Renovation totally opens up new bathroom to the dressing room and bedroom, with views beyond
Architect Stefan Antoni turns a 1970s horror of a master suite into an open-plan space that’s become an everyday pleasure to use
When architect Stefan Antoni bought the home featured here, he was attracted by its Modernist architecture, inspired by two iconic houses – Philip Johnson’s 1949 Glass House and Mies van der Rohe’s 1951 Farnsworth House.
What was less than impressive, though, was the poor state of some of the interiors – none more so than the master suite.
“The original master suite was a horror, with separate bedroom, dressing room and bathroom, all linked by small passages,” says Antoni.
“The home’s original dark brown quarry tiles had been removed from the floors and replaced with ugly blue-grey porcelain, and the vanity was awful.”
First on the list was to take down the walls, which combined the three separate spaces into one open-plan area.
“That meant that from the bathroom you now look right through the bedroom to lovely views, while the bathroom can also open up to the back garden in the other direction.”
Placing the dressing room in the middle provides an ideal transition between the bathroom and bedroom.
“The reconfigured space now feels so much more generous,” says Antoni.
Despite the open plan nature, the three areas are still very clearly defined, helped by the decision to raise the bathroom floor up one step.
Adding to the demarcation is the change to travertine-look tiles on the floor of the bathroom platform, with the same tiles also used on the vanity splashback, the wall behind the bath tub and in the shower.
“So when in the bathroom, you feel you are definitely in another space, yet still feel part of the overall experience.”
While the toilet sits behind a nib wall to give some degree of privacy, the bath, vanity and – to some extent – the shower are open to the rest of the suite.
“It may sound a bit clichéd, but every time I go into that space, it feels like I’m on holiday at some beautiful resort,” says Antoni. “And having the connections to views on both sides gives it a tranquil, Zen-like feel.”