After what felt like a lifetime of frustration trying to keep shower doors clean, this lady wanted shot of them forever and the completed design complied with her request. All three bathrooms were devoid of shower doors, trays and liners and in their place three incredibly modern ‘shower rooms’.

Creating a futureproof house also played a hand in the styling with the downstairs bathroom having doorways wide enough to take a wheelchair. “We hope we never have to use it, but unfortunately you do have to think of these things,” said the client.

To a large extent, the modern design philosophy apparent throughout the home – perched on a rise above the Tamaki Estuary – helped determine the design of the bathrooms.

Alabastro Grigio polished tiles from Heritage  Tiles were custom selected for the walls, with the same tile, in a matt finish, chosen for the floors. The owner wanted polished tiles on the floor too, but was discouraged by the architect for safety reasons and, now, with seven grandchildren visiting frequently, she’s pleased she heeded his advice.

Underfloor heating has been installed in all bathrooms, a negligible cost when one considers the small size of the rooms and the fact that only one bathroom is in constant use. All basins, single and double, were bought from Interio in Newmarket while the bath inthe upstairs guest room was supplied byLG Carder.

The couple’s cosmetics and toiletries are concealed behind four mirrored cupboard doors, with demisters ensuring unobscured vision at all times. The cupboards also conceal hairdryer and shaving equipment with not an electric cord in sight.

Consistent with the theme of minimal decoration, the only extra features in the fully tiled shower rooms are the recessed tile alcoves – simple yet distinctive and perfect for holding the shampoo. Some showers are fitted with large rainheads rather than the conventional shower rose, and a further delight of the finished design is that while the bathrooms look high maintenance, they’re nothing of the sort. They just require a simple wipe down. 

The toilet suites are from Laufen and include a soft-close seat, popular with the adults and grandchildren, albeit for different reasons. But these homeowners need to remember that not every toilet has the same technology, and many a time they’ve given off-premises loo lids a jolly good slam by mistake.   

While colour is a feature of artwork throughout the home, it has purposely been kept to a minimum in these serene bathrooms, which the owners claim are a huge success. However, the basket of brightly coloured children’s toys sitting on the edge of the bath in the upstairs guest bathroom, looks absolutely perfect.