b'bathroomWhen Fiona Abbott and Ross Parker bought their converted hall in 1999, the Wellington coastal suburb of Petone was just starting to come into its own, with city folk snapping up the turn-of-the-century houses, and the delis and cafs following.The 1912 hall had seen tenants of every stripe. It was built for the Loyal Oranges, was then used by the Ancient Order of Foresters, and later the Free Masons, before falling into shabby grandeur. \x12\x11"\x18 \x1e\x1e\x1c!\x04\x01\x1b\x11#\x1d\x14 \x19\x15!\x04\x01 When Fiona and Ross bought it to house their blended families, they fancied the idea of apartment living with no garden. Better \x1a\x19"\x13\x18\x15\x1d!\x01\x11\x1d\x14\x01\x17\x11!\x05\x05\x05 still, the previous owners had done the hard renovation work.\x15\x1d\x03\x1c\x01\x1f\x14\x1d\x01\x1f\x11\x01\x16\x19\x1a\x1f\x02 The bones of the place were fantastic. The previous people had \x0f\x18\x15"\x18\x15 \x01\x19"\x03!\x01\x16\x1e \x01"\x18\x15\x01\x1a\x19"\x13\x18\x15\x1d\x04\x01\x1b\x11#\x1d\x14 %\x04\x01\x12\x11"\x18 \x1e\x1e\x1c\x01\x1e \x01 renovated it for apartment style, making the most of the seven-%\x1e# \x01\x18\x1e\x1c\x15\x01\x13\x1e\x1c\x16\x1e "\x04\x01\x11"\x01\x11\x01\x0e\x1b#\x1c\x12\x19\x1d\x17\x01\x0f\x1e \x1b\x14\x01!"\x1e \x15\x01%\x1e#\x01 and-a-half metre stud height, recalls Fiona. But we never liked \x1d\x1e"\x01\x1e\x1d\x1b%\x01\x16\x19\x1d\x14\x01\x11\x1d\x01\x1e#"!"\x11\x1d\x14\x19\x1d\x17\x01!\x15\x1b\x15\x13"\x19\x1e\x1d\x01\x1e\x16\x01\x1f \x1e\x14#\x13"!\x04\x01 the kitchen or bathroom, especially when you looked from the %\x1e#\x01\x11\x1b!\x1e\x01\x16\x19\x1d\x14\x01!"\x11\x16\x16\x01$\x18\x1e\x01 \x15\x11\x1b\x1b%\x01\x14\x1e\x01\x1a\x1d\x1e$\x01$\x18\x11"\x01 open plan living straight to the loo. And the vinyl oors were $\x1e \x1a!\x01\x12\x15!"\x01$\x18\x15 \x15\x05\x01\x0b\x1d\x14\x01\x11 \x15\x01\x18\x11\x1f\x1f%\x01"\x1e\x01!\x18\x11 \x15\x01"\x18\x11"\x01 particularly unattractive.\x19\x1d\x16\x1e \x1c\x11"\x19\x1e\x1d\x01$\x19"\x18\x01%\x1e#\x05 Bathrooms are getting bigger.They are now a sanctuary; a placeto escape.Whenthechildrenmovedouttouniversity,FionaandRoss briefed designer Debra DeLorenzo to transform the spaces, then promptly took off skiing to Canada while the place was gutted. The couple had already installed a tiled shower bay, so Debra needed to work her design around that. And they were adamant \x0c\x1e \x01\x11\x01\x12\x1b\x11\x11\x01\x13\x1e\x1f%\x01\x1e\x16\x01\x0e\x1b#\x1c\x12\x19\x1d\x17\x01\x0f\x1e \x1b\x14\x03!\x01\x1b\x11"\x15!"\x01\x10\x12\x11"\x18 \x1e\x1e\x1c!\x03\x04\x01 that the nishes reect the Edwardian detailing of the building, \x10\x1a\x19"\x13\x18\x15\x1d!\x01\x02\x01\x1b\x11#\x1d\x14 \x19\x15!\x03\x01\x11\x1d\x14\x01\x10\x17\x11!\x03\x01\x13\x11"\x11\x1b\x1e\x17#\x15!\x01 but didnt want any pretty Laura Ashley country as Fiona puts it. \x1f\x18\x1e\x1d\x15 \x06\x0b\x06\x06\x01\x07\x06\x01\x0c\x08 \x1e \x01\x13\x11\x1b\x1b\x01\x19\x1d"\x1e\x01%\x1e# \x01\x1d\x15\x11 \x15!"\x01\x12 \x11\x1d\x13\x18$$$\x05\x1f\x1b#\x1c\x12\x19\x1d\x17$\x1e \x1b\x14\x05\x13\x1e\x05\x1d& Debras response hit the tone of classic they were after, with enough timber and tiles to give it a modern edge. And the toilet is now tucked out of sight!\x0e\x1d\x14\x1b\x1a\x1a\x18\x1c\x04\x01\x17\x1e\x19\x10\x1b\x15\x11\x1c\x04\x01\x16\x15\x1d\x0f\x14\x11\x19\x1c\x01\x19\x10\x01\x13\x1c\x05\x05\x05\x01\x06\x0b\x02\x01\x0c\x05\x03\x0b\x01\x0c\x04\x01\x07\x08\x0c\x01\x0e\x0f\x0e\x06\x07\x08'