Contemporary master bathroom with textural tiles, freestanding bathtub

While master suites are often designed as quiet sanctuaries, this doesn't mean they have to recede into the background. Sometimes a little visual punch is just what's needed to restore the spirit.

For this bathroom, in an older home extensively renovated by Nicholas Murray Architects, that wow factor is threefold there's the leafy outlook, the large sculptural composite stone bathtub, and the decorative Japanese wall tiles that line two walls.

Architect Dominic Kao says the bathroom is open to the master bedroom, so the visual cues were important.

"This is why we made the end wall a feature wall, with Japanese Inax ceramic tiles that have a woven, fabric-like texture. The tiles wrap around the corner, creating a backdrop to the tub, and extend along the side wall to frame the vanity and mirrors.

"Visually, the tiles help to break up the large surfaces in the bathroom they juxtapose the sleek white fittings and reflective elements."

The sculptural oval form of the bathtub is echoed by the Corian vanity top, which incorporates two moulded handbasins.

"We teamed the seamless vanity top with wenge veneer cabinetry, which introduces a natural timber look that helps to soften and warm up the space," the architect says.

The mirrored doors above the vanity are slightly larger than the medicine cabinets behind. Lighting above and below the units enhances the sense that they are floating within the space.

The shower, on the opposite side of the bathroom, is flush with the floor and features a sliding glass door and backpainted glass walls.

A half wall separates the shower from the toilet and bidet, which are tucked into a nook and not visible from the bedroom. The half wall extends around the wall where it accommodates a concealed in-wall cistern.

"To keep the look simple and uncluttered, we specified extra-large slabs of Caesarstone for the floor," says Kao. "This minimises the joins, for a more seamless appearance."

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: Andrew Ashton