Take a Peek at This Sexy, Mostly Black Bathroom
A master bath with almost-black walls that’s wide open to the master bedroom. On paper, it sounds a little scary (especially to those of us in the U.S., where en suite bathrooms are not as common as in other countries). But by mixing travertine and oak and adding a few well-edited curves, ample lighting, Moroccan screens and bronze finishes in a thoughtful layout, Australia designer Kim Duffin has created a bathroom with depth, warmth and the luxe feeling his clients craved. And when it was finished, they wanted to look at it as much as possible.
Photos by Steve Ryan
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two boys
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Size: 204½ square feet (19 square meters); about 17 by 12 feet
Designer: Kim Duffin
The backstory: The master suite did not do the luxurious top-floor penthouse justice. The homeowners wanted a space that was worthy of the fabulous apartment, one that would help them unwind and that incorporated some of the style they had fallen in love with on many trips to Morocco.
The scope of work: This was a complete renovation that encompassed building new walls and ceilings, putting in new floors, installing sprinklers and new electrical system and relocating plumbing fixtures.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two boys
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Size: 204½ square feet (19 square meters); about 17 by 12 feet
Designer: Kim Duffin
The backstory: The master suite did not do the luxurious top-floor penthouse justice. The homeowners wanted a space that was worthy of the fabulous apartment, one that would help them unwind and that incorporated some of the style they had fallen in love with on many trips to Morocco.
The scope of work: This was a complete renovation that encompassed building new walls and ceilings, putting in new floors, installing sprinklers and new electrical system and relocating plumbing fixtures.
Before: “The homeowners were frustrated with the existing space,” says designer Kim Duffin. “It was a collection of small, dark rooms that did not create any flow or functionality between them. They also wanted the space to relate better to the overall luxe look and feel of the apartment.”
Wish list:
Wish list:
- An open plan in the master suite
- A space that encouraged unwinding
- Dual showers and a freestanding bath
- Style that was luxurious and that nodded to Morocco
- Extensive shoe storage and increased clothing storage
- Full-length mirror
- Easy-to-clean, low-maintenance surfaces
Style: “The homeowners wanted to achieve a sense of luxury with elements and finishes that reflected their travels in the Middle East,” Duffin says.
Wall tile: The tile was one of the most important elements in this design and served as a jumping-off point. The first item Duffin selected was the large-format porcelain wall tile in Iron Gray. The tile pieces are so large that it almost crosses the line from “tile” to “panel.” These panels are floor-to-ceiling (about 10.5 feet high) and approximately 5 feet wide. Mitered joints give them a seamless look. “Cladding a bathing space in this way brings a real sense of luxury to the design, but it is also easy to care for and low-maintenance,” he says. From there he suggested fixtures with a living bronze finish to add warmth and patina to the graphite-cladded space.
Notes on the large-format porcelain panels: Some tile companies will custom-cut the porcelain into large-format panels in the dimensions you specify using water-jet cutting machines. But he also notes that several companies including Neolith, which he used here, now supply standard panels in this size (3,200 millimeters by 1,500 millimeters). Holes for things like towel bars, robe hooks and tissue holders are machined off-site before installation.
Wall tile: Iron Gray, Neolith
Wall tile: The tile was one of the most important elements in this design and served as a jumping-off point. The first item Duffin selected was the large-format porcelain wall tile in Iron Gray. The tile pieces are so large that it almost crosses the line from “tile” to “panel.” These panels are floor-to-ceiling (about 10.5 feet high) and approximately 5 feet wide. Mitered joints give them a seamless look. “Cladding a bathing space in this way brings a real sense of luxury to the design, but it is also easy to care for and low-maintenance,” he says. From there he suggested fixtures with a living bronze finish to add warmth and patina to the graphite-cladded space.
Notes on the large-format porcelain panels: Some tile companies will custom-cut the porcelain into large-format panels in the dimensions you specify using water-jet cutting machines. But he also notes that several companies including Neolith, which he used here, now supply standard panels in this size (3,200 millimeters by 1,500 millimeters). Holes for things like towel bars, robe hooks and tissue holders are machined off-site before installation.
Wall tile: Iron Gray, Neolith
Shower: A stepped curved shower wall accommodates two shower heads. The step in the wall serves as a shelf for toiletries and hides them from view from the rest of the room.
Open showers can have their issues, but in subtropical Brisbane, Australia, temperature drops and draftiness aren’t a problem. “The shower space is in the back corner of the overall master suite, so it is well protected,” Duffin says. Just to be on the safe side, they installed a central heating vent in the area. Also, there is an extraction duct hidden in the coffered ceiling to take care of the steam.
