Sea glass and stone

Taking cues from the original European architecture of this St Heliers home, Jamie Durrant of Durrant Design has undertaken an entire interior makeover that brings this outdated home into the contemporary era.  

Drawing upon earthy colours, natural elements and organic forms – characteristics that feature prominently in many European interiors, Jamie let the original style of the home guide her throughout the design process.

One of the first spaces to be completed was the ensuite – a space where the existing interior finishing had worked against the architectural form of the room, instead of harmoniously embracing and enhancing it. 

The ceiling has a curved drop which should have been an interesting feature, but due to the existing tiles and colour scheme, this had made the ensuite feel 'disoriented and small'.

The room was completely gutted with only minor changes made to the room's structure – the most significant being the removal of the shower alcove that had encroached into the bedroom on the other side of the wall. 

This enabled a larger wardrobe to be created behind the ensuite, and streamlined the space by allowing the vanity and shower to be aligned along the same wall. 

The existing bath was removed and replaced with a wall to wall shower, with the overall effect being a physically smaller ensuite that actually feels larger and more cohesive.

Tile selections from The Tile Depot and new bathroomware and fittings, completed the room's transformation. 

“When selecting the products, I wanted our homeowners to feel like they were stepping into a 5-star resort – it needed to be luxurious and boast quality,” says Durrant.

Two tiles were chosen to achieve this new aesthetic and both drew upon those original influences of earthy colours and organic forms while capturing that high-end feel.  

Travertition Light Grey, a 600x600mm porcelain, is a realistic interpretation of a light grey travertine stone. 

The somewhat romantic and whimsical tile was laid across the entire floor, into the walk-in shower and then up the walls to the ceiling.  

“Taking the large Travertition tiles up to the ceiling created height and now highlights the curved ceiling as a beautiful detail,” the designer says.

For the vanity shower wall, the Tribeca Seaglass Mint subway tile was selected – this is a soft sea-foam tile with a high gloss finish and vintage edge treatment, giving it a distinctly organic character. 

Also laid up to the ceiling, in a vertical running bond pattern, the Tribeca tiles flow seamlessly into the shower, creating a beautiful accent wall that both contrasts and complements the natural characteristics of the Travertition tile. 

“The Tribeca Seaglass tiles by Tile Depot had the soft colour palette that I was aiming for," says Durrant. "The rippled texture creates an appealing contrast against the smooth Travertition tiles on the floor and other walls.” 

Clever lighting details along the Tribeca wall – including within the shower niche, the backlit mirrors and a vertical corner strip – add further dimension to the Tribeca wall and play with the high gloss undulating surface, reflecting light and adding a sense of movement.  

"I love how the back-lit mirrors and LED in the shower niche further shows off this gorgeous texture," says Durrant.

A wall-hung washed oak solid timber vanity by Newtech injects just the right amount of warmth and the arched mirrors and round basins speak to the curved ceiling, tying all the elements together. 

Brushed nickle tapware by ABI Interiors works with the grey tones in the mirrors and the Tribeca tile edges, completing the overall cohesiveness within the space.  

The transition from a new Bremworth wool carpet in the bedroom to the Travertition tiles in the ensuite is effortless – creating a beautiful flow between the spaces.

Durrant Design has created a cohesive and elegant ensuite that feels spacious and luxurious. 

Quality materials together with great design and craftsmanship have resulted in a beautiful ensuite that could feature in any 5-star resort. 

High-gloss finishes and natural stone designs are intrinsically linked with a sense of luxury and this reinvented ensuite has captured that aesthetic, resulting in a contemporary yet timeless space.

Story by: Trendsideas

Photography by: MjS Visuals