Minimal space, maximum impact

Designed by Anna Klimova, Studio Urbo

From the designer/owner:

Brief:

The original heritage house had a single tiny bathroom in an extended area and this was in deplorable condition.

Says owner/designer, Anna Klimova: "We loved this house and its original features, but we wanted a new extension to be modern, comfortable and fit well with the rest of the house."

As a designer, I like to experiment, and the best way to do so is to experiment with my own home. 

The available space was a constraint. 

My family needed two bathrooms in the main house and an additional shower in the office, as we planned to have three generations living together. 

I wanted to use low-maintenance materials and selected the SpaPanel product for the bathroom walls instead of tiles. 

The panels are waterproofed and can be quickly fixed to a timber frame without additional 'Villaboard' lining. 

Waterproofing is required only for the floor-wall junction. 

Joins between panels are invisible, and the walls look continuous and very solid. 

The best feature of this product is that it repels soap, and, compared to tiles, minimal cleaning is needed.

I designed the main bathroom with a modern freestanding bathtub and custom-made vanity with a floating basin fixed on the steel powder coated frame. 

Two separate drawers work as enclosed storage and open shelves, and a bespoke mirror cabinet is built with the same materials as the vanity. 

I planned the other bathroom, the ensuite, for the older grandparents, with a no steps shower and space for grab rails for the future.

Both bathrooms have natural ventilation and daylighting throughout the long narrow windows. 

Installed floor heating makes the bathrooms warm in winter and we are satisfied with the result. 

Those small bathrooms are convenient for our family. 

We like the darker colours of the walls, and the strip lighting above the bathtub and the shower makes the room cosy at nighttime.

Designed by: Studio Urbo

Story by: Trendsideas

Photography by: Paul Worsley, Live by The Sea