Caroma is at the centre of a stylish bathroom designed for the self-contained guest suite at a 1970s bungalow purchased by Robyn and Mike in Sunshine, NSW. For the new guest bathroom at the lakeside house, the couple had envisaged clean lines, contemporary design and great functionality.
Given the challenge of a long, narrow room with a low ceiling, clever space-saving choices were essential for creating a functional and beautiful bathroom. The completed bathroom design centres around the Caroma TEO 1200 wall hung basin, which gives a sense of simplicity, modern style and space. The recessed mirrored cabinets and in-wall cistern further help maximise the space in the room.
Q & A with Robyn & Mike
Why did you need a new bathroom?
We purchased an original 1970s house, so you can imagine the state of the bathrooms – they were all original too! This bathroom was downstairs and we planned to transform it into a self-contained space that could either be used as a holiday rental or guest suite for family and visitors.
What were the key features that you wanted for the new bathroom?
Clean lines and a simple colour palette with a beautiful tiled feature tile as the first thing you see when you look through the door.
How did you collect your inspiration?
We visited the newly opened Caroma on Collins Showroom in Sydney and collected ideas online and from magazines.
How would you describe the look of your new bathroom?
Clean, contemporary, and functional. Just like we had planned!
Where have Caroma products been used?
TEO 1200 wall hung basin is the feature item – we absolutely love its simplicity and ease to clean it. The built in shelf is fabulous, with enough space end-to-end for make-up and products that you may be using.
Luna Cleanflush Invisi toilet is brilliant, we love the Cleanflush design as there’s no hidden rim and ease of cleaning is important to us.
Contemporary multi-function rail shower combined with the overhead rain shower gives the best of both worlds when showering. They each have a separate Contura mixer and can be used at the same time if two people are showering.
Contemporary robe hooks and toilet roll holder were also chosen for their simple lines.
What was your biggest restriction?
The low ceiling height and long narrow space, as well as the challenge of working with a central door. This meant that the overhead shower needed to be fitted very close to the ceiling and the exhaust and heat lamp selections were limited due to space. We battened out the walls to keep as many things recessed so it didn’t look cluttered. The wall hung basin was essential to divide the wet & dry areas.
Did you stick to your budget?
Yes. Our budget was $8k and we were careful to stay under this as it wasn’t our main bathroom so we couldn’t go all out. It needed to be functional as well as look great if it was going to be used as a holiday rental occasionally.
What is the most important piece in your bathroom and why?
The TEO 1200 wall hung basin – it’s the first thing you see as it’s centred when you look through the door. I absolutely love the clean simple lines whilst giving the functionality of a double vanity. The recessed shaving cabinet above it also works perfectly. It’s a guest bathroom only so large amounts of storage aren’t required. We considered a wall hung shelf underneath the TEO but decided against it in the end, mainly to keep cleaning easy and not look too cluttered. We opted for a beautiful chunky Pottery Barn basket to hold extra towels instead.
What do you love most about your new sanctuary?
It’s beautiful, serene, uncluttered and functions well with very separate wet and dry areas.
How would you describe your new bathroom in one word?
“Beautiful”!
What are your three top pieces of advice before starting your bathroom renovation?
Plan, plan, plan: Think about how you use the space and what will work in terms of function and practicality. I marked everything out with painter’s tape on the walls and floors. I’m a very visual thinker. Inspiration for your end result is also important.
Budget: Choose where to spend your money, select a plain cheaper tile and splash out on a small area feature tile if budget is tight.
Organise your trades: If you have no experience in renovating or building don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. Get more than one quote for each trade – plumber, electrician, tiler (essential to ask for references if they don’t come as a referral or you’ve not used them before. Badly executed tiling can ruin everything!)
