Bohemian Bath Re-do

Cute sign source

I was thumbing through design books in my library, as you do, when I hit upon a book I loved and had forgotten. It's titled The Paris Apartment by Claudia Strasser. She has a blog by the same name as well.

My new old favorite book

So anyway, I re-acquainted myself with the photos inside and voila, re-discovered the most unusual Bohemian bathroom I think I have ever seen in my life:

Awesome bath design via The Paris Apartment

You'll have to excuse the picture of a picture, I can't believe that no one had uploaded it as of yet. It is page 52 in her book and I am still speechless looking at it! Here is a close up of the tub from page 57:

Be-jeweled bathtub via The Paris Apartment

OK, maybe it's not the most practical of designs for maintenance, you'd have to be really careful to get between the stones when cleaning but they were installed with waterproof epoxy so they're sturdy enough to use a toothbrush. It is wonderfully dramatic, I would do it in a heartbeat!  

I love the wall stencils around the ceiling and bordering the walls. That alone is enough to evoke an under-the-sea feeling in this frothy bathroom. So how to get that look? First, I would use a soft watery color for wall paint. 

Sea tones source

If you have the time to let it dry properly, use an oil based paint, but I find today's self-priming water-based, easy-to-clean eggshells work very well in the bathroom. Never use flat in the bathroom, it is hard to clean and will stain with all the moisture. Next, stencil an Aegean sea motif border. Stenciling is really hot right now with loads of online choices. I like this pattern:   

Aegean wave patterned stencil source

The original design was executed in black, but I would be open to using navy, dark teal or a dark gray. You could just as easily cut a simple wave patterned stencil from poster board. 

A canopy was installed over the tub in canvas, painted in large black stripes to mimic a beach cabana. I would probably recommend using a ceiling mounted valance around the tub, less moisture issues. They used a 1940's perfume bottle patterned shower curtain, tied back with a satin sash. Loads of new sea inspired curtains are out there. Check out this beauty to use with the color choice:

Shower curtain source

BTW, this company sourced above has a black and white wide striped shower curtain, just saying' you don't need to re-invent the wheel….... 
Using velcro, the skirt was mounted to the sink and tied up in the center with a turquoise bow. A flea market decoupaged trash can under the sink and metal 1960's shelves were hung on the walls for towels. Soaps, candles and accessories sprinkled around adds to the underwater girly-glam feel. Fairy lights around the mirror, silver vessels for wash cloths around the tub and this is one sweet bathroom. Now what about that tub????

Glass gem source

I found an online source for glass gems used in mosaics, click on the link to see the color selection. I would like choices of several different sizes, but if all you could find was one size, the color mix up would be the most important thing here. I also would try floral suppliers, the flat backed gems are used as vase fillers.

Wow, I need this bathroom re-do is all I can say! Are you going to do it? Let me know if you do, sent some pix as well!