Our Best Bathrooms

OPEN + SPACIOUS

Bathrooms are one of the most functional, purpose-driven rooms in the house – it makes sense to offer enough space to comfortably  accommodate more than one person at a time. Ok, so, it’s not a possibility for everyone, but when designing a home or renovation from scratch, it’s worth considering planning a more open and spacious bathroom, even if it means compromising on space elsewhere.

Think of how you use the space most frequently – consider a dedicated ‘wet zone’ along with separate showering, soaking and grooming zones. One big, roomy bathroom can be a better solution than two tiny bathrooms in some households!

MINIMAL

The vast majority of us don’t have a blank canvas when it comes to bathroom design, we simply have to work with what we have… and that often means a tiny footprint.

Small bathrooms benefit from a sleek, minimal approach. Mosaic tiles aren’t great in small spaces – try large tiles in muted colours to give the illusion of space. We LOVE the terrazzo tiling (from Fibonacci Stone) in James Tutton’s Coburg house.

DISTINCTIVE DETAILS

As a general rule, where tiles are more minimal, you can afford to go a little more flashy on the tapware!

When selecting a classic palette – like white tiles and dark grout – consider a more distinctive tap, like the brass plated ones above. Coloured tapware is another trend that shows no signs of disappearing! Similarly, we LOVE the amazing coloured ceramic wash basins from Azzura Ceramica.

ECLECTIC

A bathroom is a highly personal space, unlikely to be seen by anyone except close family and friends, so there’s no reason it can’t be decorated with personality.

One of the most memorable bathrooms we’ve featured is that of artist Susan Horacek in her Fitzroy home. Bringing together a salvaged cast iron bath and DIY mosaic on the floor, this unconventional bathing space shows just how creative a bathroom can be!

ALFRESCO

A bathroom with a view is the ultimate luxury!  Consider the outlook when planning your bathroom layout – if there’s a window, try and orientate your bath or shower to take in the view, plant greenery outside the windows, and where possible, make windows openable.

We love the indoor/outdoor connection in Jen Stumbles and Ben Kerr’s coastal NSW home, and Joost Bakker’s family home in Monbulk.

DARK + MOODY

There’s a tendency to decorate bathrooms in bright, light hues, but a dark palette is a great option too. After all, this is the room where we often retreat from the world, and a moody, intimate space can be the perfect approach if you treasure your bathroom alone time!

COMPACT + VERSATILE

Possibly the tiniest house we’ve ever featured, the bathroom in Alex Kennedy’s Carlton studio apartment is a totally open to the living and bedroom space – not for the faint hearted!  The room also makes clever use of space, with a two way bathroom bench, which doubles as a room divider, accessible from both sides.

CLASSIC

In older homes, it can be hard to design  a bathroom with new fixtures and fittings and retain a classic or traditional aesthetic sensitive to the era of the house.  Consider natural stone or handmade encaustic tiles (so perfect in the Byron Bay home of Andrew and Anna Swain), timber details, and a clawfoot bath if space permits!

BATH-IN-BED

Where space or natural light is tight, why not combine bathroom and bedroom!? Whilst having a freestanding bathtub in the centre of one’s bedroom mightn’t work for everybody (!), in the one bedroom home of Lynda Gardener, this is the perfect solution. It has enabled the creation of both a bedroom and a bathroom that feel HUGE by usual standards, and a bathroom that really feels like a sanctuary.