The Zen Effect: featured in Kitchens, Bedrooms and Bathrooms magazine
Once considered merely a utilitarian space, the bathroom has evolved into a sanctuary of relaxation and luxury. Our recent Kitchens, Bedrooms and Bathrooms feature showcases our spin on Country Chic. The bathroom is also part of a more extensive transformation that is the core of my entry for the BIID Interior Design Awards, which led to my shortlisting for the Southeastern region.
Redesigning the master bathroom
I was asked to redesign the master bathroom (and two other rooms; see the portfolio page for more information on the whole project) in an Edwardian property in the East Sussex county town of Lewes.
My clients are a couple with two teenage boys and a mischievous spaniel, Woody. They bought the property in 2005 and have since refurbished most of it. But the master suite—their bedroom, dressing room and bathroom—has remained untouched.
My brief was to design the rooms to reflect their personal taste and the gorgeous green hues of the South Downs National Park, while using classic and contemporary elements. They wanted a space that was theirs, a fresh and light modern space that was also in keeping with the house.
Replacing a bathroom from the 90s
The previous bathroom, dating from around 30 years ago, was an exciting challenge. Aside from updating its appearance, its layout meant a lot of wasted space and didn’t flow. Moreover, it ignored the fabulous view of the South Downs. We designed the new bathroom around that view.
I introduced a curved wall to follow the curve of the freestanding bath. It’s the ideal place for a relaxing soak while looking at the view. The bathroom is a wetroom, which can be a real challenge in older houses, where floor movement leads to different floor joist heights.
In Lewes, we had to start again. We first stripped the floor back to the joists and then bolted new timber to the existing wood to get a laser-levelled floor ready for the wetroom former. Another challenging part of the refurbishment was building the curved stud wall that met with the curved ceiling (the skelling).
The Zen Effect
The curved wall was complemented by green meshed bamboo mosaic tiles, resulting in a lustrous yet organic feel. An earthy palette and natural materials continue the relaxing feel in the bath and WC areas, where the vanity unit is oak, and the towel rail is brushed bronze. Matt marble-effect porcelain floor tiles tie together the Zen effect.
We wanted the bathroom to be modern yet have a soft tone throughout. We have achieved everything we set out to do and implemented that same feel throughout the master suite, which you can see in detail in our Portfolio section.
