Bathrooms: Classic meets contemporary

The client brief for this Wellington cottage was to create a “workable bathroom” in the confined space. To overcome this challenge, William Giesen of Atelierworkshop explains how they introduced natural light to open up the room. Giesen also tells how they decided on their colour palette and his views about good bathroom design.

South side cottage bathroom
A view to the outside is essential in a good bathroom, says Giesen. Photograph by Russell Kleyn.

 

HOME What was your brief for this space?
William Giesen, Atelierworkshop To add a proper-sized bathroom to the cottage, as well as a separate toilet. The site was tight and the house was confined by a retainin­g wall to the south, so we provided a sense of space with the use of skylights and a high window onto the garden at foliage height. These decisions brought sunlight and a small view into this south corner of the house.

South side cottage bathroom
The black and white tiles achieved the desired contemporary sensibility with an old accent. Photographs by Russell Kleyn.

 

HOME How did you choose the colour palette and materials?
William Giesen We knew our client would like something clean and graphic, though not too dark. To make the most of the sunlight and to counteract the southern aspect, we needed some white. The cottage required something with an old accent while also having a contemporary sensibility. Black and white classic hexagonal mosaic tiles met these requirements.

HOME What do you think makes a good bathroom?
William Giesen Sunlight, views to the outside, privacy, natural ventilation and ease of circulation – the same rules that apply to the rest of the house.

Related articles

Natural clarity

Designed to merge into its coastal environs, this island home utilises board and batten cedar cladding to create a gentle visual rhythm that moves gracefully between indoors and out.

Al fresco connection

Utilising the existing design language of a mid-century modern home in Remuera, Johnston Architects and Bespoke Interior Design set about redesigning a pool house and creating an outdoor room, resulting in a trio of interconnected areas spanning indoors and out.

Angle grinder

During a visit to Waiheke a decade or so ago, an architect was struck by a simple, refined sculpture and the way that its ad hoc form, created from a roll of corrugated iron, twisted down a hillside, creating and enclosing spaces.

A minimalist Herne Bay ‘city base’

On a prominent street corner in Grey Lynn bordering the heritage zone, this rectilinear addition presents a new and mostly closed face — a bold architectural statement that gives way to refined interior spaces.