Subtle, soft and romantic

Designed by Natalie Du Bois, Du Bois Design

From the designer:

This master bedroom and ensuite bathroom was designed for a couple (parents to two teenage girls).

The entire top floor was reconfigured to provide a separate parents wing. 

The ensuite itself was previously the family bathroom. 

Locations of doors were moved to create a master bedroom which included a living room and gas fireplace, a large walk-in galley style wardrobe accessed two ways, and a private ensuite.

The previous interior felt hard and masculine which didn’t appeal to my homeowners – they wanted a soft and light interior with a contemporary look but still with some traditional elements.

Their biggest request was for me to include an abundance of storage to the ensuite – I needed to design the space with this in mind but also make sure the room was kept light and uncluttered. 

I designed floor to ceiling cabinetry painted in Resene Half Biscotti with slim panel frame details reminiscent of traditional wall wainscoting. 

All cabinetry has push-to-open Blum hardware, making it seem less like cabinetry and more like wall panels. 

I deliberately chose to keep some walls free of tiles and added a tactile plastered finish to these walls to give a softer look to the space. 

A single basin has been replaced by two basins, giving the owners each their own basin to enjoy. 

Frosted windows have been changed to clear windows with shutters in the bathroom, providing lightness and also enabling the couple to look at views of their beautiful garden and still maintain privacy.

For the vanity mirror, I chose a picture frame and had this lacquered to the same colour of the cabinetry. 

The colour Half Biscotti was specified for its fresh, feminine look – the Axor Philip Starke tapware on the other hand is more masculine, this was chosen to provide a more balanced space.

Neolith Estatuario Silk slabs were used vertically within the shower as a full wall and horizontally as the vanity top. 

These design moves provided an easy to clean shower wall with less grout and a user friendly nonporous benchtop for the vanity top – the slabs boast the look of natural marble, but with a much easier upkeep.

Crystal wall and pendant lighting featured in both the ensuite and bedroom are a nod to the Romantic element and also provide a style link between bedroom and bathroom.

The tones move from blush tones in the bathroom to more warm greys and fawns in the bedroom, both equally neutral. 

I sourced a natural marble stone called Matarazzo for my bespoke fireplace surround design and also reintroduced this to the custom made beside table tops.

In the bedroom, I specified a comfortable pair of wingback crushed velvet armchairs – they sit on a charcoal toned Armadillo rug, which makes this area more intimate.

The fireplace provides a focal point as seen from the bed and I designed the surround to be lighter in tone to draw your eye to this. 

The wall itself I wanted to darken and so chose to include Ambitec to this wall but in a darker grey to help hide the dominance of the large television that my owners wanted for this space. 

This cosy soft seated area provides an important space in the master bedroom for husband and wife to enjoy catching up on their day in front of a warm fire, watch the news or movie or even sit for hours reading a good book. 

All windows in the bedroom and master ensuite have white shutters which provide privacy when the blades are tilted and total block out when they are closed. 

The luxurious velvet bed was custom made with silver stud details featuring on the headboard and bed surround base. 

The bed linen is kept neutral with greys and fawn tones – all chosen to further encourage a sense of calm and tranquillity.

Designed by: Du Bois Design

Story by: Trendsideas

Photography by: Sarah Clayton