Design details in addition complement those in original 1920s home

Houses built in the 1920s in the Arts and Crafts style have a unique heritage character.

So it's not surprising that most homeowners seek to retain this point of difference when renovating, which is exactly what the owner of this house did.

Architect Mona Quinn of Callidus Architects was commissioned to design an extension to the house, which added a new two-storey wing. Part of the upper level was given over to a new master suite, with the bathroom tucked beneath the gabled roof.

"It was essential that the new wing look like a seamless part of the original house," the architect says. "So a lot of the finishes and colours, including the high gloss black vanity, echo other areas of the house. The owner said he wanted square-edged mouldings and architraves, which work well with the Arts and Crafts style."

The square-edged look is also picked up in contemporary fixtures, helping to link the new with the old.

One of the most distinctive features of the bathroom is the extensive use of Bisazza mosaic tiles. The pattern was designed for the room and the tiles were specially imported.

"The tiles reflect a colour gradation, being darker at the bottom and lighter at the top," says Quinn. "They are in varying shades of brown, black and silver, which picks up the light and gives them a reflective quality. They also give the room a slightly masculine look that is appropriate."

The black high-gloss vanity, white basin and charcoal floor tiles further complement the monochromatic palette.

The architect says she wanted the space to read as a fusion of elements, rather than a collection of entirely separate, unrelated items.

"For example, the tiled walls of the bathroom just happen to create the wet area for the shower. And a long oak veneer wall cabinet just happens to support the toilet. So the entire unit reads as a single piece of furniture. Everything is tied together."

The storage cabinet runs along the wall above a freestanding Kohler bathtub that sits at right angles to the wall, in front of a glass door.

"The door can be opened to provide good cross ventilation through the suite," says Quinn. "There is also a pleasant view from the tub."

Story by: New Zealand TIDA Bathrooms

Photography by: Steve Alshop