Home design inspiration: A classic bathroom that isn’t old fashioned

Old meets new in a Charlestown refresh where a claw-foot tub takes center stage.

Joyelle West

The design brief for the bathroom in this historic Charlestown condo was clear: Modernize it with an eye toward the past. “The renovation couldn’t be too sleek,” says Dana Arazi of Arazi Levine Design. “The clients wanted to maintain the character so it would fit in with the rest of their place.” While the couple loved the idea of the existing claw-foot tub, its functionality and aesthetic weren’t ideal. “There was a shower head on the wall where the ladder is now,” Arazi says. “And the shower curtain hid the window.” Arazi found space for a separate walk-in shower by eliminating the linen closet, and made a new claw-foot tub into the focal point. “It was a beautiful opportunity.”

1 The Rejuvenation claw-foot tub, which Arazi centered under the window, has oil-rubbed bronze legs and vintage-style brass fixtures. “I like the updated design,” Arazi says.

2 The use of one material — Carrara marble — for the floor, wainscoting, and countertop helps keep the bathroom from looking crowded. The marble’s classic look bridges the room’s old and new sensibilities.

3 Arazi built a ledge behind the tub for the homeowners’ plants and shampoo bottles, along with a sketch by the wife’s mother from her days as a fashion design student. “I always try to incorporate something personal,” she says.

4 Everyone agreed that the expansive effect of hanging a 48-inch round mirror was worth sacrificing the extra storage they’d get from two medicine cabinets. “A spacious feeling was more important for them,” Arazi says. Streamlined sconces from West Elm keep the upper portion of the room uncluttered.

5 Arazi borrowed square footage from the adjacent bedroom closet to make room for a Restoration Hardware double vanity with plenty of storage. “The aged brass hardware balances the modern lights and mirror,” she says.

6 A handmade Turkish rug from Chairish and rattan storage stool from Urban Outfitters are warm (and handy) elements that help counterbalance all the marble.