‘I want you to take a red-hot bath—as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in the tub if you wish,’ the flamboyant Beatrice Blaine advises her son Amory in This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s debut novel. The book caused a sensation when it came out in 1920, turning a struggling writer into the voice of his generation. The interwar period (1919–1939) was one of dramatic contradictions: the exuberance of the Jazz Age, vividly portrayed by Fitzgerald, and the streamlined forms of Art Deco draped like shimmering veils over mounting economic and political upheavals, especially in Europe.
Can a fancy bathroom ever hold together a continent on the brink of the War?
On the morning of 20th July 1938, perhaps Beatrice Blaine’s advice was ringing in King George VI’s ear as he dipped his toe into the expansive, freshly finished golden tub at 37 Quai d’Orsay. Home to France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1855, this sprawling building welcomed visiting monarchs and heads of state until the acquisition of the Hôtel de Marigny from the Rothschild family in 1972.
While the guests’ apartments were partially redecorated for each visit, the much-awaited arrival of the British royals in the summer of 1938 led to a monumental renovation. Tensions ran high across Europe, and big expectations were at stake on both sides of the Channel. France hoped to boost public morale by presenting a unified Anglo-French front against the growing threats from neighbouring Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, the reserved (and stuttering) “Bertie,” who had reluctantly ascended to the throne following his older brother’s abdication two years earlier, faced the uneasy task of restoring the Crown’s image, which had taken a battering due to the latter’s marriage to the infamous twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson.
No expense was spared: almost a thousand workers and thirty-seven companies toiled for five months to equip the ministry with the finest and most modern comforts. The redecorated guest’s accommodations included telephones and ensuite bathrooms in the cutting-edge Art Deco style.
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From Josephine Baker’s electrifying dance performances to Tamara de Lempicka’s stylised society portraits and the iridescent spire of New York’s Chrysler Building, Art Deco left its mark in every creative field. Possibly one of the last truly encompassing artistic movements, it embodies the era’s excitement for the glamour and speed brought through new innovations in travel. The sleek lines of Bugatti’s cars, Cunard’s transatlantic liners, and Zeppelin’s airships nurtured a fascination for a machine aesthetic. Nevertheless, the streamlined silhouettes of Art Deco were achieved by meticulous handcrafting in the most rare and exquisite materials. They catered to a privileged 1% seeking uniqueness rather than a large audience.
This pursuit of elegance and exclusivity is evident in the King’s and Queen’s bathrooms at Quai d’Orsay. Their stunning décor resulted from a collaboration between two leading figures in the story of twentieth-century French decorative arts: Auguste Labouret and Jacques Adnet.
An accomplished master mosaicist, Labouret created iconic Art Deco works such as the whimsical mosaic façade of Maison Prunier, the first Parisian restaurant to serve its own caviar, and the dramatic glass-clad dining hall of the SS Normandie, the largest and fastest passenger ship crossing the Atlantic at the time. Labouret pioneered a distinctive technique of embedding coloured glass into concrete, that he used to create intricate and vibrant designs. At Quai d’Orsay, he skilfully exploited the differing reflective qualities of glass finishes to achieve captivating plays of light.
Jacques Adnet, tasked with designing the bathrooms’ furniture, was instead an architect and interior decorator who gained international fame for his unconventional pieces that incorporated luxurious materials like leather, metal, and glass. The solid brass, aubergine silk-upholstered daybed in the King’s bathroom perfectly exemplifies his design approach, reinterpreting a classic piece of European furniture in a sleek, modern silhouette.
The bathrooms feature complementary gold and silver colour schemes that celebrate the King as the sun god Apollo and the Queen as the moon goddess Diana. Yet, their design ventures beyond Classical mythology. In the King’s bathroom, for instance, the large brass-framed circular mirror above the washing basin echoes the pure form of a Japanese sun disk, hinting at this era’s penchant for the Far East. The finishes in both bathrooms are nothing short of extravagant: marble floors, frosted glass swans, silk upholstery, and Venetian mosaics wrap these spaces in a lavish embrace, creating a refined yet decadent atmosphere.
A dip in the golden tub did not prevent the political turbulence engulfing Europe, which led to war the following year, but it did bring luck to the King. The visit proved a huge publicity success for the shy monarch, reestablishing the compromised image of the Crown both at home and abroad. A soak to remember!
Get the look
Designer Laura Gonzalez's bathroom in her Normandy house feels like a fresh, modern take on the Art Deco style. There may be less in the way of metallics, but the deep brown marble lends a sense of richness, and whimsy comes in the form of a mosaic floor by artist Pierre Mesguich and a bathtub hand-painted by a muralist in the Etruscan style.
Be bold with gold tones! The allure of gold dates back to the ancient civilisations of Egypt and Mesopotamia, where it was considered the flesh of the gods. The radiant lustre of a golden palette can wrap even the tiniest space in an aura of sophistication. The entrance to the loo of this Sussex rectory, designed by Emma Milne Watson, is clad in brass for the most luxurious effect.
If you don’t want to go for the full look, why not consider brass lights? In Marie Louise Sjögren’s guest bathroom, a vintage wall sconce by Josef Frank makes the perfect combo with a floating marble basin.
Add some warm touches. The captivating pattern of a built-in elm burl cabinet elevates this chic Stockholm bathroom, also in Marie-Louise's Stockholm apartment.
Be theatrical and set a stage. Dark walls and Art Deco-inspired lights give this tiny windowless bathroom by Suzy Hoodless an utterly seductive look.
