My Bewitched Bathroom

Unaware of the unsettling feelings to come, I decided to follow the Victorian Vision wherever it would lead blissfully going forward.

Becoming bewitched was the furthest thing from my being. But when numerous design elements delightfully presented themselves to me, whimsically throughout the house, seemingly out of nowhere, I became spellbound. From the deep red oxblood trim color to the lavender-scented cattails to the antique cranberry pendant lamp, each mode of discovery slowly mesmerized me. What started as a quick redecorating project for the tiny 52 by 77-inch bathroom space turned into a string of mind-boggling decorative chance happenings for me. Not able to twitch my nose like Samantha Stephens in the Bewitched TV sitcom, I painstakingly devoted two full weeks to complete the bathroom work.

The Vision

My older sister culled a bucket full of old picture frames from my dad’s estate and put my name on it. I looked at the collection of hand-painted, burgundy, and ornate metal frames and thought they would look lovely in the bathroom space. Among the paint, wallpaper, and holders, a Victorian vision appeared to me. Unaware of the unsettling feelings to come, I decided to follow wherever it would lead blissfully going forward.

The Walls

Never finished, the tiny first-floor bathroom needed fussing. It was challenging to decorate its deep-seated nook; I stopped the wallpaper at the storage shelves. But now it bothered me to see the exposed wall, so I decided to finish the job. The taupe and burgundy Schumacher design with Chinese Himalayan pheasants elegantly perched on thick ribbon-like vines was still very much in vogue. I found a half-roll of pre-pasted paper in the attic and soaked it in cold water for 10 minutes. The birds were easy to match, and I enjoyed my accomplishment. The task felt like an old friend, like upholstering walls and matching fabric patterns in my family room.

I made the towel bars and vintage oak shaving cabinet disappear with a touch of my Phillips head screwdriver. Manufactured by the Springfield Coat, Apron & Towel Supply CO., in Springfield, MASS., it held all sorts of beauty and medical supplies. I decided to place the bulky piece in attic storage with no other oak fixtures in the room, knowing that someday it would reappear.

The Paint.

The existing trim color was a nondescript greige. Excited to start, I flew to the paint store with wallpaper in hand and purchased three Benjamin Moore samples, taupe fedora, Waterbury green, and bewitched. I painted swaths of each on the door, and I chose the attractive, dark bewitched color, or did it choose me? Anyway, I loved the name, and it worked beautifully with the paper. I find that the darker tones work well in my home's north-facing corners, and this room is no exception. Suddenly I felt a strange sensation in my body guiding me as I opened the lid to the dark art color, so I cautiously painted the door, mirror, shoe, and baseboard molding along with the heater cover. Still, under its spell, I could not stop there and carefully proceeded to paint the wastebasket, two sizable rectangular picture frames, and the toilet plunger wooden handle - now that’s a scary - I even made the plunger look good. I wondered if the Good Grips broomstick in the nearby closet was next, but I did not go there and kept that creaky door shut.

The Hardware

My husband and I attended to every meticulous detail like good mortals should, and then POOF, with the flick of the pattern-matched light switch, the enchanted room magically appeared. He was always there to support me; not wanting to separate the stand from the metal frames, he cut the springs and drilled tiny holes into the wood frames to insert picture hangers. He designed a French cleat to mount the cardinal birds on the swinging door for optimum support. I was so pleased and proud of his work.

The Lighting,

I had no immediate plan to remove the existing white bright ceiling light until I stumbled over my deep red cranberry lamp in a storage basket, hidden amongst belongings in my upstairs bedroom. Removed from my family room, I realized that this little red pendant would be the crown jewel, perfect to complete the newly committed Victorian look. Garnette, The Country Lamp Store owner in Hoosick, NY, shortened the chain, and my husband expertly installed it from the ceiling. I chose a 150-watt bulb to brighten the room as much as possible. The pink hue caused by the red glass made me want to linger, glad that I found its new home. Other room lighting includes two nightlights that automatically add a soft glow upon entering this inherently dark window-less space. I painted each with the taupe fedora color matching the wallpaper background to blend further.

The Frames

I must have one hundred picture frames around and about the house, in storage boxes, leaning against walls, and in the attic; they seem to be everywhere. The only way to get rid of them short of the curb is to hang them up on the wall. I take one apart and find studio portraits of strangers every so often. Could they be spirits? Better yet, I like to think the light of the cranberry lamp could be the spirit of my grandmother, who I cared for in this same space for seven years, letting me know now what she could not say then due to dementia, that she appreciated me. Anyway, the spirits move me to look around, and I filled each frame with several memorable pieces; a damaged oil painting, art images from Architectural Digest, and thank you cards from friends. One card, in particular, is from Vera Wishnow, a dear, thoughtful, stylish lady who owned the Bath Boutique in Northampton, MA., a best friend to my mom. Like my grandmother, her memory is a blessing in my boutique-like room.

