An old ensuite renovation in a classic Victorian home

"I started designing it myself originally, but it became too complex," says Ross. "I was referred to Perini's, then John (Perini) came out to see us and I related to him immediately. He had a great relationship to the job."

Ross's home is a classic Victorian house with high ceilings. While it's beautiful from the outside, the family found aspects of it a bit hard to live with. After years of struggling with the traditional interior, Ross decided it was time for modern comforts throughout, starting with the bathroom. 

The bathroom was originally attached to the master bedroom. Ross had a wall bashed out to create an ensuite some years ago, though the renovation never quite met his expectations. This time around, he wanted to get it right. 

Budget expectations were blown out of the water as expenses more than doubled, but there have been no regrets. Much of the extra money was spent on installing cupboards all the way up the walls, making the most of those 4.2 metre ceilings. 

Perini specialise in tiling and provided a stunning polished porcelain tile. Delivering more than just a pretty exterior, the tiles have heating underneath, so stepping into the room in colder months is never an issue.

John employed a few tricks of the trade to give the tight space a more open feel. With so much storage, there is no excuse for clutter. Rather than clog the space up with an enclosed shower, there is a clear glass screen sectioning it off from the rest of the room, but there is no door.

And if luxury was what the tired owners of this period home were seeking, they got what they were after. The shower has a height-adjustable massage head for pleasure as well as purpose. 

With a wall-length mirror facing the vanity, they can see themselves from all angles. Inside the vanity cupboard is a magnified shaving mirror, so Ross can keep himself looking as sharp as his bathroom.

John Perini

Perini Bathrooms

What was the brief for this bathroom?

The brief was to modernise it. It was very tired and totally inadequate for the clients' needs. At first they wanted to leave the walk-in-robe section and just do the bath and shower. But when they saw images of my other bathrooms, they could see the potential of the wardrobes.

Were there any challenges involved?

The toilet they had before was stuck very close to the entry door and they had a vanity shoved between that and the shower. The spa bath took up an enormous area – about half the bathroom. So the challenge was to give them that lovely big open area and also give them a functional wardrobe.

Tell us about the colour scheme.

The colour scheme is fairly neutral, very timeless and fairly classical. My designs don't incorporate a lot of tizzy tiles, so the style will look good in 20 years. Also, it reflects the type of client I have – most of them are older and want a design that won't go out of fashion.

How did you select the fittings and applicances?

I chose things that are fairly classical and have longevity. The fittings reflect the quality of the bathroom. If you use good taps, bath and fittings and your vanity has appeal, all those things show the bathroom has some quality to it.

What is your favourite aspect?

It's got a bit of a 'wow' factor. When you step into the room, it's got that real quality feel about it. It's reflected in the wardrobes, the lovely shiny finish on the cupboards, the Travertine marble top on the vanity and on the bath. It all oozes luxury and class.

Ross

What was your brief?

I wanted a clean look. We're in a Victorian home and I wanted to get away from the Victorian theme and go very contemporary. That's exactly what we achieved - the creams and the whites are just very plain, very new.

What did you want to change about your original bathroom?

It has been renovated before, but it had just got very tired and poky. When we bought the house, we cut a hole through the bedroom wall and created a bathroom ensuite with a spa, but it was never done to my expectations and I never liked it. This time we decided to gut the room right back.

What luxuries does the new bathroom boast?

The vanity has a light underneath it and that goes on automatically when you walk in at night to go to the toilet, so you don't get dazzled by the light. And the floor heating. We weren't going to put it in, but it's brilliant.

What is your favourite aspect?

I like how contemporary it is. Once this was finished, we really wanted to live in the bathroom. It's easy on the eye; it's nice to stand in in the morning; the light when you shave is absolutely perfect. The layout is particularly good and the shower's great.

How did Perini live up to your expectations?

I'm more than fastidious and so often when people do wardrobes, you look and there's a little gap at the top and wider at the bottom. But everything John put together was just brilliant, even to the detail when they hung the doors and the drawers - every line dropped perfectly.