Four expert designers share tips on creating the ultimage bathroom renovation.
Four interior design experts reveal the critical design elements to consider for any bathroom renovation to help renovators achieve their goal of a luxurious yet functional bathroom retreat for their home or potential buyers.
Jess Hunter, Jess Hunter Interior Design
About Jess: A lifelong lover of colour and beautiful detail, interior design was a natural progression for Jess. A busy Mum of four, Jess has been designing homes across the Southern Highlands, Sydney and the South Coast for the last 12 years.
QUOTE: ‘I feel a huge sense of achievement at the end of a project. Sometimes working years with clients on their builds, from lines on a piece of paper to finally seeing them living in their home and loving every moment. I have to say seeing my ‘Number Sixteen’ Project in Inside Out Magazine was incredibly humbling.’
What trends do you see for bathroom design?
‘We see many simple design styles with clean seamless lines and the organic movement in the material choices. Stone surfaces are making a comeback in bathrooms, being a strong component of the natural material element of design.’
What are the must-haves for functional bathroom designs?
‘Storage! Whether it’s in the bathroom vanity, a shaving cabinet or storage for the shower itself, so shampoo bottles don’t end up on the ground, it’s essential to have storage in a bathroom. When it comes to the shower, I prefer a shower shelf over a built-in niche.’
What’s your favourite tip for bathroom design?
‘Make sure you get the layout right and, wherever possible, integrate concealed storage. For example, using recessed shaving cabinets ensures you are not taking up any additional space from the room; centimetres count when it comes to creating a functional bathroom design.’
Fred Mannah, Master Bathrooms & Kitchens
About Fred: Fred owns and operates Master Bathrooms and Kitchens in Sydney. He has been designing and renovating bathrooms, kitchens and laundries for over 30 years.
QUOTE: ‘There’s nothing like redesigning and renovating a complete home to create a timeless and cohesive interior design.’
What trends do you see for bathroom design?
‘Natural elements such as marble and timber are very on-trend at the moment, and for a good reason. They’re genuinely timeless and exude luxury, creating a spa-like oasis in the comfort of your home.‘
‘Faux marble tiles and engineered stone, such as the range from Caesarstone, perfectly mimic natural stone and do not require special cleaning or maintenance, unlike their natural counterparts.’
What are the must-haves for functional bathroom designs?
‘There are so many elements to consider, like positioning the toilet suite discreetly from view upon entering the bathroom.’
‘Bathrooms are often small, so enhancing the sense of space with light or a lighter colour palette is important. Increasing the window size or, even better, installing an openable skylight will completely transform a bathroom design and aid ventilation to reduce mould.’
What’s your favourite tip for bathroom design?
‘You can enhance the feeling of light and space in bathrooms with white wall paint and tiles. A striking stone vanity top or feature floor tile will give the bathroom that wow factor and create a luxurious focal point.
Cara Stepin, Impala Kitchens & Bathrooms
About Cara:
Cara works alongside a team of experienced and award-winning designers at Impala Kitchens and Bathrooms.
She has a passion for creative arts and hands-on design. Her speciality is residential joinery design, focusing on bespoke, traditional concepts.
What trends do you see for bathroom design?
‘Texture is making an impact on bathroom design this year. We see textured timber appearing in the detailing on vanities, wall cladding and even the feature lighting. We also see the subtle texture of stone vanities, basin materials and tapware finishes, particularly brushed nickel and statement golds, rising in prominence this year.’
What are the must-haves for functional bathroom designs?
‘As with kitchens, functional bathroom design is essential. When designing a bathroom, it’s easy to overlook important details such as the placement of towel rails and hooks.’
Design by Impala Kitchens & Bathrooms
‘To make bathrooms work, they should have sufficient open space to allow free range of movement with well-appointed storage, hooks and towel rails. A considered bathroom design allows you to collect, place, and retrieve your towel with ease before and after bathing or showering.’
Design by Impala Kitchens & Bathrooms
“Another colour I am hoping to design with this year is one of Caesarstone’s newer colours, Vivid White™. It’s contemporary and pure. It’s sure to brighten any space whilst being super easy to maintain.”
What’s your favourit tip for bathroom design?
‘Don’t feel afraid to use more dramatic and textured finishes in the bathroom. You can have as much fun designing the bathroom as you do when you’re designing the kitchen.’
‘Not all walls have to be tiled floor to ceiling. Play around with other finishes, textures and paint colours on the walls. Samples are a great opportunity to compare and contrast textures and finishes to see what works.’
Janette Stritt, Stritt Design & Construction
About Janette: Janette leads the creative team at Stritt Design and Construction.
Operating since 2001, Stritt Design and Construction specialises in the custom design and construction of residential projects, mainly traditional coastal homes.
QUOTE: ‘I’ve always been interested in interiors and design, so it was a natural progression for me to work in the field of interior design. Alongside Alex Stritt, who leads the building design and construction, we share a passion for creating timeless homes of quality and detail for our clients from start to finish.’
What trends do you see for bathroom design?
‘It’s great to see more use of coloured cabinetry, variations on cabinetry door profiles and tapware finishes, especially brass. In powder rooms, wallpaper provides an element of interest, while marble-inspired surfaces and natural stone tiles continue to be a favoured material, they’re forever timeless.’
What are the must-haves for functional bathroom designs?
‘When designing a bathroom, we try to maximise as much natural light as possible. It’s vital to create adequate ventilation through windows that open. It’s equally important to create a spacious floor area with a considered layout that offers you a smooth flow around the space.’
Design by Stritt Design & Construction
Photography by Simon Whitbread
‘Bathroom storage is essential, so we will always include vanity drawers, cupboards and sometimes mirrored medicine cabinets for storage at a reachable height. We like to include in-built shower niches or shelves for essential shower items.’
What’s your favourite tip for bathroom design?
‘For ease of cleaning, we recommend installing wall taps with an under-mount basin. Feature wall lights above the vanity or a pendant above a bath add the extra detail that makes all the difference.’
‘Interesting door hardware and mirrors can visually change the whole look of your bathroom. With tiles, if you’re working to a budget, spend the money on the floor tiles while keeping the walls less expensive in a white subway tile for a traditional look.’
Words: Caesarstone Australia
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About Caesarstone
Caesarstone is a leading manufacturer of premium quality quartz surfaces. Established in 1987, the company pioneered high-quality surfaces utilising advanced technologies and expertise. Caesarstone continues to lead the industry with new trends and colours of high-quality quartz surface. Consisting of up to 93% quartz, they retain the cool tactile qualities of nature’s strong stones with enormous application possibilities including kitchen benchtops, bathroom vanities, furniture and more. Caesarstone offers a product that is highly functional, design-forward and beautiful. The unique and rich variety of colours, patterns and textures enable customers to find their ‘ultimate surface’ and create their own unique space. Caesarstone’s extensive designs are continually evolving and developing to meet the latest global trends and the highest level of international quality standards. Caesarstone® quartz surfaces are available across all states of Australia and New Zealand.