Mt Eden Bathroom by Sue Gillbanks

The key emotive words from the client when describing what they wanted their new bathroom to evoke were, elegance, tranquility, luxury and escape. They also asked for it to be in keeping the character of the home’s history. Designed and built in 1926, it is designated as a Heritage Home, and one of our main challenges before the design even started was that the existing room was a bedroom (not a bathroom) and that all the walls were either concrete or double brick.

The first task was to divide the bedroom into their new designated spaces, as a bathroom and walk-in wardrobe, so a new wall was introduced. It was a large space, so lent itself to having a full suite of amenities, including a freestanding bathtub, a double vanity, and a large double shower.

To give the shower and bathtub areas prominence, we put them on separate plinths. The shower has a lovely symmetry, starting with the two full-height storage cabinets that flank the space, then the two, floor-mounted, heated towel rails, and finally the twin showers that both have large rain heads and body jets, and an LED strip inserted around the coving in the ceiling.

The double vanity has raised on-bench cabinets, classical under-mounted sinks, an overhead pelmet with excellent lighting, and a mirror that can convert into a TV when required – perfect for viewing from the bathtub.

Some of the exquisite design details include an extensive selection of tapware and glass pulls from Perrin & Rowe, bevelled glass mirror inserts, and floor-to-ceiling large-format marble tiles. This classical theme was then transferred through into the walk-in wardrobe and through to the master bedroom.