Master ensuite with Japanese influence has pivot windows opening to landscaped courtyard

In a clifftop house that flows seamlessly between private and public spaces, and between inside and out, it is only natural that the master suite will reflect a similar design response.

And so it is with this project designed by architects John Rose and Renata Ratcliffe of Tanner Kibble Denton Architects (TKDA).

The master suite echoes the serene nature of the rest of the pavilion-style house, which references both Japanese and Balinese architecture, says architect John Rose.

"One of the owners is Australian and the other is Japanese so that had a strong bearing on the design of the bathroom, which needed to celebrate the bathing ritual," he says. "And while they wanted a luxurious retreat, the suite needed to feel homely, not like a hotel."

Large pivoting windows beside a deep tub open up the bathroom to a traditional Japanese courtyard garden

"The windows blur the divide between indoors and outdoors, so you feel as though you are bathing out in the open," says Ratcliffe. "The feeling is enhanced by yacht-style teak decking with caulking that forms the tub surround and then flows outside to create a window seat. But we haven't forgotten the harbour view. The tub is directly aligned with a window on the opposite wall in the bedroom, so the owners can glimpse the harbour and city lights and see the moon rising from the tub."

A long, cantilevered stone shelf supports his-and-hers basins, each with its own mirror suspended on a steel rod. Similar stone features in the step-down double shower on the same axis, and on the floor and walls.

"The natural materials echo the palette of the rest of the house," says Rose. "They help to put the focus on contemplation. For this reason, also, the suite is the quieter side of the house."

Other features of the suite include a steam room, toilet room, walk-in wardrobe and gym.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: Michael Nicholson