This family used to close the door when friends came over!
As the only one in the house and adjacent to the living area, this bathroom was both impractical and an eyesore. A complete bathroom renovation was imperative.
Enter design and build duo Kyle McGregor and Kerrie Richardson from Lux Bathrooms. Now unrecognisable the bathroom has been transformed and presents like a day spa with its sleek finishes and calming colour palette.
The works
Kitchen & bathroom designer Kerrie produced a new layout that conceals the toilet from sight and positioned the vanity directly opposite the door. This transformed the bathroom into an inviting space, with the family no longer having to close the doors when guests visited. Another priority for the family was an open shower.
In keeping with the clean look of the design, managing director & builder Kyle built two nib walls to create a wall recess shelf – used to house shower products and create a functional yet stylish clutter-free ambiance.
While undertaking renovations, Kyle discovered that there was no screed on the floor, so he had to cut the entire floor slab out and install a new concrete slab.
The bathroom also doubles as a laundry, now cleverly concealing a compact, built-in unit behind glass white sliding doors. The doors double as a lighting feature to gently illuminate the room.
"For toilets that look into a living or entertainment space, think about how you will conceal the toilet in the new layout"
Kerrie Richardson
Products used
Mizu Bliss Shower Mixer (chrome)
Mizu Drift Twin with rail shower 300
Mizu Drift Straight toilet roll holder (chrome)
The Gap Rimless close coupled, back to wall toilet
Milli Axon multi towel rail swivel
Artisan above counter basin rectangle 490mm
Mizu Bliss extended basin mixer
Budget breakdown
Building modifications - $4,000
Laundry Glass Sliding Doors - $1,300
Custom-made Vanity Unit - $3,330
Caesarstone Vanity Top - $1,100
Reece Bathroom Accessories - $3,615
Painting - $600
Tiles (supply only) - $2,700
Tips and tricks
Building tips from Kyle:
- Most renovators build a double-skinned brick nib wall to achieve a recessed shelf. A good tip is to build a single skinned wall with a recessed shelf, and glue aqua plasterboard or James Hardies to the back of the brick wall. This creates a suitable substrate to tile and takes up half the space.
- The original walls in the bathroom were steel stud and plasterboard. I removed the plasterboard and tied brick nib walls into the original brick work to achieve the correct strength and prevent future cracking of the tiles.
Design tips from Kerrie:
- To create a calm, moody and relaxing feel, use a selection of textures and colours to attain balance and harmony. In this case, I paired white and grey hues with chrome and matt black bathroom accessories. I also added feature lighting to the mirror to enhance the relaxing atmosphere.
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For toilets that look into a living or entertainment space, think about how you will conceal the toilet in the new layout.
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Consider using the vanity as a feature – so that it is the first thing guests see when the door is open. This way, it can become an extension of the space rather than something that needs to be hidden.
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