Contemporary bathroom design doesn’t necessarily mean ultra modern.
This case study is about a contemporary bathroom renovation and part of the blog series ‘Interior Design Project‘. Interior Design Case Studies will give you a glimpse behind the scenes, plenty of insights and lots of design inspiration.
Continue reading to learn more about the transformation of these three bathrooms and the bathroom renovation process from design concept to realisation.
The wall-to-wall mirror not only reflects the beautiful vintage map wallpaper, but also makes the space look bigger.
Our surroundings and our home environment play a vital role in our lives. It’s the place where we relax and restore our batteries. Our home should be place of relaxation and not a source of stress. The interior design of our home and the layout of our rooms have a huge impact on how we feel and function on a daily basis.
Before the renovation the kids would bathe in the parent’s ensuite bathroom, whereas now they have their own tub.
While the bedroom is where we put our head to rest at night, the bathroom is usually the last place we see before heading to bed and the first one when getting up in the morning. In recent years, bathroom design has become increasingly important, because the bathroom isn’t just a place for our daily hygiene, but also a place for self-care and relaxation.
The LED lit niches create a relaxing ambiance for some self indulgence.
Day spas and spa hotels are a popular antidote to our hectic lives and they have grown in popularity all over the globe. Over the last few years this trend for health and wellness has also made its way into private homes. So creating a wellness zone within your own four walls is not just a nice to have, but an investment in your health and wellbeing.
Before and after of the main bathroom.
Bathroom Renovation Project Description
When these repeat clients, an expat family of four, approached me about remodelling the three bathrooms in their contemporary country home near Zurich, I instinctively knew this wasn’t going to be a standard bathroom renovation project. Having worked with them in the past, I was familiar with their home and their taste.
With only one bathtub in the house, the parents’ ensuite bathroom ended up being the family bathroom and they were eager for their kids to use their own bathroom.
Before and after of the kids bathroom.
The bathrooms were very dated, designed in classic 1990’s style, featuring thick walls as shower partitions, a massive built-in corner tub in the main bathroom and bulky blue cabinetry in all of them. All three bathrooms were in dire need of a complete makeover, including a new layout for a better flow and to suit the clients’ lifestyle. Due to the layout and colour scheme the bathrooms were quite dark and appeared quite small.
Before and after of the powder room.
Client Brief for Bathroom Renovation
The clients’ overall design goals for their bathroom renovation was for the bathrooms to be more suited to their lifestyle and for them to appear more stylish. In terms of style they were looking for a classy, timeless and contemporary design.
Functionality and quality were equally important. During our conversations it also became clear that they needed more room to breathe, as well as better storage solutions.
The sleek and modern sink and minimalistic black countertop faucets add to the calm ambiance of the main bathroom.
During the initial meeting and the design brief they also mentioned natural materials, such as wood, symmetry and lots of light. Although they were looking to keep the same style for the upstairs bathrooms – the main bathroom and the kids bathroom – they wanted their main bathroom to feel like a sanctuary. As for the powder room downstairs, they were keen on having a somewhat different design.
When visiting their home, I noticed several framed vintage maps on the walls and they also mentioned their passion for maps during one of our conversations. This stuck in my mind and I wanted to find a way to include it into the design of their powder room.
By moving the shower cubicle and using glass shower partitions we managed to open up the space.
Interior Design Solution for contemporary bathroom
With their input, the keywords they’d mentioned and my experience of working with them in the past, a contemporary bathroom design concept with a touch of country chic started to form in my mind.
I suggested a neutral colour scheme and black matt hardware as a base for all three bathrooms. The main bathroom and the kids bathroom would receive natural oak cabinetry to contrast the wall and floor tiles. Colour accents would be added by the towels and the decor. For the main bathroom I chose sage green because it’s a very soothing colour and creates that oasis of calm the clients were aiming for.
The sleek industrial style black taps add a country home look.
At the same time, I believe it’s important to respect the architectural style of a property when designing the interiors. By adding a touch of country chic to the contemporary bathroom design, I was able to create a sense of place in their country home.
The design of the powder room is elegant and unique reflecting the clients’ passion for vintage maps.
For the powder room on the other hand, I wanted to create a design that makes a statement, yet still ties in with the other bathrooms in order to create an overall cohesive design. While the vintage map wallpaper along with the cluster of delicate light fixtures make the statement, the neutral colour of the tiles and the taupe cabinetry, the sage green vegan wall paint and the black hardware tie in with the other bathrooms.
In terms of the layout of the bathrooms, I knew I had to create ‘more’ space. By knocking down the shower partition walls, we regained some physical space, by moving some of the plumbing we created a better flow and by the use of light colours, glass and mirror we created more visual space.
I love working with quality vegan materials and clients who appreciate them. These beautiful fluffy towels are 100% vegan.
As a vegan interior designer I’ve made it my mission to create sophisticated interiors without the use of animal derived products. At the time of writing, it is nearly impossible to create a 100% vegan space, because there are animal by-products hiding where you would least expect them (such as towels). However, I’m continuously growing my network of vegan suppliers for my interior design projects. For this bathroom renovation project I sourced vegan towels from Vossen in Austria and vegan paint from Victory Colours in the UK. If you’re interested to learn more about these vegan brands or vegan interior design in general, I invite you to check out the links below.
I hope you enjoyed learning more about this contemporary bathroom renovation project and that it provided you with some insights about how to go about your next renovation project.
If you’re inspired to get started on your interior design project and would like some professional assistance, then I invite you to book a Discovery call so you can tell me more about it. Allow me do what I do best so that you have the time to do what you do best and love the most.
Changing lives, one room at a time!
Stylish regards,
Simone xx
Useful links:
Vegan Interior Design
www.vossen.com (vegan towels)
www.victorycolours.co.uk (vegan paint)
Photography: Alex Buschor | Apix Architektur
