PROJECTS
Studley Park house
;)
SEARCH
The spacious look of this bathroom can be attributed to the number of light sources in the design
The impact of light on a room can't be overstated. Even a fairly small or average-sized space will appear larger when it is well-lit and airy. In designing this bathroom, architect Hal Walter was asked to ensure it was light and spacious.
The bathroom, like the other rooms on the upper floor, features a curved ceiling. Solid walls between rooms stop at a horizontal line below the ceiling, which appears to float above the walls. Glass sheets fill the space between the ceiling and wall, so light can filter between rooms.
As a consequence, the bathroom receives light from several sources. Light from a large window on the north wall and a clerestory window above the vanity is supplemented by light filtering through the glass between the bathroom and a void above the living room. Light also comes through glass above the wall that separates the bathroom from a hall on the other side.
A rendered screen wall stands on posts outside the bathroom window at second floor level. Its height doesn't cover the full window, so natural light and views of the garden aren't fully blocked. Its purpose is to screen the bathroom from a two-storey block of flats next door.
Inside the bathroom, fixtures and fittings are kept to a minimum to maintain the sense of space in the room.
The bath, set into a limestone surround, is partly sunk into the floor so its bulk doesn't intrude on the room. By creating a toekick under the surround, the bath appears to float above the ground. The vanity also appears to float free of the floor and rear wall. It has a 19mm-thick glass top sandblasted on the underside and enclosed within a stainless steel frame. The back edge and middle of the glass are slumped to form the handbasin. Lights under the glass create a glow and provide a good source of light for applying make-up. Walter says the mix of materials - stainless steel, glass, plastered walls, ceramic tiles, timber and limestone - avoids the bland look sometimes found in a room with a lot of painted surfaces.
"The design is minimalist, but the earthiness of the natural materials and the number of sources of natural light make the room feel warm," he says.
|
|
