ROOM WITH A VIEW

This bathroom’s rustic tones and sweet curves mirror the surrounding landscape

The window brings the SPECTACULAR view inside and, with it, that feeling of being part of nature – LESLEY

Alittle over a year-and-a-half ago, Lesley, her partner Richard and their son, Rory, now 11, and daughter, Isla, now eight, were living in what Lesley calls a “half-house” on their property, an hour’s drive south of Melbourne, while their new-build dream home took shape nearby.

Today, life is a little different. Take the dramatic ensuite, that Lesley says is a room that “visitors walk into and remember”.

It’s little wonder. Continuing the natural vibe and raw textures seen throughout the rest of the home, the ensuite, designed with architect Rod Hannah & Associates, is a showcase of style and warmth, with barely a smidgen of white in sight.

“I don’t like white in a house,” says Lesley. “I just don’t get a good feeling from it. I love the depths of black, especially black with timber – it gives it a great atmosphere.”

So it’s no surprise that timber plays a strong supporting role in this bathroom, but the Apaiser bath is the clear headline act of this highly acclaimed romance. “The main starting point was to get that bath,” says Lesley, who chose all the finishes. “I’d seen it in magazines for so long and thought it was amazing. The colour and texture and peppery bits in it are just gorgeous.”

As is the phenomenal view out to gum trees. “Every time I come in here, I feel relaxed and think, ‘This really is special’,” says the mother-of-two. “It’s just a lovely room to be in.”

CHARMING TONES

The custom-made timber vanity by Woodland Joinery (top left) is topped with a Dekton natural stone benchtop in Sirius from European Marble Centre in Melbourne, to match Lesley’s preferred palette. Twin Apaiser ‘Sublime’ 600mm stone basins in Snowdrift provide space and cosy, textural appeal. “I wanted to use lots of natural, organic colours and materials, including timber and stone,” explains Lesley.

FABULOUS FINISHES

Rustic matt ‘Coastal Grain’ 600mm x 600mm wall tiles from Lifestiles Design Studio line the shower (above). They are contemporarily matched with the requisite black powder-coated Phoenix ‘Vivid’ rail shower (try Bathroomware House), which is also available in chrome and brushed nickel. Of her knack for blending tones, Lesley says,

“My inspiration came from years of perusing home magazines and creating Pinterest boards, which helped me identify my style.”

BATHING BEAUTY Loveliness fills the country Victorian ensuite of homeowner Lesley and her partner, Richard. A timber vanity contrasts beautifully with walls painted in Dulux Ghosting (above), while an alluring wall divider clad in pre-primed Ezitrim...

BACK TO BLACK “I like black as a colour and wanted lots of it in the house,” says Lesley of her chosen palette. She selected black tapware and finishes where she could, and powder-coated them black where she couldn’t. If you prefer the former, try the...