Floor tile: The floors are Platinum Travertine. “They not only are durable but complement and balance the finish choices,” he says.
Shower tile: He tiled the curved shower wall in the same travertine he used on the floor but in smaller tile in a mosaic pattern. This blends the wall with the floor, which in turn lets those fabulous shower heads stand out.
Faucets and other fittings: “We achieved a sense of luxury by incorporating the handcrafted aged bronze fittings,” Duffin says. “The aged bronze brings out the warm copper tones in the porcelain wall panels and travertine floor tiles.”
Floor tile: honed and filled Platinum Travertine; floor tile angles: powdercoated angle aluminum in color Dune with matte finish, Dulus; shower column: custom, Sussex; shower mixer: Voda, Sussex
Open showers can have their issues, but in subtropical Brisbane, Australia, temperature drops and draftiness aren’t a problem. “The shower space is in the back corner of the overall master suite, so it is well protected,” Duffin says. Just to be on the safe side, they installed a central heating vent in the area. Also, there is an extraction duct hidden in the coffered ceiling to take care of the steam.
Floor tile: The floors are Platinum Travertine. “They not only are durable but complement and balance the finish choices,” he says.
Shower tile: He tiled the curved shower wall in the same travertine he used on the floor but in smaller tile in a mosaic pattern. This blends the wall with the floor, which in turn lets those fabulous shower heads stand out.
Faucets and other fittings: “We achieved a sense of luxury by incorporating the handcrafted aged bronze fittings,” Duffin says. “The aged bronze brings out the warm copper tones in the porcelain wall panels and travertine floor tiles.”
Floor tile: honed and filled Platinum Travertine; floor tile angles: powdercoated angle aluminum in color Dune with matte finish, Dulus; shower column: custom, Sussex; shower mixer: Voda, Sussex
Layout: This is a large bathroom with different zones, so let’s look at how each area flows into the next. While the bathroom is open to the bedroom (to the left of this plan), the room is laid out cleverly to control the views to specific design elements while concealing the more private areas. The sculptural bathtub, bronze planters overhead, live-edge wood vanity and Moroccan screens are the big view from the bedroom. The shower is tucked in the back (see curved wall on the right), and the toilet is in a concealed private room behind the tub.
Bedroom view: Now the luxurious bathroom is quite open to the bedroom. The newly configured closet is on the right side behind the vanity.
Wall paint: Pebble Grey S14B1H, Dulux; ceiling: White, Dulux; carpet: Nylon in Sugar Cookie, Carpet Court
Wall paint: Pebble Grey S14B1H, Dulux; ceiling: White, Dulux; carpet: Nylon in Sugar Cookie, Carpet Court
Master suite plan (before). This before-demolition plan compared with the following as-built plan will give you a good idea of the tweaks made.
Master suite plan (after)
Lighting: The lighting scheme highlights different elements throughout the room, be it up in the ceiling, a reflection off the bathtub or a glow behind the vanity.
Towel bars and robe hooks: Sussex
Towel bars and robe hooks: Sussex
Screens. A major part of achieving the Moroccan style the homeowners love was adding these intricate, laser-cut, powder-coated bronze screens. “They bring another visual and functional layer to the design,” Duffin says. They also help delineate the space between the bedroom and bathroom within the open plan.
Bathtub: A freestanding tub was big on the homeowners’ wish list, and Duffin found one shapely enough to double as sculpture when viewed from the bedroom. Big curves like the ones on the bathtub, the plinth it sits upon and the sinks soften the room.
Bathtub: 1500mm Eclipse in Graphite Stone Composite, Apaiser; tub faucet: Voda Floor Bath Filler in Living Bronze Finish, Sussex; see more freestanding tubs in black
Bathtub: 1500mm Eclipse in Graphite Stone Composite, Apaiser; tub faucet: Voda Floor Bath Filler in Living Bronze Finish, Sussex; see more freestanding tubs in black
The bronze planters over the wall also add softness, plus some color and life.
Vanity: The vanity floats above the floor, with special lighting that gives it a glow from underneath and behind. The top is oak wood stained slightly black and it has a living edge. Like the aged copper fittings, this adds warmth to the graphite room. The drawers and mirror-front medicine cabinets provide all the storage the homeowners requested.
Sinks: 600 mm Eclipse in Graphite Stone Composite, Apaiser; faucets: Voda 200mm Wall basin Mixer System in Living Bronze Finish, Sussex; find black vanities
Sinks: 600 mm Eclipse in Graphite Stone Composite, Apaiser; faucets: Voda 200mm Wall basin Mixer System in Living Bronze Finish, Sussex; find black vanities
