The Neo-Classical Contemporary Bathroom by Fiorito Interior Design

Sometimes the shape and size of a space is great but the details inside seem wrong. That was what my clients thought about their primary bathroom in their newly purchased mountain home. As only the second owners of this large house built in the early 90s, they were eager to be rid of an array of artifacts from that period: a wall of glass bricks at the shower; a huge Jacuzzi tub and deck; and an odd, unnecessary run of shelving about a foot down from the ceiling line. These clients spent many years living on the east coast and brought with them a wonderful classical sense for their interiors—so I created a space that would give them that feeling of Classicism while simultaneously feeling fresh and current.

To start we chose a cooler color palette for the entire space. Tiles that look like Statuario marble are set off by a white and blue marble Arabesque mosaic medallion in the center of the room.

Once the space-hogging Jacuzzi tub was removed, I was able to fit larger, dueling vanities in a lovely French green (a grey with a slight, cool olive tone). These furniture-style units feature a breakfront sink base flanked by fluted columns topped with rosettes. A sculptural, contemporary tub now sits in the alcove looking out over the lush hillside.

The Neo-Classicism of the Georgian aesthetic inspired my choices for light fixtures. The central chandelier and vanity sconces feature glass finials and simplified flourishes.

We removed the glass bricks and rebuilt the entire shower to accommodate a linear drain, making it a true zero-clearance shower without a curb. My clients are now able to waltz into the shower without navigating oddly placed walls and an unusually high step into the pan.

Even the adjacent make-up vanity got a make-over—and a beverage refrigerator concealed by a panel of the same French green--to blend with the new, lighter style of the space. Finally, I designed custom Roman shades in a stunning embroidered material of cream and aqua to complete the room. The high style of the space references the past while reveling in a current moment of comfort and convenience.

Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

And for those who are curious, here are some side-by-side Before and After composites to boggle your mind!

If you have an unruly 1990s bathroom you want to tame, give me a call!

Happy designing!

Happy New Year! Welcome 2025!

Happy New Year to all my clients, followers, and regular readers. May 2025 be a healing, peaceful, and prosperous year for the planet.

See you soon for the first post of 2025. Until then, Happy Designing!

Happy Holidays 2024!

As we wrap up 2024, I send warm holiday greetings to all my clients present and past, followers, and regular readers.

And Happy Winter Solstice--the shortest day and longest night of the year--which takes place this Saturday, December 21st!

Happy designing and Happy Holidays!

Know Your Chairs: The 1006 Chair (The Navy Chair) by Emeco

Chances are you have sat in or at least our chair for this episode of Know Your Chairs. it is the classis 1006 Chair by Emeco, which has come to be known simply as The Navy Chair. And for good reason.

The Emeco site explains the history of the chair:

"In the throes of WWII, the US Navy needed a place to sit. They commissioned a chair that was light weight, non-corrosive, fire resistant and torpedo proof. Emeco took on the challenge. The 1006 Navy chair was born.

Wilton C. Dinges founded Emeco (Electric Machine and Equipment Company) in 1940 in Hanover, Pennsylvania. During WWII the U.S government gave him a big assignment - make chairs that could withstand water, salt air and sailors. Make chairs lightweight and make them strong, build them for a lifetime. Aluminum was the obvious choice, engineered for practical purposes, designed to last.

Together with Alcoa experts, Wilton C. Dinges created the 1006 Navy Chair made of recycled aluminum, using 77 steps to create a seamless one-piece look. Forming, welding, grinding, heat-treating, hand brushing and anodizing are just a few of the steps it takes to build an Emeco chair. No one else makes chairs this way. No one can. It takes a human eye to know when the process is done right, and it takes human hands to get it that way.

The Navy Chair was a chair so durable, it had an estimated life cycle of 150 years and far exceeded the Navy’s specifications. A humble but proud four-legged chair, weighing only seven pounds but ranked right up there alongside such unimpeachable symbols of no-nonsense American ingenuity as rag-top Jeeps, Converse high-tops and button fly Levi’s."

Its classic no-nonsense look lends itself to commercial (restaurant) use but it can look fantastic in a residential interior setting too. I know people use it in modern and loft-like settings but I personally think one or two with some other mismatched chairs at a traditional dining table would look amazing.

Emeco chairs in Tracey Holt and Rob Marshall's Toronto condo

The chair, along with a stool version, comes with or without arms, as well as the option to have it with a padded seat.

The chair and stool is still available from Emeco or from Design Within Reach.

Happy designing!

Happy Thanksgiving 2024!

I wish all of my clients, readers, and followers in the United States a very happy Thanksgiving Day!

Know Your Sofas: The Settee

For this Know Your Sofas, I want to focus on something a bit more traditional and classic since the last many installations have covered very modern pieces from the late 20th century. But it is in a way a very simple post...honoring The Settee.

But what is the difference between a sofa and a settee? Or a settee and a bench for that matter? There have been all kinds of pieces of furniture which function as a bench or settee, going back to the Greeks and Romans. But whereas the citizens of antiquity liked to lounge back on such pieces, it wasn't until the Medieval/Gothic period when a bench on which one would sit upright would be seen.

The image below shows an interior of a house in the 15th and 16th century with a bench and cushions on the left. Even though the illustration comes a few hundred years after the fact, such pieces of furniture were still in existence and could easily be traced to their Medieval origins.

From “Le costume historique” by Auguste Racinet

Then looking back at the Renaissance, we see a piece of furniture come into existence called a cassapanca in Italian, which translates into "chest bench." Often intricately carved, these pieces had a seat on a hinge that hid storage!

Florentine cassapanca at The Met, New York City

Over the next many decades of furniture styles, we see variations of benches, lounges, and daybed sofas. But when we get to the Queen Anne style, beginning in the 1720s and 1730s, we see furniture makers hit upon the idea of joining three or four seats together to make what would be considered a settee with a continuous upholstered seat.

Into the Regence and Louis XV periods, we see settees look more like what we think of when we hear the word settee: a delicate, elegant piece of furniture that seats up to three featuring a padded back and seat, open arms, exposed legs, and an ornately decorated frame. Although during Louis XV, the piece was called by the French word for "sofa": a canapé.

But for me, it is the reign of Louis XVI that shows the world what a classic settee looks like, with lovely Neo-Classical legs and perfect proportions. Et voilà , the settee was born!

Happy designing!

Fiorito Interior Design Presents The November Noir Sales Event!

I find endless inspiration in the diverse furniture lines available to me as a trade source. And my clients appreciate the opportunity to acquire unique, customizable pieces from esteemed manufacturers!

To help you explore the diverse furniture lines I offer, I will be highlighting a different brand each month for the remainder of the year.

In November, I’m excited to showcase the highly distinctive products from Noir/CFC. With over twenty years in the industry, they create exceptional casegoods, upholstery, lighting, and accessories that draw inspiration from architecture, the Secessionists (previously here), Brutalism, and post-war Italian design.

For the rest of this month, you can enjoy an additional 10% off the already discounted designer pricing available through FID* on all furniture, lighting, and accessories from Noir/CFC.

Place your order by November 30th, 2024 to take advantage of this offer. Noir does not sell direct to the public so reach out to me soon to gain access to amazing, small-scale productions from skilled craftspeople!

*This 10% savings applies to the cost of the piece and does not apply to sales tax, freight, or delivery.

Happy designing!