FORM MEETS FUNCTION

Mid-century and Japanese details influence this design.

Describe the project in three lines. Our house is a mid-century farm house on a former pumpkin farm We are gradually renovating the interior to suit our family’s needs, but we always bring our choices back to the home’s roots In the bathrooms, we started with the idea of them being fully tiled which, in turn, meant a reduced palette both in materials and colours

Tell us about the aesthetic. The architecture of the house is mid-century with some original Japanese details such as shoji-screen doors It made sense to continue with this aesthetic approach in the bathrooms

Mirrors have been kept very minimal, or hidden, in both bathrooms. Was this a deliberate move? Oh yes I’m not a fan of huge mirrors everywhere so they are either small or hidden within cabinetry

There’s extensive use of the classic American Heath Ceramics tiles. What is it about the tiles that you like so much? Heath Ceramics tiles are handmade and the variation in size and glaze brings life to the surfaces We think it’s important to support this sort of industry and Heath Ceramics are a pleasure to deal with They also offer a bullnose edge to the end tiles – which is really old-school and such a beautiful detail – so that no metal trims are required

The tiled surfaces are broken only by a little timber. How important was this continuity of material? Almost all of the new cabinetry in the house is iroko, a sustainable hardwood from South America It made sense to continue this in the bathrooms, not only for a sense of the larger interior scope but also for the durability of the cabinetry

What were the challenges in creating the tiled bath and basins? It took a lot of planning Stephanie, from my studio, drew every tile’s placement but we are glad that we persevered Luckily, we also had excellent tilers who were excited by the job and went the extra mile, and a great builder who took the time with his framing to get everything right from the start