Room of the Week: From 1970s Horror to Modern Bathroom Beauty
Statement tiles laid in an unusual way are the star of the show in this chic bathroom redesign
Georgia Madden
21 October 2019
In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
Images by Ryan Linnegar
Answers by Maria Roussos, owner of design firm Schemes & Spaces
Who lives here: A couple with two children
Location: Oatley, NSW
Room purpose and size: A 7.5-square-metre bathroom serving the master bedroom and guests in a four-bedroom, two-bathroom 1970s red-brick house
Bathroom budget: $25,000 plus
Interior designer and stylist: Maria Roussos at Schemes & Spaces
Builder: Zero Two Constructions
How did you use Houzz?
The client and I used Houzz in the early stages to create and share ideabooks so we could communicate our ideas for the space.
Answers by Maria Roussos, owner of design firm Schemes & Spaces
Who lives here: A couple with two children
Location: Oatley, NSW
Room purpose and size: A 7.5-square-metre bathroom serving the master bedroom and guests in a four-bedroom, two-bathroom 1970s red-brick house
Bathroom budget: $25,000 plus
Interior designer and stylist: Maria Roussos at Schemes & Spaces
Builder: Zero Two Constructions
How did you use Houzz?
The client and I used Houzz in the early stages to create and share ideabooks so we could communicate our ideas for the space.
Brief
The brief was for some wow factor – this is the main bathroom serving the master bedroom, but it’s also used by guests in the nearby living area. The bathroom needed to be spacious, functional and impressive. There is a second bathroom serving the other three bedrooms downstairs.
What were the client’s must-haves?
The brief was for some wow factor – this is the main bathroom serving the master bedroom, but it’s also used by guests in the nearby living area. The bathroom needed to be spacious, functional and impressive. There is a second bathroom serving the other three bedrooms downstairs.
What were the client’s must-haves?
- A bath tub (freestanding if possible).
- A toilet out of view.
- Wow factor.
How would you describe this project?
The bathroom was part of a full internal renovation of this two-storey 1970s brick home. It involved the reconfiguration of the layout on both levels, a new kitchen and new decor throughout.
What wasn’t working about the original bathroom?
Everything! Think pink tiles and a toilet in full view from the doorway.
The bathroom was part of a full internal renovation of this two-storey 1970s brick home. It involved the reconfiguration of the layout on both levels, a new kitchen and new decor throughout.
What wasn’t working about the original bathroom?
Everything! Think pink tiles and a toilet in full view from the doorway.
Starting point
An idea of a subtle transition or division between the wet and dry parts of the room – which we achieved with the tile layout.
Where did most of the budget go?
On labour and decorative tiles.
An idea of a subtle transition or division between the wet and dry parts of the room – which we achieved with the tile layout.
Where did most of the budget go?
On labour and decorative tiles.
Key design aspects
Colour palette: Pale grey, white and warm timber.
Paint colours: Dulux Natural White was used on the bathroom ceiling, architraves and door.
Materials palette:
Fittings and fixtures:
Colour palette: Pale grey, white and warm timber.
Paint colours: Dulux Natural White was used on the bathroom ceiling, architraves and door.
Materials palette:
- Futura porcelain tiles from Di Lorenzo.
- Vanity finished in Polytec Prime Oak Woodmatt laminate.
- Vanity benchtop in WK Quantum Quartz in Alpine White matt.
Fittings and fixtures:
- Phoenix Vivid Slimline tapware in matt black from Reece.
- Formosa Stone Gloss basin from Reece.
- Milli Pure heated towel bar and hooks from Reece.
- Custom-made mirror.
- Lighting from a local supplier.
What exactly did you do?
Redesigned the layout, changed the direction of the door opening, made the shower space bigger, and designed a custom vanity that matches the joinery in the rest of the house.
Did you retain anything?
The original window.
How did you handle the issue of storage?
Basic storage was needed in this bathroom, which is provided by the wall-hung vanity.
We didn’t want to compromise the spacious feeling of the design. So, to provide extra space to store make-up and a hair dryer, and another spot to get ready, we added a small dressing-table area with drawers and a mirrored wall in the walk-in-wardrobe in the master bedroom.
Redesigned the layout, changed the direction of the door opening, made the shower space bigger, and designed a custom vanity that matches the joinery in the rest of the house.
Did you retain anything?
The original window.
How did you handle the issue of storage?
Basic storage was needed in this bathroom, which is provided by the wall-hung vanity.
We didn’t want to compromise the spacious feeling of the design. So, to provide extra space to store make-up and a hair dryer, and another spot to get ready, we added a small dressing-table area with drawers and a mirrored wall in the walk-in-wardrobe in the master bedroom.
Challenges you worked around
Laying the tiles in the desired pattern. There is only one decorative tile and one plain one, but you can create many different patterns by turning the two-tone tile 90 or 180 degrees. It was a very time-consuming job for the tiler but totally worth the effort.
Why do you think this space works so well?
It has a generous, open shower and the ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ parts of the room are cleverly delineated by the tile layout (the patterned-tile area contains the ‘wet’ elements such as the bathtub and shower, while the plain, white-tiled area houses the vanity and toilet in the ‘dry’ zone).
Your turn
Do you love this bathroom as much as we do? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great renovation ideas? Take a look at last week’s Room of the Week: A Pale and Interesting New-Build Kitchen
Laying the tiles in the desired pattern. There is only one decorative tile and one plain one, but you can create many different patterns by turning the two-tone tile 90 or 180 degrees. It was a very time-consuming job for the tiler but totally worth the effort.
Why do you think this space works so well?
It has a generous, open shower and the ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ parts of the room are cleverly delineated by the tile layout (the patterned-tile area contains the ‘wet’ elements such as the bathtub and shower, while the plain, white-tiled area houses the vanity and toilet in the ‘dry’ zone).
Your turn
Do you love this bathroom as much as we do? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great renovation ideas? Take a look at last week’s Room of the Week: A Pale and Interesting New-Build Kitchen
What are you working on?
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If you have the space, work out how far the water splashes and tile the area. We have a long tiled shower and it still splashes a bit but prefer that to a shower door.
Not having a shower door is a practical thing from the standpoint of accessibility.. When I have pain flare ups with my back and legs manoeuvring a shower chair in and out is hard enough without having to compete with a shower door..
We have 2 doorless showers that work successfully.
The master shower measures 1400 x 885 with a 600 opening on the long side, we have a standard centrally placed drain 220mm off the short wall. A small amount of water splashes out, its not a problem we just clean the area with the bath mat after a shower even then the mat isn't left sopping wet.
If we had made the shower in the master bathroom deeper we would probably not have any splash out the door way but we accommodated a fantastic storage cupboard.
It is important to clear the drain regularly.
Absolutely love not having a shower door, it gives you freedom to have a quick shower. Memories come back of struggling with those 3 panels, pushing them back, quite regularly they'd come off the rails, cleaning the gunk off them that catches in the many corners and groves, YUK!