Bathe Under The Stars │ re-vision

The brief

An Initial Consultation with these clients, revealed a desire to find a way for the family home to reflect their bohemian tastes, have striking elements and remain elegant.

We began a process of spatial planning and provided both 2d & 3d images for 3 bathrooms and a laundry room.

The Master Ensuite has a unique and stunning view from the shower of the ocean and Rangitoto Island. The natural inclination would be to have nothing detract from the view
and work with a neutral palette. My proposal was to create a dramatic shower area, that encased and enveloped while framing the spectacular view.

There was also a tall order to respect. No marble or stone tiles. How to create texture and interest without these classics?

Following the Ensuite renovation, this family bathroom could now be attended to. The wall between the toilet and bathroom could now be removed and a large light space revealed.

Whilst being a practical space, the spatial planning showed that we could situate the freestanding bath under one of the existing skylights and create a view to the starts at night.

The wall behind the bath was also a great opportunity for adding a feature tile. We selected these marble subway tiles with beautiful grey and cream tones. No two tiles are alike. Requesting that the tiles be mitred to meet the slope of the roof avoided edging but also created a moment of luxury.

Practical floor tiles and inexpensive wall tiles are used elsewhere. The vertical marble mosaic tiles above the vanity required just a strip to provide the necessary wall protection and be linked to the other elements in the room.

Practically, by using a pocket door we were able to create space for two full height storage cupboards at the entrance.

This family bathroom is practical, timeless and whimsical.

The method

The design process is a case of getting the layout right, then allowing space for things to change and evolve when looking at the materials and these clients fully invested in the discussions and there were many visits to the tile shops and palettes put together.

The front runner for the shower tile became this dramatic dark emerald green with subtle copper tones. Now that we had the “hero” piece, we could get to work on resolving the rest of the scheme.

Putting together 4 tiles in one bathroom, is not for the feint hearted and these clients challenged the thinking and crucially, also listened. Scale of tile, grout colour, the vanity finishes, lighting and tapware are selected as a whole.

The result

Connecting this client with our bathroom renovation specialist meant that they got the right professionals and trusted trades, who were also grateful that all tiles and overall scheme was selected before work began.

The result is magical.