Inside and out

Bathrooms typically have an internal focus, being the most private rooms in the house. But, as this project shows, when privacy is not an issue, there's a lot more scope for forging an intimate link with the outdoors.

Architect Nils Finne of Finne Architects was contracted to redesign the 1950s house, which sits on a densely wooded property. Because the trees provide plenty of privacy, Finne says there was an ideal opportunity to explore a theme of transparency, both through the house and to the outdoors.

"In positioning the bathroom within a fully glazed room it seemed like we were returning the bathroom to its natural state. Whether you are in the shower or at the vanity, the feeling is of bathing outdoors."

Finne says that as well as introducing fully glazed walls, he rearranged the rooms, and added a sliding glass door between the master bedroom and bathroom. A subtle patterning on the door provides some screening without losing the sense of transparency.

For uniformity, the cherry wood vanity continues the style of the kitchen cabinets. Custom CNC-routed cabinet panels reminiscent of woven wood add a strong textural element and are another visual link with the trees beyond. Steel-framed mirrors suspended in front of the windows, and the freestanding bathtub heighten the sensation of being part of the outdoors.

The link with nature is further enhanced by the fossilized French limestone vanity tops and flooring. To add a little sparkle, there are narrow strips of glass tiles in both the floor and the tiled shower walls.

"I also mixed matte and gloss wall tiles in complementary tones to create an intense abstract pattern," says Finne. "It's a jazzy element that offsets the softer harmony of the material palette in the rest of the room."

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: Ben Benschneider