Bathroom concept 0.3
JAPANESE SIMPLICITY
FUTURE-PROOF All bathrooms are a little different depending on who lives in the house – in this case, a young family with the need for a bath (for now but maybe not forever). As such, the most used spaces in the future will be the shower and toilet. My approach to this bathroom layout was partly inspired by Japanese bathrooms where space is usually restricted and wet areas are popular.
BABY BATH I removed the shub (shower over bath) as it’s not always nice having to stand in a bath to have a shower (a bit more slippery, and white baths and grubby feet don’t mix well). To split the bath and shower I rearranged the room, creating a wet area that includes a small bath and a tiled walk-in shower. At first glance, this bath may seem too small but it’s the same size as a Japanese tub and good for either a couple of little ones or a decent adult soak.
DETAILS Instead of a vanity I used a wallmounted basin and Caesarstone concrete shelf – this can be used for toothbrushes and soap or even just a plant and candle. I added an LED strip for extra lighting and interest. I repeated the shelf and LED strip above the bath – extra storage and light are always useful in small spaces.
BUILT-IN BITS Above the basin and toilet I used a partially recessed mirror cabinet. These are great because they provide good storage, keep items out of reach of kids and create an uncluttered feel in a small space. For the toilet, I went with a cistern built into the wall for a minimal look. In-wall cisterns save about 100mm of depth and simplify the space.
ROSE-TINTED I tried to keep costs down to allow for rose gold tapware (although this finish did blow out my budget a little). I kept the room light with a large matte white square mosaic tile on the vanity wall running into the shower area, and a concrete-look tile in medium grey for the floor and remaining walls. I’d blend the colour of grout to tie the two different tiles together. I’ve painted the wall opposite the loo in Resene ‘Soothe’ to add some fun – this is something you could easily change in future.