Stone-look tiles and a wall-mounted gas fire give this ensuite a welcoming feel

No stone was left unturned in this crisp bathroom makeover, where existing pink marble wall finishes and low, oppressively heavy ceiling crowns were removed before designer Heather Fuchs could begin afresh.

The owner travels a lot and wanted the reinvented bathroom to have a tranquil, peaceful aesthetic, says the designer.

"As winters can be harsh here, the flickering appeal and tactile warmth of a gas fire provided a perfect leading feature," Fuchs says. "The dimmable fire, set behind glass, can change in colour from blue to red too and is set into a built-out wall of quartzite tile adding to the natural, pampering feel."

The wall not only conceals the fire's workings, it also provided opportunity to add a shelf for the odd glass of bubbly.

In the adjacent corner, a combined tub and shower was removed and replaced with a contemporary walk-in shower with a sloping floor and concealed drain. The glass door of the shower rolls to one side on an attractive, chunky glide mechanism.

Two single vanities were chosen over a single vanity, two basin configuration. These are cantilevered to enhance the bathroom's feeling of space, and have efficient, compartmentalised interiors, while the mirrors above each are edged in LEDs.

"The natural aesthetic is continued in the use of textured, wood-look tiles on the floors and walls, and also to line the shower," says the designer. "These tiles are in different sizes and configurations, depending on their position the floor tiles, for example, are randomly laid for an even more rustic, naturalistic flavour."

Story by: Charles Moxham

Photography by: Geoff Gurevich