June 30, 2015 Bathed in luxury: immersed in design

It’s a universal maxim in property circles that if you want to gauge a home’s style and value, look at the kitchen and bathroom, and this is never truer than in the luxury home sector. In the case of the bathroom, this room is now achieving status as a space in its own right, as opposed to simply a utilitarian, albeit deluxe, adjunct.

Of course ensuite bathrooms for most bedrooms, along with strategically placed powder rooms, are common features in most custom designed homes. But in a sector where space isn’t limited by budget, generous ‘master’ bathrooms the size of living rooms are also increasingly common. Like luxury kitchens, such bathrooms will retain the structure and usability of standard bathrooms but with an added sense of polish, comfort and visual flair. In a larger space, elements can be laid out with optical harmony and symmetry in mind; and it’s not unusual to find unexpected additions such as artworks or soft furnishings to create a sense that the bathroom is a place in which to spend quality time.

Many homeowners opt for clean lines, high end materials such as marble tiling and premium finished timbers for their bathrooms. And this makes sense; homes in the million dollar homes market increasingly draw inspiration from the top end hospitality sector and nowhere is this more apparent than in the bathroom. Specialised elements such as free standing stone tubs and custom built vanities are frequently specified and the aesthetic of contemporary bathrooms can range from Balinese six-star resort complete with sculpture and planting, to classically chic heritage bathrooms, or the perennially-in-vogue simplicity and clean lines of modernism.

More unusual briefs also come into play now and again in some modern home designs. As bathrooms are functional areas of the home in which, however inviting the surrounds, occupants are not expected to spend the majority of their time, there is scope to think outside the box. As a result, some clients are adopting an alternative, creative way of re-imagining the bathroom. The abundance of hard furnishings in the bathroom can provide the ideal canvas with which to turn a bathroom into an integrated work of art; for example, mosaic tiling can allow for favourite artworks or photographs to be ‘painted’ into the fabric of the room. Imaginativelyput together, a bathroomcan transcend the trends of the day, making the humble bathroom a repository of colour, exoticism and artistry.

Whatever style of bathroom you decide to install in your luxury home, just as with other areas in the house, the rise of technology will influence the experience of being in and using it. Quality home builders report growing interest in the latest water solutions, designed with touch button operation and intuitive temperature controls to enable you to start your shower or bath with a single touch. Many systems will also allow users to pre-program their optimum combination of water temperature, flow rate and duration. In terms of the construction of tapware and other elements, a strong emphasis on smooth operation and precision, as well as visual appeal, will provide the ultimate touch of luxury to the master bathroom.