D for design

A residence that relates to a definite period in architectural history requires a delicate touch when it comes to renovating individual rooms. On one hand, the reinvented spaces need to provide all the modern necessities, on the other, they need to sit well within the home as a whole.

This bathroom forms part of a distinctly 1980s residence. The owners asked Royston Wilson, the designer, to create a spacious, functional bathroom.

"My brief was to create a simple bathroom with all the usual features of a master ensuite, including separate vanity units," says Wilson. "But the main design challenge lay in transforming the clutter of the original bathroom into usable floor space."

There had been a large spa bath in the corner of the existing bathroom with three steps leading up to it. A shower to the left also had its own step and there was a vanity, double shower and toilet.

"All these elements took up a large part of the bathroom, leaving not much room for anything else," says the designer. "In addition, I wanted to keep the new design consistent with the original 80s D-shape of the house."

To this end, Wilson worked with the existing curved walls of the bathroom, removing the spa and replacing it with a large curved bath. Set directly below the D-ended window, the bath forms a centrepiece in the room.

The integrity of the original walls and ceiling was retained, with vertical elongated tiles being used to carry the white tiling around the curves.

"As the floor was solid concrete, all of the plumbing needed to run above it," says Wilson. "I took this into consideration when redesigning the space. Creating a step up into the bathroom provided another level that made room for and concealed the plumbing."

"Rust-toned tiles highlight this step at the entrance, for safety and as a feature."

Raising the bathroom floor meant that steps up to the tub and shower were no longer needed, freeing up valuable floor space.

After discussion with the owners, the designer replaced the double shower with an open single shower, to increase the impression of space.

His-and-hers vanities are suspended from the walls to give the impression they are floating, with piping concealed within a triangular tile section beneath. Combined with large mirrors, this approach is another way to provide visual space.

Predominantly white tones add airiness and bring a fresh, timeless quality to the room.

Story by: Charles Moxham