MAKEOVER | This small mismatched bathroom is now a chic spa-like space

It was clear from the start that the mosaic of blue, yellow and green tiles with orange leaves would have to be replaced when designer Andrey Kroupová first set eyes on this dated bathroom in the apartment of a young mother of one.

“What bothered me the most in this bathroom was that it was confusing. There was a bath and a shower and perhaps five types of different tiles,” says Kroupová.

Having both a bathtub and a separate shower seemed like an unnecessary waste of space given the room’s small dimensions.

“I wanted to replace them with a spacious shower, where I could easily put a bucket in which to bathe my toddler,” says the eco-conscious homeowner.

Changing the layout was not without its complications, however.

When installing the waste trap in the new shower, it turned out there was not enough space between it and the ceiling of the neighbour’s flat.

“The craftsmen therefore had to lift the floor. I’m a little sorry the resulting step disrupts the design purity, but sometimes it doesn’t work out as you planned,” says Kroupová.

Fortunately, adding this step didn’t faze the homeowner.

“Quite the contrary. I admire how Andrea solved the situation. I quite like the unplanned stage,” she says.  

She also worked with a neutral colour palette.

At the homeowner’s request a washable pure white paint was used on the bathroom walls, while an anti-slip version of the granite tiles used on the shower walls were used on the floor to create a seamless look.

Their pale grey colour is complemented by the ashen colour of the cabinet under the basin which was made to measure from high-pressure laminate.

“The advantage of this material is high water resistance,” explains Kroupová.

This scheme was carried over into the separate toilet next to the bathroom.

In it, the homeowner invested in modern sanitary ware: a wall-hung toilet and buttons with a double flush volume which can be interrupted by pressing the smaller one. This technology can reduce water consumption by up to 50%.

The uniform effect of both spaces is enhanced by the use of black accents throughout.

IS CUSTOM SHOWER GLASS WORTH IT? 

A made-to-measure wall of glass screens the shower from the rest of the bathroom in this design.

Kroupová says this type of custom solution “pays off when you need an atypical dimension or when you are rebuilding the bathroom from the ground up and it is necessary to precisely fit floor to ceiling”.

“The glass must be tempered for safety. In case of breakage it will shatter similarly as in a car, and should preferably have a surface treatment to protect against limescale,” she says.

“Of course, a tailor-made variant always works out more expensive than one bought from the shop.”

— Bauersyndication.com.au/Magazinefeatures.co.za