H&G DECORATING
own nooks, crannies and voids that you can take
advantage of to squeeze extra amenity from your room.
Bench spaceWhileinplanningmode,focusonhow
youuseyourbathroom.Youwillnoticethingsthatyou
need,onafunctionallevel.Ifyoublow-dryyourhair,
thinkaboutwherethedryerwillrestifyouneedtoput
it down during use. Think about where the children’s
bath toys might go. Or the steps in your daily beauty
routine. When it comes to bench space, you can never
have enough.
Fittings and fixturesThereisnoonerightchoicefor
style,finishorshapewhenitcomestofixturesand
fittingsinyourbathroom;somespacescallfortraditional
options,othersforultra-contemporaryandthereare
anynumberofoptionsinbetween.Whetherthe
accessoriesyoulikeareapowder-coatedcolouror
metallicwithapolishedorbrushedfinish,it’simportant
to choose models that suit your home’s architecture
andinteriorstyle.Makesurethesameshapesand
finishesapplytoallofthefittings,suchastaps,towel
rails and toilet roll holders.
Payattentiontowhetheraccessorieshaveasquareor
roundprofile,ifyourtapsarebrightandshinyordull,
brushedormatt.Therearefewthingssimplertogetright
andhavingmismatchingtapwareandaccessoriesisa
real bathroom no-no. #Buying tiles can be difficult
simply because of the sheer
volume of choice. Here are a
few quick pointers:
Natural stone There’s nothing
quite like the patterning,
colour and textural qualities
of natural stone to create a
sense of luxury. Be aware that
stone must be sealed before
use and resealed every two
years or so to keep it in tiptop
condition. Acidic substances
can etch the surface of stone
so it can be problematic in
bathrooms, especially around
toilets. Buffing and resealing
can however repair any
damage caused by etching.
Porcelain is a type of ceramic.
It is non-porous and
hardwearing, but also
difficult to cut so it can be
somewhat expensive.
Rectifiedmeans ‘with a sharp
edge’.Rectifiedtilescanbe
prone to chipping, which
can increase wastage and
therefore cost. On the other
hand, these tiles look crisp
and modern, so if you love
them, go for it.
Glazedmeans that the
pigment is coated on
the face of the tile only.
Full-bodiedmeans the colour
goes all the way through the
tile.Soshouldthetileget
chipped, the colour will
remain consistent even
though the surface has
been compromised.ON THE TILES
TILES from top La Chic
glazed porcelain tiles
(200x200mm), $185/m2, Di
Lorenzo Tiles. Soho Lantern
porcelain tiles (52x52mm),
$109/m2, Perini Tiles. Folio
Manhattan rectified ceramic
tiles (300x600mm), from $48/
each, Beaumont Tiles. FOR
Photography by John Paul Urizar (this page top), Shannon McGrath/bauersyndication.com.au (this page bottom), Brooke Holme/bauersyndication.com.au (opposite). WHERE TO BUY, SEE PAGE 194.
✚ TO SEE DARREN PALMER’S
VIDEO ABOUT BATHROOM
DESIGN go to http://www.homestolove.
com.au/houseandgarden