MATT MAGIC
Inspired by earthy details, a gorgeous bathroom makeover goes well beyond the pale
When it was time to choose the palette for their new bathroom, Melbourne homeowners Pam and Bert knew one thing – pale and shiny was not on their radar. Instead, the couple – parents to son Xander, six, and daughter Alannah, five – took a leap of faith into the dark. “They’re just not white-bathroom people,” says the bathroom’s designer, Carmel Wylie of GIA Bathrooms & Kitchens.
The couple’s ensuite, last updated 15 years earlier, was ripe for a face lift. “There was very little storage, an odd-shaped spa bath that didn’t work and a toilet that was right next to the door,” says Pam. “We really wanted a double basin and a bath, as we have young kids, and for the toilet to be situated well away from the door.”
Carmel’s carefully thought-out design ticked all the boxes. However, it’s her masterful mix of colours – exquisitely dark features, a stunning teal-tiled feature wall – and organic materials that give the ensuite its wow-factor. “People rarely opt for dark bathrooms, but they can be so relaxing and the ideal space for downtime at the end of the day,” says Carmel, who also selected concrete-look fixtures, timber touches and matt black tapware.
Not surprisingly, Pam and Bert are thrilled with the transformation. “We absolutely love it,” says Pam. “It’s our own little oasis.”
WONDER WALL
The striking blue-tiled wall (opposite & right) introduces much more than an enchanting burst of colour to Pam and Bert’s ensuite. “It serves three key purposes – privacy for the shower, space for storage recesses on either side, and it also means you don’t have to have a shower screen,” says Carmel.