CONFIDENCE TRICK A striking design in modern monochrome
CLEVER CONTRASTS ARE KEY TO THIS STRIKING YET RELAXING SCHEME
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Asked to create a luxurious en suite for the main bedroom of an early Victorian house, C.P. Hart designer Stefania Marino was inspired by her clients’ choice of tile. ‘They brought me an image of an eyecatching black and white hexagonal design. It sparked the idea for a bold monochrome scheme, which would also make the most of the original black cast-iron fireplace,’ she recalls of the project in south London.
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With a bath in the centre of the space, no shower, and a vanity unit and WC tucked into one corner, Stefania was asked to rethink the layout to include a shower in the room. Moving the entrance door allowed her to position a large 1,500x900mm enclosure in its place, with a Crittall-style matt black frame chosen to introduce industrial style. A niche provides a shelf for shampoos, and a wall-mounted multifunction showerhead offers rainfall spray and waterfall cascade for spa-like luxury. 3 ‘To soften the scheme, the freestanding composite stone bath has a gently curved shape,’ says Stefania, who placed it in front of the floor-toceiling windows: ‘I wanted my clients to be able to lie back and see the green of the garden, and the sky.’ It is set on hexagonal marble-effect tiles, chosen for their subtle interest and used throughout, including on the shower floor, to boost the sense of space.
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A bespoke double basin vanity unit, designed by Stefania, is positioned centrally along the wall opposite the shower and bath. It is topped in Statuario Bianco marble for elegance and to temper the drama of the splashback tiles, above plenty of storage in painted cupboards below. Rectangular pendant lights hang in front of a large wall mirror, their black finish echoing that of the shower enclosure and towel warmers. 5 ‘The taps and shower fittings are finished in polished chrome to balance the matt black elements in the scheme,’ says Stefania of the Italian-designed Gessi Eleganza range. ‘I wanted to contrast the modern industrial look with a little glamour and elegance to make the room unique.’ →