Coastal escape

Celebrating intimate views of a mature Himalayan cedar, this seaside suite also looks inwards – offering coastal hues, natural flow, light and privacy

Courtesy of a sliding wall, the owners can

Hidden from street perspective, a natural light scoop,

The wall curves subtly here – hugging the

Herrinbone tiles add interest to the vanity splashback

Oval mirrors work well with the rounded light

Designed by SAAJ Design

From the architect:

Context

The owner’s brief was to create a contemporary coastal home addressing the practicalities of a busy family life. We were presented with an unusual wedge-shaped site, optimistically with a back yard opening to the north and a mature 12m high Himalayan cedar tree to the south.
The floor plan resulted in the parents' retreat / bathroom suite being located on the upper floor, viewing onto the southern street frontage.
A series of curved planes, stacked and sliding from each other, hugs the canopy of the Himalayan Cedar.
From the entry, one glides under the canopy before reaching the front door.

The master retreat

From within the bathroom suite, placement of the windows reveals different framed aspects of the tree; looking into the heart of the tree, experiencing the shadows casts onto the obscure glazing. This is further enhanced by a series of vertical battens.
Hidden from street perspective, a natural light scoop, orientated to the north, invites light in to the south-facing ensuite. We also combined obscure glazing and vertical battens to the south, for privacy, appearing like a frozen sheer curtain.
A finely detailed and balanced composition is comprised of natural, subtle tones and coastal inspired hues.

While this is an open-plan suite, it still provides a sense of privacy and enclosure for each activity within the suite.
Courtesy of a sliding wall, the owners can choose to view the television or the freestanding bath composition in the background from the master bedroom – the bathroom suite operates like a private parents' retreat.
The play of bouncing natural light into spaces during the day and placement of artificial light for the theatrics of the evening was carefully considered.
The WIR's placement contributes to the practical flow of daily routines – a makeup vanity, pendant light & circular mirror centred on the entrance connects the WIR to the ensuite.

Credit list

Architect

Andrew Bartholomeusz, SAAJ Design

Benchtop

Caesarstone in Pure White

Taps

Milli Axon Floor Mount Bath mixer/spout; Mizu stream Wall mixer/spout; Mizu Stream shower mixer – all from Reece

Bath

Posh Solus, free standing, from Reece

Accessories

Mizu toilet roll holder, robe hooks, hand towel rails; Hafele Luxe C & L shaped extrusion profiles - in White

Tiles

Splashback wall – Dia Lucca Carrara (7.5 x 30), in herringbone pattern, from Southern Tiles; shower recess – Acuto White Nat (7.5 x 30) in herringbone, from Southern Tiles