This is not a bathroom

I like to create a bathroom for a master bedroom that relates visually with an almost open plan integrity and a palette of finishes that link the two spaces together.

This bathroom in my Penthouse project is an ideal example. The design originated from necessity. I installed a suite of rooms as private spaces for the owners – a small sitting room, dressing room, bathroom and bedroom. Have a look at the plan below, as you can see the space available is long and narrow. If I’d cut off the bathroom from the rest of the suite it would have been dramatically reduced in size and a long miserable corridor to the bedroom would have been required.

Instead, the bathroom is walk through with double size sliding doors at each end. Now of course some privacy and contained spaces are required for the W.C. and shower. I’ve slipped both those spaces behind the bath with blackened glass doors closing them off.

Consequently, I had created not only a large bathroom but one that was not shut off from the bedroom and dressing room. With all that generous space I was able to have some fun creating a room which is less bathroom like and more a swanky spa.

I wanted a rich layered, cocooned space, that could be closed away from busy London, somewhere special. The key word is glamour and 70’s glamour at that, as that epoch was so good at being unrestrained and not shy of indulgence.

And that’s where the fun started.

I was able to install an enormous vanity unit. Normally I design and have joiners make such a unit but considering Salvatori had just created some new cutting-edge designs for bathroom furniture I just had to use them. I framed their glorious vanity unit with mirrored medicine cabinets and glass shelves and unusually, kitchen style pull out units to contain a vast collection of creams and potions, thankfully that meant the surfaces could be free of clutter. Sticking to the desire for glamor I lined everything in clear and tinted mirror with even the taps hanging from glass which exudes decadence and is quite a feat.

A room like this couldn’t be tiled, that’s far too ordinary. Instead the walls are lined in polished plaster using layers of toffee and chocolate coloured pigments married with gold powder. The shower didn’t escape this look being lined in textured marble.

The main star of the room must be the bath. Made in smoked Perspex from Antonio Lupi it has a sculptural quality rather than just being functional.

The Brassware from Waterworks is in fact brass which reflects that gold and mirror 70s glamour look. Their taps have a lovely chunky tactile feel. As a tap is something that is used every day its worth having something that reflects the same joy as opening a beautiful perfume bottle.

Lighting is subtle and warm. There are few spotlights that are discretely placed so that they are not beaming overhead. They are lined in gold for a warm glow with the bulbs set well back, bare skin friendly.  Thank goodness for the invention of LED strip lighting, I still haven’t got over its effect and I use it extensively for backlighting. The reason being it helps define the form of the room and if used correctly can uplift a space away from just being normal. I use a very warm LED which is difficult to source and a special channel which is lined in black which reduces any harshness. There is even lighting under the bath to make it glow, how could I resist?

The whole scene is finished off with a floor that looks like lightly polished and textured bronze but is in fact porcelain from Via Arkadia. The floor blends with the dark wood timber flooring in the dressing room.

Bathroom design always gives me joy and I especially enjoyed creating this one, not only making an awkward layout works but using it to my advantage to create a jewel box of indulgence.