Our recent project in De Beauvoir, Hackney's bathroom. Solid cast concrete sink, marble floors and polished concrete walls. Photo: Ben Waterhouse

James Balston

Rodano Acero - Available at Ceramo Tiles The Rodano range is an excellent alternative to concrete, replicating the design and etchings of raw cement, available in wall and floor.

This bathroom was designed for specifically for my clients’ overnight guests. My clients felt their previous bathroom was too light and sparse looking and asked for a more intimate and moodier look. The mirror, tapware and bathroom fixtures have all been chosen for their soft gradual curves which create a flow on effect to each other, even the tiles were chosen for their flowy patterns. The smoked bronze lighting, door hardware, including doorstops were specified to work with the gun metal tapware. A 2-metre row of deep storage drawers’ float above the floor, these are stained in a custom inky blue colour – the interiors are done in Indian Ink Melamine. The existing entrance door has also been stained in the same dark blue timber stain to give a continuous and purposeful look to the room. A moody and textural material pallet was specified, this made up of dark burnished metal look porcelain tiles, a lighter grey rock salt porcelain tile which were specified to flow from the hallway into the bathroom and up the back wall. A wall has been designed to divide the toilet and the vanity and create a more private area for the toilet so its dominance in the room is minimised - the focal areas are the large shower at the end of the room bath and vanity. The freestanding bath has its own tumbled natural limestone stone wall with a long-recessed shelving niche behind the bath - smooth tiles for the internal surrounds which are mitred to the rough outer tiles all carefully planned to ensure the best and most practical solution was achieved. The vanity top is also a feature element, made in Bengal black stone with specially designed grooves creating a rock edge.

The Redfern project - Main Bathroom! Using our Stirling terrazzo look tile in grey paired with the Riverton matt subway in grey

photos by Pedro Marti This large light-filled open loft in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City was purchased by a growing family to make into their family home. The loft, previously a lighting showroom, had been converted for residential use with the standard amenities but was entirely open and therefore needed to be reconfigured. One of the best attributes of this particular loft is its extremely large windows situated on all four sides due to the locations of neighboring buildings. This unusual condition allowed much of the rear of the space to be divided into 3 bedrooms/3 bathrooms, all of which had ample windows. The kitchen and the utilities were moved to the center of the space as they did not require as much natural lighting, leaving the entire front of the loft as an open dining/living area. The overall space was given a more modern feel while emphasizing it’s industrial character. The original tin ceiling was preserved throughout the loft with all new lighting run in orderly conduit beneath it, much of which is exposed light bulbs. In a play on the ceiling material the main wall opposite the kitchen was clad in unfinished, distressed tin panels creating a focal point in the home. Traditional baseboards and door casings were thrown out in lieu of blackened steel angle throughout the loft. Blackened steel was also used in combination with glass panels to create an enclosure for the office at the end of the main corridor; this allowed the light from the large window in the office to pass though while creating a private yet open space to work. The master suite features a large open bath with a sculptural freestanding tub all clad in a serene beige tile that has the feel of concrete. The kids bath is a fun play of large cobalt blue hexagon tile on the floor and rear wall of the tub juxtaposed with a bright white subway tile on the remaining walls. The kitchen features a long wall of floor to ceiling white and navy cabinetry with an adjacent 15 foot island of which half is a table for casual dining. Other interesting features of the loft are the industrial ladder up to the small elevated play area in the living room, the navy cabinetry and antique mirror clad dining niche, and the wallpapered powder room with antique mirror and blackened steel accessories.

Bad im Unique Cube

Ryan Garvin Photography

Peter Molick

Photography by Eduard Hueber / archphoto North and south exposures in this 3000 square foot loft in Tribeca allowed us to line the south facing wall with two guest bedrooms and a 900 sf master suite. The trapezoid shaped plan creates an exaggerated perspective as one looks through the main living space space to the kitchen. The ceilings and columns are stripped to bring the industrial space back to its most elemental state. The blackened steel canopy and blackened steel doors were designed to complement the raw wood and wrought iron columns of the stripped space. Salvaged materials such as reclaimed barn wood for the counters and reclaimed marble slabs in the master bathroom were used to enhance the industrial feel of the space.

by Manolo Langis

Shower, sink, mirrors & bath - Tin Shed House by Ironbark Architecture + Design PHOTO CREDIT: Ben Guthrie https://www.theguthrieproject.com/