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Room of the Week: A Beautiful Bathroom Flowing Off a Master Bedroom
Converting a cramped en suite into a beautiful bathroom connected to the bedroom brought multiple benefits to this south London home
Many of us would treat an en-suite bathroom as our own personal playground, but in this south London home, the bathroom that flows off the master bedroom was designed for family use. ‘The idea was for a very open en suite,’ says Mark Jordan of Mark Jordan Architecture & Design, who led the project. ‘The owners had two young children and wanted to be able to bathe them in the bedroom. It was never designed to be a private space.’
The owners had stayed at boutique getaway Babington House in Somerset and were inspired by the luxury rooms with baths there. ‘They specified his and hers basins,’ says Mark, ‘and she wanted a roll-top bath while he wanted a really good shower.’ Mark incorporated all of the owners’ ideas, redesigning the entire room so the bathroom is central to the scheme, but also offers pockets of privacy.
Room at a Glance
Who lives here A couple and their two children
Location South London
Decade house was built 1880s
Designer Mark Jordan of Mark Jordan Architecture & Design
Size 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms; this bedroom and en suite measures 22.5 sq m
Budget Approx £12,000
The owners had stayed at boutique getaway Babington House in Somerset and were inspired by the luxury rooms with baths there. ‘They specified his and hers basins,’ says Mark, ‘and she wanted a roll-top bath while he wanted a really good shower.’ Mark incorporated all of the owners’ ideas, redesigning the entire room so the bathroom is central to the scheme, but also offers pockets of privacy.
Room at a Glance
Who lives here A couple and their two children
Location South London
Decade house was built 1880s
Designer Mark Jordan of Mark Jordan Architecture & Design
Size 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms; this bedroom and en suite measures 22.5 sq m
Budget Approx £12,000
The protruding sections of wall behind the bath perform a function. ‘The external walls are made of brick, so we couldn’t chase the wiring or pipework into them,’ says Mark. ‘So we built the central column for pipework, but the two columns on either side are empty. They are false panels, just there to balance out the pipework box and provide more of a surface for the shelf to sit on.’
Tap, XO range, Lefroy Brooks.
Tap, XO range, Lefroy Brooks.
The curved platform the bath sits on has little LED lights on its underside. ‘The room has smart electrics, so you can switch these lights on from the bedside,’ says Mark. It means the step up is illuminated. ‘If you are going into the bathroom in the night, you don’t trip up, but the lights are soft enough not to wake your partner.’
‘The bath was originally on legs, but we sawed them off and mounted the bath on sleepers,’ says Mark.
Learn how to get bathroom lighting right
‘The bath was originally on legs, but we sawed them off and mounted the bath on sleepers,’ says Mark.
Learn how to get bathroom lighting right
Warm wood is a feature of the bathroom and bedroom space, visually linking the two areas. The flooring in the bathroom is varnished pine, while the shelving by the bath and over this radiator is oak.
This room sits at the front of the house and has two windows. ‘The main inspiration behind the project was those two massive windows,’ says Mark. ‘By removing the en suite and making the bathroom part of the room, you get a space that spans the entire width of the house and both windows are visible. They flood it with light. Before, it was a bit of a waste having such a big window onto a narrow en suite. Now you can see both of them from the bed.’
Solo round wash basins, Colourwash. Mirrors, XO range, Lefroy Brooks.
Solo round wash basins, Colourwash. Mirrors, XO range, Lefroy Brooks.
‘We shortened the landing and moved the bedroom door in a little to gain extra space so we could open up the bathroom area,’ explains Mark. Space incorporated into the room from what was the landing became a natural corner into which Mark could fit the toilet and shower. ‘On the landing side, we fitted bookshelves that look as if they’ve always been there,’ he adds.
Angara towel rail in brushed steel, Myson.
Angara towel rail in brushed steel, Myson.
Oak shelving on the wall beside the bath brings warm wood notes to the space. It also plays a practical role, supplying somewhere to position candles, bath products and pretty finds.
Mark also reconfigured the bedroom. The bed was moved away from the chimney breast, which meant the previously blocked up fireplace could be uncovered. Now, the bed faces the room’s large windows.
Mark designed a wall of glass bricks to separate the shower and toilet area from the bedroom. ‘I wanted to create some privacy for anyone in the shower,’ he says. ‘A simple glass screen would not have offered that. These bricks are more solid.’
Double bed, The Conran Shop. Tolomeo wall lights, Artemide.
TELL US…
Share your thoughts on this open-plan arrangement in the Comments below.
Mark designed a wall of glass bricks to separate the shower and toilet area from the bedroom. ‘I wanted to create some privacy for anyone in the shower,’ he says. ‘A simple glass screen would not have offered that. These bricks are more solid.’
Double bed, The Conran Shop. Tolomeo wall lights, Artemide.
TELL US…
Share your thoughts on this open-plan arrangement in the Comments below.
The bath was mounted onto a raised platform, which had two key benefits. ‘It allowed us to differentiate the spaces and mark out the bathroom from the bedroom,’ explains Mark. ‘It also helped us create a space for plumbing and waste pipes, which now run underneath.’
Bath, CP Hart. Print by Patrick Gibbs.
See other ways to work a bathtub into your bedroom