Child’s play Family zone
A SPACE WHERE LITTLE ONES CAN SPLASH TO THEIR HEARTS’ CONTENT, THIS BATHROOM IS SUPREMELY FAMILY FRIENDLY
Design enthusiast Maddie doesn’t shy away from a challenge. When she and her husband Mark bought their home in inner-city Melbourne two years ago, the couple and their four young children took up residence in a garden studio while the interior was gutted and renovated. Having completed a BuildHer design course, Maddie was armed with inspiration and took charge of the complete re-fit, intent on creating a stylish home on a limited budget. An important zone to nail was one of the busiest – a bathroom for Gigi, Milo, Junie and Luie, who are aged from three to eight.
“It had to be robust, incredibly functional and cohesive with the rest of the interior, which is a little eclectic and features pops of pink,” says Maddie. Two non-negotiables were the stunning pink Pavlova terrazzo floor tiles and a child-friendly inset bathtub. “For every other finish and fixture I had a ‘high-low’ plan,” she says. “If I started going over budget, I reined it in with a more cost-effective solution.” Engaging Rachel Collard of BuildHer to redesign the home’s floor plan, space was pinched from a bedroom to carve out the 2m x 4.1m bathroom. A new window was installed to amplify light and, to complement the pink-toned terrazzo floor, the palette was layered with timber, brushed brass and mosaics in subtle hues. “It was tough all living together in a little studio while the whole house was renovated, but I kept telling myself, ‘It’s only temporary’ – and now it’s complete we’ve got a home we absolutely love,” says Maddie.
beautiful “BATH TIME IS HECTIC, BUT THIS IS NOW A SPACE FOR THE KIDS TO SPLASH AROUND IN” ~ MADDIE, HOMEOWNER