When we think of bathrooms, visions of functional and practical spaces come to mind
But today’s bathrooms are much more than that. We not only want our bathrooms to be beautiful places to escape to and relax in, we also want them to be functional, practical, easy to clean and timeless in design.
Building or renovating a bathroom can cost from $20,000 to $100,000 or more, so it’s important to select a colour palette, materials and finishes carefully and use the best and most experienced designers and builders to do the job. Take inspiration from day spas and include light, space, ventilation and even greenery in your bathroom. Plenty of storage is a must and consider underfloor heating and heated towel rails which not only feel good, but will also keep the space dry and mould-free. Freestanding baths are a popular choice, but the built-in bath also offers a practical and easy-to-clean option. And the myriad choices in taps, hand basins, tiles, mirrors, vanities and accessories mean your bathroom can look as beautiful and individual as you desire.
Presented here are six of the best, designed by some of Australia’s leading architects and designers and chosen by our editorial team as their favourite bathing spaces.
1. Sunshine Coastal
Architect and builder: Sarah Waller
Photography: Paul Smith Images
Designed by architect Sarah Waller for her own home, this spacious bathroom and its enveloping tropical foliage and moss, located on the Sunshine Coast, create a spot possibly too idyllic to even dream about. Steering clear of the expected day spa palette, Sarah proves she isn’t afraid of black. Rather than using it as a backdrop, black is the star of the show. This monochromatic scheme has a very fresh vibe enhanced by the abundance of greenery coming through the glazing. The brief for the master bathroom was to create a luxury ensuite within the monochrome palette of the modernist house. It needed to be relaxing and luxurious, full of natural light and airflow, embracing the views to the expansive gardens.
The Italian bath is the key feature of the bathroom and sits on a raised tiled platform finished in tiny matt black Bisazza tiles. Simple pendant lights are positioned at either end of the bath, providing subtle feature lighting within the bathing space. The three-metre-long vanity bench is cantilevered off the wall that divides the bedroom from the bathroom and consists of two large electrically operated drawers. The benchtop is finished in a thin Carrara marble-look ceramic panel. Two fine-steel rectangular basins are mounted on the vanity top, with a recessed full-width mirror cabinet set into the wall.
WC pan: Laufen Kartell back-to-wall WC pan
WC cistern: Geberit in-wall Sigma 75 cistern
Vanity top: Maximum Statuario
Vanity drawer: Two-pack white, handle-free, electric servo
Mirror cabinet: Custom-made
Basin: Alape Metaphor above-counter basin
Tapware: Milli Axon wall mixer
Bathtub: Laufen Kartell freestanding bath
Bath mixer: Milli Axon bath outlet black 180mm
Bath shower: Sussex Pol hand shower
Shower mixer: Milli Axon twin shower mixer black
Showerhead: Fienza Komo square shower head
Toilet roll holder: Milli Axon toilet roll holder
Heated towel rail: Hydrotherm wall-mounted H2 model
Floor: Casaforme concrete-look floor tile
Walls: Glass white wall tiles 600×600
Bath platform: Bisazza Opus black mosaic tiles
Underfloor heating: Devex
2. Reno Addict
Design concept: Jen Bishop
Photography: Jacqui Turk
Builder: Integriti Bathrooms
Labour and project management: Integriti Bathrooms
Former journalist Jen Bishop is an ordinary girl with no design qualifications, just a serious love of all things decor and homewares. Her blog, Interiors Addict, is a go-to for those looking for what’s new in the world of interiors. Jen recently renovated her own bathroom and with her contacts in and knowledge of the design industry, she had her pick of the latest products on the market. Jen chose a mostly white scheme, complemented by a custom timber vanity and mirror by Ingrain Designs, grey floor tiles and charcoal walls and ceiling. She selected bevelled subway tiles for the walls and penny round for the splashback and niches, adding a touch of luxury.
“There was never any doubt in my mind that I wanted white subway tiles and marble penny rounds in our new bathroom. While I dabbled with other combos, I found I kept coming back to this. Then it was a choice between the bevelled subway or the more organic, perfectly imperfect kind. As you can see, we went for the bevelled and I’m so in love with the texture they provide. A large tub was also a non-negotiable, being a Pom and a seven-baths-a-week kinda girl.”
Tiles: Di Lorenzo Tiles
Bath, rain shower, tapware, towel rails: Kohler
Hand shower: Methven Aio Aurajet from Reece
Vanity: Ingrain Designs
Plantation Shutters: DIY Online Blinds
Bathroom basin: Bunnings
Exhaust fan: IXL
3. Modern Masterpiece
Designer: Sally Holbrook
Photography: Eve Wilson
Builder: Martin Brothers Building
The original, very dated separate bathroom and laundry were combined into one large room to create a grand central bathroom with European laundry. Drawing inspiration from the owners’ art collection, the designers used a simple, neutral yet contrasting material palette of black, white and timber, while mosaic tiles add a layer of soft texture to the space.
“We love the white freestanding Ottocento bath from Agape,” says designer Sally Holbrook. “We envisaged a freestanding bath sitting centrally in the space against the large window that looked out onto the ficus vine. The bath needed to be elegant and refined, without being too ‘heavy’, to allow as much light through as possible. The Ottocento bath was an obvious choice. We also love the two-tone Vieques basin. We wanted a basin that was completely unique and dark in colour to contrast with the white marble wall/floor tiles and bathtub. The Vieques worked perfectly.”
