Bathed in light

Taking the plunge and making that first decision is essential to get the ball rolling when you begin planning a new bathroom. It may be the choice of colors, or materials, or perhaps a particular fitting, but once that is agreed, everything else will start falling into place.

For architect Julian Guthrie, a travertine marble bath was the catalyst for the design of this master suite in a new home on a vineyard estate. The owners had already bought the bath, and wanted it incorporated into their new master suite.

Guthrie decided to make the bath freestanding and set it in a large, specially created bay window cantilevered out from the house. The rural setting meant that privacy was not a major issue, and with lovely views from the house, full-height windows in the bay were an obvious choice.

"Because the bay window was cantilevered, it had to be specially engineered to support the weight of the marble bathtub," says Guthrie.

The rest of the bathroom is contained within a square marked by four solid masonry pillars. Above this, a narrow strip of glass separates the raised ceiling from the walls. With light flooding in through the bay window and the clerestory, the center of the bathroom is always light and bright.

Running along one wall of the bathroom is a wall-mounted wenge timber vanity with two vessel basins. A large mirror above the vanity makes the bathroom appear even more spacious than it is. Opposite the vanity are the toilet and bidet, and a large, walk-through shower with a wenge timber duckboard base. A column of travertine marble on the front face of the shower provides some privacy and a convenient location for the towel ladder. Glass screens extend from the marble column without fully enclosing the shower.

The simple palette of materials and colors used throughout the house continues into the master suite. White walls and travertine marble tiles on the floor provide a neutral background for the large panels of copper-colored mosaic tiles. These add texture and movement to the vanity backsplash, the shower wall and one wall of the bathroom. They also repeat copper detailing used on the front door and above the living room fireplace.

Pocket doors ensure an easy flow between the bedroom on one side and the dressing room on the other side.

Story by: Mary Webb