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New heights in bathroom renovation designs

Display Room

Low ceilings were no barrier in this bathroom renovation.

Buying a beautiful old home in the inner suburbs usually comes with a catch - it's either out of most people's price range, or it needs work. But for Jan and his wife Ali, restoring their newly purchased gem was half the fun. Some rooms, like the bathroom and laundry, were unusable, so they called in architect Brett Nixon of Nixon Tulloch to redesign the area, and builder John Buckingham of Spinners to put it all together.

Although the home is a grand 101-year-old Edwardian, the modern style of the bathroom renovation design is not out of place. Indeed, the house deftly marries its original period style with the more modern design of an earlier extension out the back. As part of this newer section, the bathroom slots in seamlessly.

The ceilings in the renovated section are relatively low and this prompted John to employ some space-enhancing design tricks. Ceiling-high white tiles set off by the natural light that floods in through a huge new window make the room bright and inviting. The spacious bath takes up a bit of room but is balanced out by an almost invisible shower, with clear glass screen, in the opposite corner.

Generous mirrors further add to the sense of space and also house some shallow cupboards, ideal for shampoo bottles and other bathroom goodies. Bigger items, such as towels and linen, can be stashed away behind bi-fold doors to the right of the entrance. This discreet area is also home to the other important part of this renovation - the laundry. With the doors opened right up, the space merges with the front half of the bathroom.

"It's a bit over one metre deep, so you need the concertina doors open to use it," says Jan. "When you switch the washing machine on, you can then close it all up."

In a tidy row along the wall sit the washing machine, cupboards and sink, and above them a dryer and second storage cupboard. John has maximised the capacity of this little room by filling up the wall space with items, working upwards instead of out.

Being taller than average, Jan had to think carefully about the bathroom's fittings and where they would be placed. The twin sinks he requested had initially been drafted to sit at 800mm, but John recommended they be hung higher up at 900mm so Jan wouldn't need to stoop to wash his face. The deep bath is also long enough to fit Jan and his two small sons all at once.

"The whole family uses this bathroom, so it takes a bit of a beating," Jan laughs.