The Prettiest Bathroom You'll Ever See

by Karen Mahoney of City by the Sea Ceramics

I attended the Elusive Teabowl Workshop at Harvard that I had previously blogged a bit about, and I will tell you all about it, but that time must wait. Right now we need to talk about bathrooms. Gorgeous bathrooms. Harvard ceramics department bathrooms.

Next time you are even close to 219 Western Ave in Allston, go see it. It's right next to the ceramics department entrance, so you can quietly sneak in and check it out without anyone thinking you an odd duck sneaking around bathrooms. It's worth the stop. I love seeing it any time I'm at the studio for an event. The wall and floor tiles were created by Lucy Scanlon. According to her website, the project was created after she had won a juried competition for the job while she was teaching there.

This phone camera shot of a dimly lit corner doesn't do it justice, but hey, I left the tripod and lamps at home. You are still able to see the incredible waves of texture in the tiles, including the border tiles at the top. Even the toilet paper holder is awesome. It's not every day you say that, that's why it's so exciting!

The texture of the tiles is amazing, but I love the glaze as well. It's a gorgeous aqua shade with lots of variation in it, varying so much from tile to tile, and even from corner to corner on a single one. The color and forms give you so much to look at. It still has the classic "blue/water" theme that so many bathrooms have, but it is the most unique and beautiful interpretation of it I've ever seen.

219 Western Ave in Allston, entrance is in the back of the building, down a few steps. The bathroom is right around the corner from the display of work that is directly in front of you when you walk in. Let me know what you think.