Bathrooms
Opt for an unfinished finish Experiment with unusual tile patterns on a flat surface until you come up with a configuration you’re happy with. Take a picture or mark the design on grid paper to help guide you when you mount the tiles on the wall. Then, taking care to use a spirit level, adhere your tiles to your chosen wall. You’ll be ticking the box for the pixellated-effect trend while you’re at it.
Love the artwork! Marian loves to begin a design project with a piece of art and then build the room or space around the artwork. The powder room on the main floor is an example of how Marian allowed the work — in this case, a dramatic charcoal and painted piece by Cathy Daley — to dictate the design. Its movement mirrors that of the Carrara marble tiles, and its color palette ties in to the pale gray, white and black of the room. The pedestals that flank the simple oval tub add elements of Georgian and Federalist symmetry. All the fixtures are simple classical ovals.
Cloakrooms are achievable for many, as they can be squeezed into quite small spaces. Popular spots include under the stairs or in a mini room carved out of the kitchen. To help a tiny cloakroom feel bigger, create perspective with a digital mural, as shown here. You can also use wall stickers or a panel of wallpaper to achieve a similar effect. Alternatively, hang a mirror above to give that sense of distance, or a picture that has a vista you can fall into. It helps to lead your eye off into the distance from what could be quite a dull space.
This en suite is accessed via the walk-in closet off the main bedroom and perfectly exemplifies the modern warehouse style. Making the most of the narrow space, BG Architecture called for a generous shower, double-basin vanity and toilet. Outside the window, garden greenery creates soft shadowing to counteract the industrial edge.
I love the simple design ... no doors. glass etc. Love it! Don’t forget about finishes While you might have your heart set on a traditional shower and heritage-style mixer taps, don’t forget to pick the right finish to suit the style of your bathroom and give it added wow factor. Look out for copper, gold and warm metallics for something a bit different. Here, copper fittings add a chic twist to the traditional look.
Cartoonify the bathroom Make a splash in the bathroom by turning an otherwise neutral-hued space into a dynamic and original room with the help of large wall stickers. Bold block letters, an energetic Wonder Woman and strong primary colours make this a heroic space for getting ready to face the world in every morning.
Possibly the most spectacular room in the house is the children’s bathroom. Gibson has gone all the way with vibrant sunny yellow — Dulux’s Golden Marguerite. It’s hard not to imagine the uplifting effect the vivid space must have on morning ablutions. Gibson’s electrician even found yellow power outlet plates. “It’s like a folly,” Gibson says, “and I love it.”
Bright red grout brings zest to the shower. ‘There are so many different coloured grouts to choose from, I wanted to use them all!’ says Rebecca. They brighten up inexpensive white tiles and channel the Mondrian vibe, too. So did she enjoy creating such a fun, characterful home? ‘I loved it,’ she laughs. ‘I want to do another renovation!’
Be bold with brights A vibrant emerald shower enclosure adds impact in an otherwise simple bathroom. By keeping the rest of the room minimally dressed in a calming white, both the green wall and the orange taps can take centre stage.
Don't like the style as a such but like the windows into the shower, would make them a bit lower so you can see out. In the master bathroom shower, high windows let in the light without making the couple feel like exhibitionists.
The master bathroom is generous in size. Its stained glass windows are original features of the cottage. The windows are a great way to maintain light and privacy.
The guesthouse’s loft bedroom features engineered French oak hardwood floors. A sound-dampening pad under the floors allows the space to easily be converted into a music or yoga studio.
Here’s a close-up of the chain link shower curtain and side garden. After showering, one can opt to open the sliding door and dry off in the sun.
The gorgeous master bathroom opens up to a Zen-like side garden. The bath includes a double sink, a freestanding bathtub and a rain shower with a chain link shower curtain. “I love the chain link shower curtain. The water runs down it like a rain chain; it creates a wonderful water feature,” says Devan. Love the shower curtain although would prefer none at all
Sneak in some pattern In a bathroom or kitchen, where decorating can add more clutter than style, patterned tiles are a no-fuss, low-maintenance way to give a room personality (as well as being easy to clean). If you’d rather stick to monochrome, as in this serene bathroom, but are worried that black on white is too harsh, add a natural element, like this wooden stool or the circular timber hooks, to soften the look.
Living by the beach in such a picturesque part of the world sees Twikler and Cain spending many of their mornings and afternoons in the ocean. It was Twikler’s idea to put in an outdoor shower so she could rinse off her board after a surf. ‘Dad and I built the outdoor shower and the deck, and I think we did a pretty good job considering neither of us had any experience with building one before,’ says Twikler. The outdoor shower was originally added as a space to simply wash off the sand and sea, but it has now become the couple’s main bathroom. They rarely use their indoor one.
I love the insets in the shower.
Love the tile design but would use much bigger tiles.
WOW! Love the exposed rock!
Like the insetsand flashes of colour
Love the tiles
Like the tiles
Go large on tiles Take the trend for hexagonal bathroom tiles a step further by going large scale, rather than choosing mini mosaics, and opting for a moody colour and matt finish. These black tiles provide a tactile surface that sets off the white sanitaryware to perfection.
Snelders used a piece of unfinished wood in the powder room as a countertop. “Angela knew we would like it,” Mangnus says. Leaf-patterned wallpaper adds to the rustic atmosphere.
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