Joinery: Designed by Northbourne, built by Contour Cabinets
Vanity: Designed by Northbourne, built by Contour Cabinets
Timber vanity bench: Wall-recessed charcoal steel shelf and mirrored storage cabinets above. Overhead storage consists of white cupboards. Lighting recessed into the underside of storage cabinets overhead
Splashback/wall finish: Carrara marble mosaic tiles, diamond shaped
Supplier and contact: Academy Tiles
Flooring: Carrara marble mosaic tiles, diamond shaped
Supplier and contact: Academy Tiles
Bath: Ottocento freestanding bath by Agape from Artedomus
Basin: Vieques black and white basin by Patricia Urquiola for Agape, from Artedomus
Tapware: Sussex Scala mixer and outlet, black from Reece
Showerhead: Fully recessed, Teknobili Plus overhead shower, chrome from Reece
Toilet: Genesi pan (white) with Tece buttons (black glass) from Mary Noall, Melbourne
Robe hooks: Icon robe hook, white from Mary Noall, Melbourne
Lighting: Pendant light with clear glass Coolie shade from Edison Light Globes
Accessories: Timber stool from Mark Tuckey; double-glazed steel window and sliding door from Windows of the World; painted black ceiling
4. Underwater Oasis
Designer: Meredith Lee
Builder: Perini Kitchens & Bathrooms
Photography: Trudy Schuringa
The brief for this bathroom, designed by interior designer Meredith Lee, was to evoke a feeling of being under water — an oasis in which to relax and unwind at the end of the day. Located in a stylish, modern Collingwood apartment in a converted warehouse, the space had no natural light, minimal storage space and was lacking in colour and functionality.
The dark, moody palette is carefully paired with stunning pieces selected by the client. The freestanding copper bath takes centre stage in the space, surrounded comfortably by walls of ocean blue tiles and complemented by the sleek matt Sussex Pol taps. The supersized round mirror installed above the basin mixer contributes to the room’s spacious feel. The fittings selected for the bathroom are highly water efficient, and the new wall and ceiling lights are also energy efficient.
Basin: Roca Diverta under-counter basin
Bath: Supplied by client
WC: Supplied by client
Basin mixer: Sussex Pol dual-handle basin mixer
Bath mixer: Sussex Pol 150 wall bath set
Shower mixer: Sussex Pol shower mixer
Tiles: Supplied by client
Lighting: Supplied by client
Hand towel ring: Sussex Scala guest towel holder
Towel rail: Sussex Pol 600L single towel rail
Shower screen: Custom-made frameless fixed toughened glass
Joinery: Custom-designed and built
Vanity top: Quantum Quartz Ash Grey
Cabinetry: Laminex Battalion Natural Finish
5. Luchetti Krelle
Designer: Rachel Luchetti
Photography: Michael Wee
In this house, the bathrooms are a stark contrast to the living areas, utilising framing and patterning as points of interest rather than colour. Architect Rachel Luchetti says the bathrooms explore a restrained monochromatic palette and are a celebration of neutral materials.
Wall tiles: Glazed grey wall tiles by Calibre Concepts
Floor tiles: Ariana stone floor tiles by Skheme
Bath: Kaldewei Centro Duo under-mount
Hand shower: Brodware City Plus exposed shower and hand shower
Vanity bench: Spotted gum crown-cut timber veneer by Briggs Veneer
6. Basic Black
Builder: Perini Kitchens & Bathrooms
Photography: Trudy Schuringa
The client’s creative flair inspired the creation of this bathroom by Perini Kitchens & Bathrooms, which revolved around a brief to create a luxurious space that would combine old-world charm with Hollywood glamour and convenience. The entire space was demolished and stripped of its fittings except for the baltic pine flooring, which was sanded and polished.
“The walls are treated and painted to provide a concreted texture, a soft backdrop for the bold elements present in the design,” says John Perini. A highlight of the project is the Bisazza Hayon Collection vanity, which features luxurious Nero Marquina marble paired with chrome details and curved edges. “The bathroom’s overall theme stems from the Art Deco style in the Bisazza vanity and creates a perfect twist of the old and the new,” says John. A combination of Perini tiles in New Orleans and Mosque Black provides a matt contrast to the glossy flooring and black ceramic octagonal wash basin.
Basin: Bisazza Hayon Collection: Diamante series ceramic octagonal washbasin in black
Bath: Supplied by owner
Toilet: Villeroy & Boch back-to-wall suite
Basin mixer: Bisazza Hayon Collection Gooseneck basin mixer
Bath shower/mixer: Perrin & Rowe bath mixer on floor legs with levers and hand shower in cradle
Main wall tiles: Perini New Orleans tiles 600×600
Floor tiles and wall tiles to rear of bath: Perini Mosque Black tiles 200×200
Lighting: Supplied by owner
Mirror to vanity: Bisazza Hayon Collection: Diamante series Octagonal mirror with attached magnifying mirror
Shower screen: Custom-made. Frameless fixed toughened glass
Armoire: Supplied by client
Vanity unit: Bisazza Hayon Collection: Diamante series chrome-framed vanity with Nero Marquina marble top
Edited by Kate St James
Originally from Home Design Magazine Volume 20 Issue 2