Outside in

Indoor-outdoor flow is something we have come to expect in residential design. But it's usually the family and living rooms and maybe bedrooms that open up to the outdoors. Bathrooms may benefit from natural light, but they are more often internal spaces.

However, it doesn't have to be this way, as this project shows. Although an intimate space, this master bathroom suite throws open its doors to a beautiful native forest outlook.

Designer Chris Tullett of Zimmermann Bathrooms says the classic, post-1945 house is nestled alongside a park. Several other rooms open onto a long balcony that overlooks the trees.

"It made sense to extend this connection to the bathroom by opening a section of the existing solid wall and installing a wood-framed glass door," he says. "This was a way to allow nature to be a part of the room."

Tullett says the layout of the room was designed to borrow a glimpse of the view from just about every angle. Other factors determining the design were the owners' desire for a simple, practical bathroom.

"While they wanted a contemporary style, it needed to have classical overtones so that it would sympathize with the style of the house."

Other specific requirements were dual showers and basins, good lighting and heating, and a co-ordinating toilet and bidet. Tullett says the owners were also adamant they didn't want showers with glass screens.

"The design takes its cue from nature," he says. "Both the curved lines and the choice of materials were influenced by the surrounding parkland. The wood vanity and shower seat, for example, were made from Sydney blue gum, which is native to the area."

A large, curved, freestanding wall provides a strong visual accent, and separates the vanity and shower areas. The vanity unit follows the curves of the wall and serves as a focal point. The mirrors and lighting add a theatrical touch.

"The downlights are designed both for practicality and to create an inviting ambiance," says Tullett.

Natural, honed Calacutta stone vessels and a matching stone vanity top add a crisp look to the room. This stone is also used on the ledge above the toilet and bidet.

On the opposite side of the freestanding wall, the shower operates as a wet room doing away with the need for glass screens. Cutouts in the tiled wall provide his-and-hers niches for soaps and accessories. Similar niches are a feature of the wall opposite the vanity.

To complement the color of the Calacutta stone and the light-gray wall tiles, ceramic floor tiles feature a mottled pattern in varying shades of white and gray.

"The wall and floor tiles combine the practical benefits of ceramic tiles, with the look and texture of natural stone," says Tullett. "The end result is a bathroom that is simultaneously simple almost minimal yet also warm and inviting."

Story by: Trendsideas