Roman Tile and Pool at Hearst Castle
The Romans perfected the bathroom and were some of the first to luxuriate in elaborate baths. According to the website Plumbing.com "the baths of the Emperor Caracalla...covered nearly a 28-acre site." Your personal decorating plans may not be as elaborate, but decorating a bath with a Roman design theme has thousands of years of history to support it.
From The Ground Up
The floors of a Roman bath were historically made of stone or tile. Your modern bath can have floors of marble or a stone substitute, ceramic tile, or tiny mosaic tiles of ceramic or stone. The Romans heated the floors of some of their baths by heating hollow bricks beneath their surfaces. Using modern radiant floor heating techniques, your bath could also have warm floors. However, these systems are complex to install in an existing home and can have a significant impact on your energy bill. Purchase an area rug with a Roman motif to warm up your floors in a less-expensive fashion.
Wash up Roman Style
A Roman tub would traditionally be carved from marble, or covered in mosaic tile, and stands alone. A Roman tub is usually filled from the side instead of one end of the tub so the bather can avoid hitting his head or feet on the tub's fixtures. Frequently the Roman tub had no attached plumbing but was a simple giant bowl with drainage that is filled with water from a wall-mounted faucet. A true Roman tub generally required some custom design (see "Resources" below). If your plumbing or space does not allow for a Roman tub, consider surrounding your current tub or shower with tiles of marble, or tiny mosaic. Your sink and counters can mimic the design ideas of your tub with a bowl-type sink that sits on your counter. Faucets fixed to the wall above the sink can mimic the style of a Roman tub.
Color and Texture
Color in a Roman-inspired bath can be earthy, with warm tones of ivory, rust, and olive with rough textures. This color palette reflects the architecture of the Roman country home or villa. Another Roman palette involves strong color contrasts like classic white and black or red and gold. palette better reflects the palaces and city dwellings of wealthy Romans. The surfaces in homes of this style are smooth and feature polished marble, glass tiles, and golden accents.
Extra Touches
To give your Roman-inspired bath extra panache, add a few special accents. Many Roman homes featured interesting wall decorations including: stone fountains, or medallions, and mosaic tile or painted murals. If you bath is large enough, you could also add a Roman chaise.
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