
Hello! Let me introduce myself: I am Jason Oliver Nixon, one half of the Brooklyn, New York-based interior design firm Madcap Cottage that I co-run with my partner, John Loecke. If you are familiar with our work, you know that John and I are simply crazy, over the moon, and passionate for color. And we are also mad for bringing our far-flung travels into our interior design projects.
So why not craft a bathroom that mixes some high-octane hue with elements culled from high-stepping hijinks? And, no, that was not a question.
John and I are just so tired of bathrooms that are boring and bland. A bathroom should be big, bold, and bodacious. Think fabulous paint treatments, wallpaper, sinks that truly sing, a glittering chandelier overhead, tiles that are tip, top, terrific.
So come on, folks–take your W.C. from wearisome to wonderful!
Says John Loecke, “You spend gobs of time in your loo, so why not make it a real looker.”
I so agree. Why splash about in a bath that looks sterile and unsophisticated?
A bath should be inspirational and make you want to kick your cares to the wind and live life to the fullest and maybe bob you hair and scamper through fountains after midnight in black tie.
Just saying.
John and I also believe that you should bring some exotic influences into your loo, too. Why not have a Turkish moment here or a Moroccan influence there, or perhaps a taste of the Cotswolds in a corner?
To get you in the mood, John and I pulled fabulous products inspired by a recent trip to the glamorous and fabled La Mamounia hotel in Marrakech, Morocco to create a bathroom that is colorful, exotic, glittering, and fabulously far-flung.
Here are two shots of the glamorous La Mamounia hotel in Marrakech. This is the hostelry where Alfred Hitchcock filmed The Man Who Knew Too Much with Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day. G-l-a-m-o-u-r to the max!
A good toilet is one of the foundations of a bodacious bath, and the gents at Madcap Cottage love nothing more than the Hatbox toilet, with its clean, sleek lines. This is a toilet like no other. OK, so it’s white, but it still looks like a million bucks and could be a fabulous garden stool tucked into some glorious landscape.
John and I almost melted when we encountered the Imperial Blue design sink with its fabulous dragon. Um, amazing! And while this sink has nothing to do with Morocco, we love its exoticism. Why not mix myriad cultures and influences together in one bathroom?

(From left: Kohler Hatbox toilet, Kohler Imperial Blue sink, Kallista For Town faucet, Ann Sacks Iznik tile)
The For Town by Michael Smith basin set with green nephrite jade cross handles makes us swoon. We love the rich green hue of these handles and their “plucked from the steppes of Asia” glamour. A slam dunk.
Kick up your walls with a delicious exotic influence, such as these Iznik tiles from Ann Sacks. So plucked from a harem, n’est-ce pas?
Every bathroom should have a fabulous paper covering its walls, and we are smitten with Thibaut’s Ivana wallpaper in coral and turquoise. Banish the beige, and have yourself a big old orange crush.
We think bathroom lighting should be luscious, so invest in the Abalone chandelier from the Selected Works of Tony Duquette. This is one focal point that says fabulous.

(From left: Thibaut Ivana wallpaper, Baker Abalone chandelier, Vie Luxe candle, Casablanca lanterns)
A kitted-out bathroom should always have delicious candles scattered about, and John and I love nothing more than Vie Luxe’s Maldives candle. Oh, the scent…divine.
And while candles are fabulous, why not add some lanterns, too, for even further luxe, such as the spiffy Casablanca lanterns in a jaunty aqua hue from Z Gallerie. Splendiferous!
Bring some far eastern flair into your bath with the Regency Pagoda lamp from the Selected Works of Tony Duquette. And you thought that lamps were only for living rooms and bedrooms? P’shaw! Why not use table lamps in the loo? We certainly do!

(From left: Baker Regency Pagoda lamp, Baker Ella table)
Every look needs a terrific bench, a spot where you can hold towels or simply catch your breath upon experiencing the glamour of your loo. The Madcap Cottage boys suggest the Ella table from the Bill Sofield Collection. So Bill Sofield calls it a table, we call it a stool. It works either way, and we love the black-as-night good looks!
And there you have it—a loo with a view! What region of the world would you design a bathroom around?













10 Comments
I am a huge fan of Kohlers website. Always in for new idea’s and designes. Please keep continue the good work. I get inspired our what you all do. Thumbs up for the great work!
Love it! Colorful bathrooms are a fabulous trend.
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Why is it that American design has never gotten the idea of separating the toilet/commode from the rest of the bathroom? You talk about designing a beautiful bathroom, incorporating candles, fabrics etc. but then having the toilet in the same room as the sinks/bathtub/shower is just asking for a cleaning problem. It is so unhygienic to have it all it one room. I think the typical sterile look of most bathrooms is to make it easier to clean. It’s not all that difficult to design a separate “closet” for the toilet.
We need to start changing the idea of an all-in-one bathroom and encourage the separation of the toilet.
I also find it strange that we are still using the floor mounted toilets as opposed to wall mounted. Again, something that makes it much easier to clean around.
Thanks for the inspiration,. Thinking of using a vibrant orange, and I needed some ideas.
Looking forward.
what brand are the sconces and ceiling lite in the first bathroom on the left?
I agree, let’s spiff those dull and boring bathrooms up a bit. More color, more drama! One thing I would like to see change is the height as which the sinks are installed at. Why do everybody have to bend wayyyyy over to get to the sink? Makes no sense. Let’s elevate it to make it a lot easier to use and keep the chiropractors happy.
Thanks for your time.
I love how you translate your love of travel into design. I’m currently working on a bathroom remodel, and this has inspired me to go from safe to having more fun with it! Thanks for the new ideas!
I am seriously tnnhkiig about installing a steam shower in our house. We don’t want to spend fortune on it, though. So, do you recommend a prefabricated unit? We have a basement. But ,they all look like space ships. Is there any model that would look more like a regular bathroom?