You’ve likely already gotten a good look at our en-suite (and main) bathroom if you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel, but I wanted to take a moment to share it in detail here, too. In case you’ve missed it, my husband and I recently added a second storey to our home, in addition to reconfiguring downstairs and re-designing our kitchen. We’re still settling in, but I’m planning to slowly share a window into each space, and talk through design elements along with where we sourced everything.
Like a good capsule wardrobe, we started our design intentions by setting a theme. Something we were drawn to was the use of natural textures, light and bright airy feeling rooms, and the restrained use of colour guided by what we might see in nature. Which is where green comes in, something you’ll see replicated throughout many spaces in our home. A lot of our interior style preferences over the years have had that minimalist, Scandinavian influence. But that can sometimes lack warmth, which is where some smaller Japanese elements come to play (through the use of paper lanterns etc and colour).
For our bathroom, we knew we wanted a travertine, or travertine look tile as a starting point. To add in warmth, an oak or oak-veneer vanity with stone finish. Then to give the space some personality, a feature tile. We quickly settled on the idea of a half feature wall, which is visible from the door, that adds a real sense of calm to the space.
From a design perspective, you can see we opted for a walk-in shower. This was the most practical option to allow us to maximise the functionality of the space. We used this same design feature in our downstairs bathroom and loved it for ease of use (though note, not practical when you have a wee toddler trying to crawl in during your morning shower!). Because we knew we wanted to have a half tile feature wall, a shower ledge felt like it made much more sense. Not only does it provide lots of space for product, but it acts as a visual break between the two types of tiles.
Because of the length of our shower, we were thankfully able to add in two vertical towel rails at the opposite end to the shower head. This is great as it means we don’t have to exit the shower space to grab a towel, and for me, it’s one of the main luxuries I wanted to have in our bathroom. A couple of other points about the shower? The tap is located at the entrance, so you don’t get wet turning the shower on. We have a tile insert drain which gives the shower space a seamless finish. And we went with a single waterfall shower head, which makes it feel like we’re showering in a hotel.
We had enough space for a 1200mm vanity. We potentially could have gone with a double bowl set up, but the single large centre bowl is perfect, while still allowing plenty of bench space. The configuration is great too, with a small bin on the interior. For practicality, we chose a shaving cabinet style mirror. The key thing here being that we wanted to maximise potential storage space. This particular style opens inwards – as in, the hinges are in the centre, rather than the sides – allowing us to go with a 1200mm mirror as well. Love the little shelves on the sides, too. We utilised the same mirror (larger size) in our main bathroom and the shelves have much more of an impact there – will share, soon!
Finally, the fixtures. We decided to go with brushed nickel; this felt modern, timeless, and a refreshing change from the standard stainless steel.
Overall it’s a tidy space which we’ve maximised to its full potential by being strategic about the finishes and items we chose. What do you think about our Japandi-style ensuite bathroom?
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