over 50% of Canadian households had an indoor toilet.

So although it isn't realistic to be a purist when renovating a Victorian or early 20th-century bath, that doesn't mean the great style of these periods can't be embraced and celebrated. And thanks to a deeper appreciation of our architectural heritage, an increased interest in home renovation and the

availability of more brand-new vintage-style products than ever before, the trend toward architecturally appropriate renovating has really taken off.

A flip through old plumbing supply catalogues hints at yet another reason for the current popularity of vintage style. The Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Co.'s 1904 catalogue, for example, features illustrations of 'modern' bathroom settings that reveal a very pared-down look, totally in keeping with today's decoration aesthetic. Even the clean lines of bathroom fixtures, from columned pedestal sinks to claw-foot tubs, have stood the test of time and proven themselves to be classics.

One thing that has changed is that today's bathroom storage needs are much greater. Bathrooms of yesteryear were mostly utilitarian spaces, not like the spa-like retreats we enjoy today. Consequently, our plethora of bath products and accessories makes the one little medicine chest of 1920 woefully insufficient.

That's one of the reasons Vancouver Architect Keith Jakobsen and his client, homeowner Jeannette Hlavach, opted for built-in vanity cabinetry rather than a pedestal sink in Hlavach's new master ensuite (pictured here). "You just wouldn't have seen cabinetry in a 1920s bathroom," says Hlavach, a Vancouver heritage planner, yet her new cabinetry and custom-made mirror blends in beautifully, thanks to its traditional style and dark mahogany wood, which match the original wood molding throughout her circa 1927 home. "It's all very Arts and Crafts, just like the rest of the house," says Jakobsen.

The new vintage-style bath proves that a key element in undertaking sympathetic renovations is to not necessarily duplicate the past, but to borrow from it, evoke the mood of it and, at the same time, not sacrifice modern amenities. Says Jakobsen: "Most people want an updated version of the vintage bathroom that works for thier lifestyle." Sounds like the perfect way to get the best of both worlds.
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