Martina Gemmola
Find out how this bathroom was transformed from a dark and dull room to a lush sanctuary.
Why the makeover?
When interior designer Carmel Wylie of GIA Bathrooms & Kitchens first set foot in this bathroom, it was a dark and dull room on the first floor of a family house with a toilet mounted on the curved wall. “And it was hardly used,” she says. Adding insult to injury, the space was built on a 250mm false floor, requiring quite a high – and potentially hazardous – step up from the rumpus room from which it was most accessed.
Time frame
Four weeks for design and five for the renovation.
The works
The space was stripped back and solid walls were packed out with timber framing to create space for new plumbing. The original door was filled in and replaced, the old timber ceiling was plastered and the skylight was updated.
Major changes
“The moment I walked into the space I wanted to use mosaics on the curved wall to bring it into the space as a feature,” explains Carmel. Of course, drawing attention to the toilet isn’t exactly desirable, so the designer rearranged the room, swapping in the shower. While this move required a complicated plumbing job, Carmel believes it was worth it.
Best investment
Stripping back the existing 250mm-high false floor immediately made the bathroom larger and also safer to access.
Budget saver
The bathroom’s restrained colour palette of white, black and grey meant Carmel didn’t need to go all out on designer pieces to make the space feel resolved and luxurious. The handsome circular mirror, for instance, is a simple off-the-rack purchase (try Print Decor for similar). The 600mm x 600mm ‘Concreto’ floor tiles are another low-cost luxury (look for them on Ebay). “Black and white fittings are the easiest, most stylish options on a budget,” says Carmel.
Tapware
Black fittings deliver chic on the cheap when used in a pure white space, says Carmel (try the Phoenix ‘Vivid Slimline’ range from Bathroomware House for similar). “I love using matt black on gloss white,” says Carmel. “It really showcases the fittings in the room.”
Tiles
The penny round mosaics on the sweeping shower wall really shine. “The curve provided all the visual effect in this bathroom so we wanted to keep all eyes on that,” explains Carmel.
Basin
A curved ‘Hios’ basin, from First Choice Warehouse was chosen to highlight the curve in the room.
Expect to pay
Fittings $5000
Joinery $1800
Lighting $500
Skylight $2000
Tiles $2000
Vanity $850
TOTAL $12,150
Interior designers: Carmel Wylie and Illan Elberg, GIA Bathrooms & Kitchens, 1300 442 736.
