This master bathroom by Nathan Gornall Design was introduced to a large heritage listed property in Sydney's Killara, improving the home's amenity whilst remaining sensitive to the period of the rest of the home.

Weather House is a bespoke home for a young, nature-loving family on a quintessentially compact Northcote block. Our clients Claire and Brent cherished the character of their century-old worker's cottage but required more considered space and flexibility in their home. Claire and Brent are camping enthusiasts, and in response their house is a love letter to the outdoors: a rich, durable environment infused with the grounded ambience of being in nature. From the street, the dark cladding of the sensitive rear extension echoes the existing cottage!s roofline, becoming a subtle shadow of the original house in both form and tone. As you move through the home, the double-height extension invites the climate and native landscaping inside at every turn. The light-bathed lounge, dining room and kitchen are anchored around, and seamlessly connected to, a versatile outdoor living area. A double-sided fireplace embedded into the house’s rear wall brings warmth and ambience to the lounge, and inspires a campfire atmosphere in the back yard. Championing tactility and durability, the material palette features polished concrete floors, blackbutt timber joinery and concrete brick walls. Peach and sage tones are employed as accents throughout the lower level, and amplified upstairs where sage forms the tonal base for the moody main bedroom. An adjacent private deck creates an additional tether to the outdoors, and houses planters and trellises that will decorate the home’s exterior with greenery. From the tactile and textured finishes of the interior to the surrounding Australian native garden that you just want to touch, the house encapsulates the feeling of being part of the outdoors; like Claire and Brent are camping at home. It is a tribute to Mother Nature, Weather House’s muse.

In Southern California there are pockets of darling cottages built in the early 20th century that we like to call jewelry boxes. They are quaint, full of charm and usually a bit cramped. Our clients have a growing family and needed a modern, functional home. They opted for a renovation that directly addressed their concerns. When we first saw this 2,170 square-foot 3-bedroom beach cottage, the front door opened directly into a staircase and a dead-end hallway. The kitchen was cramped, the living room was claustrophobic and everything felt dark and dated. The big picture items included pitching the living room ceiling to create space and taking down a kitchen wall. We added a French oven and luxury range that the wife had always dreamed about, a custom vent hood, and custom-paneled appliances. We added a downstairs half-bath for guests (entirely designed around its whimsical wallpaper) and converted one of the existing bathrooms into a Jack-and-Jill, connecting the kids’ bedrooms, with double sinks and a closed-off toilet and shower for privacy. In the bathrooms, we added white marble floors and wainscoting. We created storage throughout the home with custom-cabinets, new closets and built-ins, such as bookcases, desks and shelving. White Sands Design/Build furnished the entire cottage mostly with commissioned pieces, including a custom dining table and upholstered chairs. We updated light fixtures and added brass hardware throughout, to create a vintage, bo-ho vibe. The best thing about this cottage is the charming backyard accessory dwelling unit (ADU), designed in the same style as the larger structure. In order to keep the ADU it was necessary to renovate less than 50% of the main home, which took some serious strategy, otherwise the non-conforming ADU would need to be torn out. We renovated the bathroom with white walls and pine flooring, transforming it into a get-away that will grow with the girls.

Andrea Rugg Photography

Chipper Hatter Architectural Photography

A family home planned over two levels with a large open-planned living area on the upper floor. The kitchen and dining area opens to a North facing terrace located on the street frontage, above the garage. The living space connects to the rear garden via a timber deck and wide stairs. A central stair with roof voids and planter beds brings light into the centre of the floor plan and aids in cross ventilation through the home. COMPLETED: JUN 18 / BUILDER: AVG CONSTRUCTIONS / PHOTOS: SIMON WHITBREAD PHOTOGRAPHY

charming guest bathroom with black plumbing, accents, brick floor and sliding glass doors

This sophisticated black and white bath belongs to the clients' teenage son. He requested a masculine design with a warming towel rack and radiant heated flooring. A few gold accents provide contrast against the black cabinets and pair nicely with the matte black plumbing fixtures. A tall linen cabinet provides a handy storage area for towels and toiletries. The focal point of the room is the bold shower accent wall that provides a welcoming surprise when entering the bath from the basement hallway.

The Master Bath needed some updates as it suffered from an out of date, extra large tub, a very small shower and only one sink. Keeping with the Mood, a new larger vanity was added in a beautiful dark green with two sinks and ample drawer space, finished with gold framed mirrors and two glamorous gold leaf sconces. Taking in a small linen closet allowed for more room at the shower which is enclosed by a dramatic black framed door. Also, the old tub was replaced with a new alluring freestanding tub surrounded by beautiful marble tiles in a large format that sits under a deco glam chandelier. All warmed by the use of gold fixtures and hardware.

Mark Lohman

Aubrie Pick Photography

Long subway tiles cover these shower walls offering a glossy look, with small hexagonal tiles lining the shower niche for some detailing. Photos by Chris Veith

Primary bathroom remodel with steel blue double vanity and tower linen cabinet, quartz countertop, petite free-standing soaking tub, custom shower with floating bench and glass doors, herringbone porcelain tile floor, v-groove wall paneling, white ceramic subway tile in shower, and a beautiful color palette of blues, taupes, creams and sparkly chrome. Photo by Regina Mallory Photography