Finely balanced

This soft-toned, luxurious master bathroom is the result of a collaboration between designers Kristen Basra (Spatial Studio) and Emma Kate Bamford (EKB Design), as part of an extensive internal renovation of a 1960s bungalow-style home in Auckland. Their clients, a couple with two young daughters, wanted to create a parents’ retreat in the roof space. “The project was driven by one of the owners,” says Kristen. “She loves white and asked for clean, straight lines and a minimal look, but nothing too harsh.”

The designers created a subtle fusion between contemporary and classic design, with rounded classical details and the softness of marble contrasting with the sharp, clean lines of the vanity and bathtub.

The secret to the look lies in creating layers, Kristen explains. “On the floor we laid a traditional marble mosaic in a delicate woven pattern, which grounds the room. This was layered with a sleeklined, his-and-hers vanity that is cantilevered from the wall. On top of the vanity unit we placed two semi-traditional sinks – something a little different that would break up the sharp, contemporary lines of the vanity beneath.”

The introduction of the brush-finished, aged-brass tapware also brought a more traditional feel to this space, so that it didn’t look too clean and modern. A matching pair of brass-rimmed, round mirrors ties in perfectly.

The walls are tiled in the same marble as the floor – it’s Alarti, part of the Carrara family of marble, says the designer. “Its subtle veins are like clouds softening the whole space.”