Into the blue

This dreamy new ensuite proves even a small space can be designed to feel like a luxe sanctuary

- Bonnie Sumner

Interior designer Vic Bibby, her husband, Mark, and their three teenage daughters have always loved living in their modest three-bedroom bungalow on Napier’s Hospital Hill, with its views over the Botanical Gardens to the sea and proximity to work, school and friends. But there was one downside to the house – they had to share one bathroom between the five of them.

But rather than moving, they added an extension to the front of their home, with a new master bedroom, walk-in wardrobe and a small but luxuriously appointed ensuite. There’s now a new problem: the beautiful little mosaic-tiled sanctuary is proving difficult to leave.

LIGHT AND DARK

Before the project kicked off, the designer sat down with Architecture HDT to plan the layout. She wanted a walk-in shower, a simple layout and a privacy wall for the toilet. They divided the room into three parts, tucking the toilet away to one side and keeping the custom vanity front and center, with a tiled shower taking up the other side.

Vic had a clear idea of the key elements she wanted to include, particularly the blue mosaic tiles. “I knew I wanted to use the tiles in the shower because they were a favorite of mine and a leaping-off point for the rest of the design, but because they’re dark, I balanced them by using a lot of light elsewhere.”