“Buy what you love, even if you don’t know where it will live,”
says interior designer Athena Calderone. “I reveled in the hunt at local flea markets, antique fairs, eBay, and Factory 20.” In Calderone’s bathroom featured in her book Live Beautiful (Abrams, 2020), she incorporates pieces full of character. A custom rope ceiling—made from simple three-quarter-gauge manila rope—engages with the architecture of the home and informed how the color palette would play out, uniting the black-beamed ceiling with the tonal wood design scheme beneath it. The use of rope turned out to be “the catalyst to negotiate a sense of harmony between the modernity of the architecture and the antique patina-rich items,” says Calderone. From the rope hangs a large metal-framed mirror, while the blackened lava stone countertop furthers the visual uniformity and anchors the tranquil bathroom environment. The varied materials and textures seen here are coalesced by an earthy color palette; each element is organic in nature and complementary to its surrounding pieces. A plush rug gives a dimension of softness and warmth to the hard surfaces while an
antique amphora elevates the decor. Create a dreamy, serene
bathroom like Calderone’s with these nine finds.

1. Shard Wall Hook // Shelfology
2. Khloe Sconce // Arteriors
3. Reverence Aromatique Hand Wash // Aesop
4. Speck Black Hand Knotted Wool Rug // Dash & Albert
5. Oak Bathtub Caddy by Peg & Awl // Goop
6. Casual Coastal Mirror // Shades of Light
7. Piper Woven Urn Basket in Antique Walnut // Ballard Designs
8. Chelsea Bath Towel Collection in White // Peacock Alley
9. Soapstone Slab // Paul White Company