Glass mosaic surfaces give a refined look in these two renovated bathrooms

Turning down the tonal contrast in a design can sometimes be as effective as turning it up shifting the emphasis towards form and texture.

For this ensuite and similar main bathroom in a period home, the owner wanted an elegant, dignified aesthetic in keeping with the look of the residence rather than something that's hot right now', says designer Kirsten Stanisich.

"As this project was for a mature owner, we also wanted the bathrooms to be easy to enter and to be safe underfoot and the choice of glass mosaic tiles addressed these needs."

Flowing over the floor, main walls and nib walls, the handmade tiles create a continuous, seamless finish. Stanisich specified the tilework in a restrained palette of soft greys.

"I also introduced dado stripes of contrasting white or grey, for definition," she says. "The bathrooms' quiet tones allow the texture of the tiles and curves of the privacy walls, vanity foots, countertops, and mirrors to lead the eye."

Even with the intricately laid tiles aside, the bathroom reflects a wealth of subtle detail.

The vanities in both bathrooms are finished in honed carrara marble and a contrasting silver gum veneer. The stone features on the dividers between the cabinet cupboards and drawers a delicate undertaking in itself as well as on the softly curving countertops and footers. And the rounded nib wall countertops are also in the same richly veined stone, as are the fixings that support the glass dividing panels.

"We also ran the wood veneer on the vanities in two directions for interest," Stanisich says.

Together with their sedate, welcoming decor, the two bathrooms offer easy functionality. For instance, the ensuite has twin vanity mirrors one is fixed while the other opens to a cabinet, providing an angled reflection at the same time.

Story by: Charles Moxham

Photography by: Anson Smart