An ensuite bathroom sparks envy

A unique colour scheme and a streamlined design gave this couple their dream ensuite - designed to enhance space and harmonise with the home's striking colour scheme.

Creating a brand-new bathroom is a dream for most home owners, as it gives them freedom to indulge their tastes without being constrained by the original layout. But for Lisa and Greg, designing a new ensuite bathroom for their master bedroom still came with certain limitations. Designed to fit within their old kitchen, the ensuite had to share the available floor space with a walk-in robe.

"It's not a terribly big room, but we definitely wanted double basins, a large shower and a toilet in there," says Lisa. With limited space to work with, Jennifer French from Inside Out Colour & Design had to employ some creative design ideas to incorporate all of Lisa and Greg's requirements - including a double vanity.

Jennifer devised a configuration that would allow them to have the luxurious double vanity without blocking-in the room and included a space-saving sliding door to create a more open look. And while the finished bathroom is still not palatial in size, it has the added benefit of the walk-in robe, which becomes an extended dressing room.

Also important to the couple was that the bathroom reflected the colour scheme of the rest of the house, and that there was a feeling of unity between the master bedroom and the ensuite. "You actually enter the ensuite through a walk-in robe, so it's quite tucked away, but Lisa and Greg didn't want to feel like they were walking into something completely different," says Jennifer.

Designing a colour palette for the home, both inside and out, Jennifer created a flow-on effect from one room to the next. "The green on the bathroom vanity is reflected in the wall colours through the house, and we chose grey for the feature wall to match the blue-grey on the outside of the home, so it's definitely very harmonious; it does all flow," she says.

In addition to the bold colour scheme of the green bathroom, one of Lisa's favourite elements of the new ensuite is an idea that she contributed to the design. "I'm really pleased with the mirrors, as I had the idea to have them sitting out from the wall a few centimetres, and it really brings them out," she says.

And according to Lisa, the bathroom ensuite design works better than they had anticipated. "The space functions really well for us," she says. "The double vanity is great, because my husband has his own area where he can make as much mess as he likes and I have my own area on the other side."

Jennifer French, from Inside Out Colour and Design

What was the client brief?

To make the bathroom flow on from the master bedroom. Because there's actually a walk-in robe separating the bedroom and ensuite, the bathroom is a bit tucked away and my clients didn't want to feel like they were walking into something completely different.

Was space an issue?

The space was quite tight, but we were still able to get the double vanity in there, with some reconfiguration of the shower and toilet and by using a sliding door. While it's not a huge room, they also have the added space of the walk-in robe, which is like a dressing-room area.

Where did the inspiration for the colour design come from?

We created a colour palette for the whole house, so the colours actually flow both inside and out. The green on the vanity is reflected in the bathroom palette and in the wall colours through the house, and we chose grey for the feature wall to match the blue-grey on the outside of the home, so it's definitely very harmonious; it does all flow.

Was it easier starting from scratch than renovating an existing bathroom?

Sometimes when there's an existing bathroom you can get locked into that configuration, so there's definitely much more freedom with a new build. You can visualise without being constrained by what's already there.

Lisa, the home owner

Was this a renovation or a brand-new construction?

It's totally new, because we revamped an area of the house. We turned the old kitchen and verandah into an ensuite and walk-in robe for the main bedroom.

What requirements did you give to your designer?

We definitely wanted the double basins, a large shower and a toilet in there, but it's not a terribly big room so we needed to maximise the space. We also wanted the bathroom to reflect the colour palette of the house, so Jennifer came up with an idea that tied that all together.

What is your favourite aspect of the bathroom?

The double vanity is great, because my husband has his own area where he can make as much mess as he likes and I have my own area on the other side. I'm really pleased with the mirrors too, as I had the idea to have them sitting out from the wall a few centimetres, which really brings them out.

Would you do anything differently in hindsight?

No, the space works really well for us. Even when the architect saw it, he thought it functioned better than he thought it was going to, so we're really happy.

To find out more, talk to a professional plumber about adding or renovating an ensuite: