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Period-style bathrooms are not only timeless but also bring a touch of elegance and sophistication to your home. By incorporating vintage fixtures and classic design elements, you can create a unique and personalised space that reflects your individual style.
The iflo Bramley Collection is a superb range of bathroom fittings designed to create a classic, traditional aesthetic while also delivering durability, reliability, and enhanced ease of use through its modern features. This iflo range is a fabulous example of how you can enjoy the elegance of a period-style design alongside modern practical benefits.
Here at The Bathroom Showroom, we explore the popularity of period style bathrooms while considering how the iflo Bramley collection could help you complete the look.

What Is a Period-Style Bathroom?

A period-style bathroom is one that draws inspiration from a specific historical era, most commonly the Victorian (1837-1901) and Edwardian (1901-1910) periods. It uses design elements, fixtures, and materials characteristic of those times to create an authentic, traditional feel.

Can I Have a Period-Style Bathroom in a Modern Home?

Absolutely. While a period-style bathroom is a natural fit for a period home, it can also be a beautiful contrast in a modern setting. The key is to blend the traditional elements with your home's existing style, rather than trying to create an exact replica. The iflo Bramley collection from The Bathroom Showroom offers a period-style look that has been designed with the modern home in mind.

Popular Period Style Bathroom Fittings

The most popular fittings when creating a period style bathroom are showers and taps.

What Is a Period Style Shower?

A period-style shower recreates the aesthetics of Victorian or Edwardian eras, offering visual appeal and traditional charm combined with modern plumbing technology.
Key Characteristics of a Period-Style Shower:
  • Exposed Pipework: Unlike modern concealed showers, which hide the plumbing behind the wall, a period-style shower system celebrates the plumbing, with a rigid riser rail leading up to the shower head. This was a common design element in the Victorian era and adds to the authentic, industrial-yet-elegant look.
  • Distinctive Shower Heads: Period showers often feature a large, bell-shaped or apron-style shower head (also called a shower rose). These are typically fixed and provide a wide, drenching rainfall effect, a stark contrast to the adjustable, multi-setting heads of contemporary showers.
  • Traditional Controls: The controls are a key part of the design. You'll often find crosshead or lever handles for operating the water flow and temperature. These handles are frequently marked with "hot" and "cold" in a traditional font and are more visually detailed than the simple dials or buttons of a modern shower.
  • Period-Appropriate Finishes: The choice of finish is crucial for achieving the right look. Common finishes include polished or brushed brass, chrome, and nickel, and aged or antique finishes.
  • Modern Functionality: While the aesthetics are historical, the internal workings are modern. Period-style showers are typically equipped with thermostatic valves, which prevent sudden temperature changes and ensure a safe and comfortable showering experience.

What Are Period-Style Bathroom Taps?

Period-style bathroom taps, whether mixer or pillar, evoke Victorian or Edwardian aesthetics, providing a deliberate contrast to modern tap designs and ensuring a cohesive, traditional look.
Key Characteristics of Period-Style Taps:
  • Handle Styles: Most recognisable features, period-style taps are either Crosshead or Lever style. Shaped like a cross, crosshead handles are a classic Victorian design and are often labeled "Hot" and "Cold." Lever taps feature a lever handle that's often ornate and made of a matching metallic finish or, in some cases, a contrasting material like ceramic.
  • Ornate and Curved Spouts: The spouts of period taps are generally more decorative than their modern counterparts. They often have smooth, flowing curves and intricate detailing, such as "swan neck" or "J-spout" designs.
  • Pillar Taps: This classic configuration involves a separate tap for hot and cold water, each with its own spout and handle. These are quintessential traditional designs and are often used with pedestal basins.
  • Mixer Taps: While traditionally separate, period-style mixer taps are also available, combining both hot and cold water in a single unit. These can be monobloc mixers (single tap hole) or three-hole mixers.
  • Wall-Mounted Taps: For a truly authentic look, wall-mounted taps are a popular choice. They free up space on the basin or bath and work beautifully with freestanding basins or clawfoot bathtubs.
  • Warm Finishes: Common finishes include polished Brass, polished chrome, brushed or polished nickel, copper, and black or white.
  • Incorporate Modern Technology: Despite their vintage appearance, period-style taps often feature ceramic disc valves and thermostatic controls.

Shop the iflo Bramley Collection at The Bathroom Showroom

The iflo Bramley range is a collection of bathroom fixtures, primarily taps and showers, known for its classic, traditional, or "period style" design. Key features of the range include:
  • Design: It features a timeless aesthetic with curved spouts and traditional handles, making it suitable for both classic and contemporary bathrooms.
  • Materials: The products are made from solid brass with a chrome finish, ensuring durability and a polished look that is easy to clean.
  • Technology: The taps and showers incorporate modern technology, such as ceramic disc cartridges for effortless flow and temperature control, and anti-scald thermostatic cartridges in the showers for a safe showering experience.
  • Product Variety: The range includes a variety of products to create a cohesive bathroom look, such as Basin Taps (both pairs of pillar taps and monobloc mixers), Bath fillers, Deck-mounted bath shower mixers, and Thermostatic showers (one-way and two-way) with overhead and/or hand showers.

Go Classical, Traditional, or Period Style in your Bathroom Design

Overall, period-style showers and bathroom taps are a bridge between two worlds, bringing the timeless beauty and intricate detail of a historical period into a bathroom, while providing the performance, safety, and convenience that we expect from a modern fixture.
By combining these classic design elements with modern functionality, period-style bathroom taps and showers allow you to create a bathroom that is both a practical, comfortable space and a beautiful nod to the past.
Featuring a high-quality solid brass construction, a hard-wearing finish, and ensuring a long-lasting stylish collection, period style taps and showers from the iflo Bramley Collection can help you achieve the look all while staying on budget.
If you’re looking for further help with creating a period-style space, book an appointment with The Bathroom Showroom. Experts in all things bathrooms, we can help turn your dream bathroom into a reality.