Designing this home was such a pleasure, especially the bathrooms! My client wanted the bathrooms to have an immediate psychological effect when you walk in, by using colour, texture, pattern and materials that are grounding, natural and connect you to nature. She wanted sanctuaries - where do I sign up!? So each bathroom was designed as its own small world, to connect with the different people who use them.

This meant I could really play with a different palette for each bathroom, resulting in a peach teen girl’s ensuite inspired by a single unforgettable slab of stone, to a calm, sanctuary-style master ensuite with subtle nods to Dutch heritage, and finally a moody and dramatic powder room clad in burgundy marble. Architecture is by Jones Architects and the build by Graham Mauger Builders - here's what we did.

Teen Girls’ Bathroom

The teen girl’s ensuite and bedroom were both inspired by a single piece of Yangtze Peach marble that my client and I fell in love with. This is my favourite bathroom ever - elegant, tonal, calm and timeless, but still a statement. To ground the space we teamed the feature stone with limestone paver tiles from Artedomus. The vanity is lacquered to the same tone as the stone, and the custom-made marble basin turns everyday routines into something more special. The peachy-pink accents feel playful and soft, yet grown-up enough to age beautifully over time.

A key architectural move in this space was the introduction of a central wall with openings on either side. This allows the toilet to be hidden on one side and the shower on the other, while still keeping the room feeling open and generous. Just as importantly, that part wall becomes a visual moment the second you walk in.

I designed the drawers with a shaker-style panel that is bevelled inwards, I like the way it creates light and shadow rather than a flat front.

A custom basin we had made from the benchtop stone - one way to elevate those daily rituals! Brushing your teeth just got a whole lot better.

Custom lights add a pop of brass and marble.

The copper vertical heated towel rails are a functional detail that also brings warmth and contrast to the palette.

Is it pink or can we call it a neutral? The vanity is playful enough for a teen girl, but sophisticated enough to evolve with her.

We used a quarter strength version of the vanity paint in the bedroom to continue the colour palette.

Credits

Main tile: Limestone paver tile, Artedomus — artedomus.com
Stone: Yangze Peach marble, custom fabrication by SCE Stone & Design — scestone.co.nz
Vanity: Custom joinery by Manolas Bros, painted in Aalto “Effect” — manolasbros.co.nz | aalto.co.nz
Tapware & bathroomware: Nero — nerotapware.co.nz
Mirror: Powersurge — powersurge.co.nz
Wall lights: Custom made by SF Studio

Master Ensuite

A twin ‘his and her’s design gives each person their own space and appears almost like a mirror image.

The grey ensuite feels timeless and calming, with subtle nods to European farmhouses. The vanity door fronts include a subtle reference to my clients’ heritage – we translated the Dutch star that you see on buildings in Holland into joinery detailing. At the end of the room is a large, freestanding curved tub in a bathing style ‘room’, and the entire bathroom is clad in European-style limestone wall tiles to bring a perfectly imperfect farmhouse feel.

We used Bronze Age marble for the benchtops and basins, it has veins of pyrite metal through it which are so stunning up close and catch the light.

Nothing in the room is flat, it all has texture making you want to reach out and touch it.

Walling off the bath area turns it into a bathing nook, so you feel more cocooned and tucked away from the world.

A full width wall recess above the bath is the perfect spot for bath accessories, products….. or wine. The height fits a full bottle, we checked!

The ceiling and roof angle meant we had a cavity behind the wall. Rather than waste it we turned it into stone clad shelves that could be styled, adding to the farmhouse feel.

Six adjustable body jets, a slide shower and a rainfall shower - the bod will thank you!

Powder room

My lovely client is very creative, spiritual, and affected by the energy in a room. She wanted to create a powder room that you don’t expect while spending time in the rest of the home - a space you walk into and have to stop for a minute to take it all in. So this is where we really enjoyed ourselves being a bit bolder. The powder room clad in rich ‘Rosso’ burgundy red marble and feels intentionally immersive and dramatic. We also painted the ceiling and vanity for a colour drenching effect that makes you feel more immersed in the room. This powder room is a contrast to the calmer spaces elsewhere in the home, but I think it still has a very cocooning feel.

A skylight with the shaft painted the same colour as the stone spills light, making the room everchanging throughout the day.

A backlit mirror from Powersurge sit above a vanity we custom designed.

Brushed copper tapware matched the warm pinky red tones best in this room.

When space is tight we use vertical towel rails instead of horizontal, especially when we don’t want to cover the wall tile too much with towels.

Credits

Wall & floor tiles: Rosso marble wall and floor slabs, SCE Stone — scestoneanddesign.com
Vanity: Custom joinery by Manolas Bros, painted in Aalto 'Source' — manolasbros.co.nz | aalto.co.nz
Bath: Stone Baths NZ — stonebaths.co.nz
Tapware & bathroomware: Nero — nerotapware.co.nz
Mirror: Powersurge — powersurge.co.nz
Wall lights: Custom made by SF Studio