If you live in an old building, you may find there is something of a contrast between different elements of it. Some parts may retain all their old character and some original features, from masonry to roof beams, while others may have undergone a significant makeover
Of course, in some instances modernisation is essential. Swapping out single glazing for double, changing a coal fire for a gas and electric one, bringing modern appliances into the kitchen and introducing a shower to the bathroom are obvious enhancements. Your home may be old, but it doesn’t have to be a museum.
However, unless it is a listed building, there may be few restrictions on the changes that can be made and it could be that previous residents have taken modernisation a little far for your taste. Indeed, even in most listed buildings (especially Grade II) there is much that can be modified.
When it comes to the bathroom, this may be especially true. Of course, you don’t want to go back to the old days of the tin bath and you might not even want to think about what used to be done for toilet facilities. You will be happy to have a shower (although this was in fact invented back in 1767). But the décor is another matter.
If you live in an old house, a modern bathroom with some 20th century design that was devised in the 1970s and should have stayed there is not the most attractive look. Admittedly, it may not be that bad, but any sort of modern style might grate somewhat and not age well.
This is where a Venetian plaster bathroom job might give this room just the change it really needs. The facilities will still be modern, but the look will be stylish, elegant, vintage and timeless, bringing it in line with the rest of your home.
A particularly good reason for doing this is if the exterior of the house has a lot of plaster or whitewash. For example, the stucco plaster that characterises the exterior of Regency buildings would fit perfectly with Venetian plaster inside, maintaining the same character inside and out.
In essence, you will be making a statement about the limits to the virtues of modernisation. One might blame the Victorians for this; they were happy to dig canals and build railways through ancient structures (like the Roman fort in Manchester) or totally reshape rivers (like the straightening of the Tees). But even they may have stopped short of garish redecoration.
For every householder who would want to create islands of bland modernity in place of history and character, there is a more discerning one who will prefer to ensure that every room in an old house has a consistent style befitting its original design and vibe.
In short, your bathroom might have all the most modern facilities and be supplied with hot water from a 21st century boiler. But there are times, both literally and metaphorically, when you don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water. If the previous resident did, it doesn’t mean things have to stay that way.
