Who say’s amazing things can’t happen in small spaces? In the quiet leafy streets of Brisbane sat an uninspiring bathroom space with so much potential, just waiting to come to life.
Disko Designs took a very compact 4m2 bathroom in a 1970’s apartment block and collaborated with the owner, who was wanting to push the boundaries and be brave with colour and texture; and delivered something we think is pretty special.
“A shower over bathtub, poor storage and a toilet with all it’s plumbing on display is what we began with…” Dave explained; Principal Designer at Disko Designs. The layout was largely limited to what was already in place but by removing the bathtub and flipping the orientation of the shower, a more liveable room began to emerge.
A new vanity with easily accessible drawers was specified along with a mirrored shaving cabinet what contributed even more to concealed storage for products used daily. The builder was able to seamlessly bridge the gap between the open shower and new vanity with a half wall upon which shower glass was installed, minimising cleaning. As a bonus, a very generous niche could be installed in the half wall out of sight from those entering the room, contributing to a sense of order and calm.
The existing toilet was a side waste toilet that met the services duct to it’s right. “It wasn’t practical to attempt moving this waste point in an apartment so instead we worked with it.” said Dave. The work around came in the form of a concealed cistern toilet that hides the side waste, provides a clean and streamlines look and also creates opportunity for a new ledge that can display a piece of art or sculpture (yes, art over your loo is a thing).
The layout and technical aspects only tell one part of the story. The more obvious and visually impactful side are the finishes chosen for this project. The brief from the client was “I want to feel like I’m in the mountains of New Zealand engrossed in nature”.
For Disko Designs, this was a perfect chance to abstract and come up with a space that referenced nature but was also dramatic. Three main finishes were used, a slip rated blue terrazzo look tile, a high gloss navy blue vertical tile and an anchoring rich timber laminate “Australian Native” from Laminex. The combination of these three together work to provide contrast, texture and balance to the space. Much like nature, this bathroom has an unexpected pop of joy, in the form of the bold yellow shower mixer taps and soap holder by the vanity, both custom painted by Par Taps. This detail brings the whole space together and you can’t help but smile when you see them; perhaps like admiring the first flower emerging from the depts of a Kiwi winter.
To top it all off, this bathroom was colour drenched in a deep navy on the remaining untiled walls and recessed LED lighting grazes down both sides offering a relaxing glow to shower by.
Sometimes the only thing missing in a design is you giving yourself permission to be bold, be brave and create a space that makes you feel something.
If you’re looking to build or renovate and want to create something special; book a complimentary discovery call with Dave at Disko Designs and let’s chat about what we can create together.
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