The Sink

It’s one of those moments when you know something is supposed to be or that a supernatural intervention must have occurred. I was trying to figure out how to hide the plumbing underneath the corner sink. Should I use a bouquet of silk flowers, sew a yard of fabric to match the shower curtain, or paint the pipes to blend in? I just happened to notice three fully pleated 40-year-old tartan skirts hanging in my daughter’s closet. Purged from my mom’s storage closet years ago, worn by my two sisters and me, I thought the woolen kilts would fit my daughter, who would want to wear them - she never did. My younger sister’s skirt was burgundy and green, near to the colors in the bathroom and the adjoining carpet in my second kitchen. I held it up to the sink. Low and behold, it fits beautifully, just the right length, 32 inches to the floor. I purchased Velcro strips for mounting and, within 30 minutes, hung the skirt on the sink. No sewing or adjustments were necessary. I love how the buttons and the original vintage skirt pin complete the picture. I started to wonder whether the tartan skirt was a lucky find, or was it something else entirely? Either way, I am glad I kept them.

To adorn the sink top and eliminate the mess of soap bars, I found two large old-fashioned brooches that I never wear and placed them in the soap dish indentations. I kept the green pump soap bottle filled with Frasier Fir scent leftover from the holidays. I found a stationery box in the bucket with the frames and re-purposed it for paper guest towels. I used a leftover burgundy gimp and another pin to appoint the front. Silver craft lettering purchased at Walmart lets guests know where to find the warm and welcoming pineapple hand towels.

The Rug

Designer Annie Selke’s latest catalog arrived, enticing me to take a trip over to her Pittsfield MA outlet store. The helpful staff allowed me to take home three area rugs and said I could return what did not work. I had in mind a light, ivory color to match the shower curtain. I then saw a deeper colored one, Hickory Jute, at the bottom of the pile. At the last minute, something told me to take it. I am so glad because, of course, that was the one!

The Accessories

Again, one of those jarring moments made me think something exciting happened here. After spending much time contemplating a room diffuser purchase on the internet, I discovered a slim-necked frosted glass bottle and decorative reeds in my basement storage containers. I ran upstairs and placed them on the back of the toilet. I purchased lavender essential oil from Walgreens and poured the bottle in like a magic potion; the long, elegant, natural cattails remind me that a witch’s wand represents growth, inspiration, and energy. Then ABRACADABRA! one of the cattails filled with the potent sleepy lavender lifted me into a calm trance, and for a moment, I disappeared to a mythical place.

I never displayed my Lenox vase, a wedding gift, but now it works here, an excellent match to the ivory towels. I painted a foot soaker in Benjamin Moore’s Tea Room and spruced up a light rectangular wooden box to hold magazines. It seemed to show up out of nowhere and fit perfectly on the shelf.

It's strange; with each passing day, I always found what I needed at the exact moment I needed it. I found a lone piece of fringe in my sewing basket to customize the store-bought waffle-weave shower curtain. It was the actual size I needed with no room to spare, just like the tartan skirt, the cranberry lamp, the picture frames, the piece of gimp, the aromatic reeds, the costume jewelry, the flower vases, the rug, and the wooden box. They showed up just when I needed them.

Was it just luck?

I could not shake that nagging feeling that something else was guiding me, allowing me to discover each decorative gem to create this compelling bathroom. When lit, the shadows of the cranberry lamp cast an irresistible spell over the entire room—streaks of light graced the walls, the lowlight and lavender entice me to enter again and again for the transformative, decorative experience I crave. Like Samantha Stephens and her husband Darrin, with thought and care and a little nose-twitching, I acquired a mysterious power to transform this small non-descript bathroom into an alluring room filled with delightful charm. Luck? No, I think not. An invisible force truly moved me, and that magical feeling will always be with me whenever I enter the enchanted space of my bewitched bathroom.

Gayle Donohue Interior Design, My Victorian Home is a new interior design and home staging company that caters to homeowners who love Victorian Homes, Country Homes, and realtors looking to sell or lease them. Located in Hoosick Falls, NY, Gayle Donohue will provide personalized home interior design and home staging services for Victorian and historic residential properties in the Tristate Area of Northeastern, NY, Southern, VT, and Western, MA.

Please call or email me at gdonohue2263@gmail.com 413-884-5684