Hide and chic
The fine art of playing up the relevant and downplaying the functional-but-mundane – here, a laundry/ powder/everything room accentuates the positive
Designed by Natalie Du Bois, Du Bois Design
From the designer:
- The brief for this multi-function room was to hide the utilitarian aspect of the laundry and make it look more like a luxury powder room.
- This design proved full of challenges, not only did I need to disguise the fact it was used as a laundry, but also had to hide an extremely large hot water cylinder, a central hub for the under-floor heating, an electrical switch board and alarm box.
- The owners didn’t want to remove their existing stone flooring as this flowed through the entire ground floor.
- The vanity is purposefully designed to the floor to hide the original floor's missing tiles.
- I stacked the washer and dryer and hid them behind cabinetry doors – the other units are all covered with doors – the cabinetry items that are not deep are stepped back to create more room.
- I wanted to give my homeowners something they may have experienced while visiting a bathroom at a 5-star restaurant – to add a touch of luxury, I specified a solid stone basin with the tap extending from the ceiling, this combined with the tumbled limestone tiles, the rock edge stone benchtop and wire brushed timber cabinetry all being quality natural materials.
- I suggested the functional laundry tub be relocated to the garage directly outside the doorway leading to the garage.
- Being a windowless room with no natural light, I decided to emphasise the drama with lighting – LED strip lighting washes the sides of the mirror while angled ceiling spots highlight textures and sculptural elements.
Credit list
Hardware/accessories/details
Blum hinges with Blumotion stainless steel Legrabox; switches – PDL Iconic Styl in Silver Shadow; door hardware, accessories and lighting – all Buster and Punch, Gun Metal and Smoked Bronze
Tapware and accessories
Fantini
Basin
Stone basin, from CDK Stone
Washer and dryer
Miele
Cabinetry
Bespoke designed by Du Bois Design – Prime art veneer American Oak, planked and sawn; carcasses in Prime Melamine, Carbon Embossed; mirror – custom designed with LED recessed to sides
Benchtops
Bengal Black, flamed and brushed, with rock edging smoothed off
Tiles
Split face tumbled limestone; Sensi mini mosaics; existing travertine floor tiles
Toilet
Catalano
Paint
Ceilings – Resene ¼ Rice Cake; door trims – Resene Metallic Extraterrestrial
23 Apr, 2023
Home kitchen bathroom commercial design
Flair and functionality
09 Feb, 2025
Downsizing in your own backyard
09 Feb, 2025
Familiar yet dramatically different
09 Feb, 2025