A touch of Italy

From the designer:  Shane George, Kitchens By Design

CLIENT BRIEF

This bathroom was designed as part of a new master suite extension. The owners wanted a room with a luxurious feel,

and something in keeping with the beautiful traditional Italianate architecture of the rest of the

home  – and as big a shower as the space allowed.

DESIGNER’S RESPONSE

The existing architecture and generous proportions of the space helped shape my vision for the

room, and the look and feel of a luxury European hotel bathroom became my goal. The resulting

design has three primary foundations upon which it is built:

Symmetry: A tall storage cabinet marks the centre of the room. The vanities, mirrors, pendants,

heated towel rails spread out from that on each side. Then, at one end is a freestanding bath, and at the

other is a large shower.

Curves: Early in the design a light-bulb moment came with the idea of a curved overlay pattern on

the vanity fronts, based on the way a wave spreads and pulls back across the beach. Curves are

repeated in the shelves on the opposite wall, the vanity top and legs. The bath was chosen for the

beautiful wave-like designs on its sides.

Texture: The varied pallet of finishes include large format Marbletec and Tabor Mood tiles on the

wall, striking hexagonal floor tiles, custom furniture-style vanities with metal leaf accents, and aged

iron tapware and towel warmers.

This mix of materials gives a genuinely rich feel to the space, while still achieving a comfortable

feeling to the room.

CABINETRY

Grey wash oak veneer, with aged Metalier with leaf pattern (vanity), mirror doors (storage cabinet)

Story by: Shane George

Photography by: Jamie Cobel