Bathrooms: a shell-like space in Home of the Year 2013

This open-plan bathroom in the 2013 Home of the Year is a continuation of the fluid, shell-like overall design. Architect Gary Lawson describes how the bathroom can be both open and intimate.

The ensuite bathroom can be separated from the bedroom by a large sliding door. Photograph by Mark Smith.
The ensuite bathroom can be separated from the bedroom by a large sliding door. Photograph by Mark Smith.
Home of the Year 2013 bathroom. Photograph by Mark Smith.
A curvaceous continuation of the rest of the house: a big sliding door allows this bathroom to be open or completely closed off. Photograph by Mark Smith.

 

HOME This space is in the Home of the Year 2013. How does it relate to the home overall?
Gary Lawson, Stevens Lawson Architects The concept for the house was one of organic, shell-like forms connected by a fluid open-plan space. The bathroom is an intimate space within one of the shells.

HOME How did you select the materials?
Gary Lawson The hexagonal terracotta floor tiles have an earthy quality, and the bandsawn cedar walls bring the outside cladding in. The off-white mosaics create a calm feel in the wet areas – they reflect the light and can be moulded around curves.

HOME Why have the bathroom space open to the bedroom?
Gary Lawson The big sliding door enables the bathroom to be either totally open or closed off. The connected bathroom makes it feel like a holiday retreat, where one person in the bath can chat to the other on the bed.

HOME What makes you lavish attention on these small spaces?
Gary Lawson We try to dramatise daily life and like to create delight where you may not expect it. Bathing can be relaxing and rejuvenating. We all need more of that.

Design details

Decking Purple Heart hardwood timber with Sikkens clear polish.
Ceiling Western red cedar with Dryden Wood Oil finish.
Bath ‘Haven’ stone composite bath by Apaiser from Metrix.
Tapware By Vola from Metrix.
Shelving unit White tinted lacquer on western red cedar, designed by Sue Hillery, fabricated by David White Cabinets.

Related articles

It’s the people

The overall winner and Home of the Year 2024 is Boathouse Bay by Crosson Architects, an exemplary model of multi-unit design embodying the quest for community living through a marriage of architecture, landscape, and master-planning.

Ebb & flow

Moving between sweeping curves and overt gestures of permanence, this Mangawhai home opens up and reaches out to the estuarine landscape beyond, welcoming visitors and the view with a dynamic spatial interplay.

Maungarāhiri

A masterful transformation of a 1920s bungalow, rooted in the Arts and Crafts tradition, into a generous modern family home, this expressive renovation captures the elegance of its architectural period while meeting the evolving needs of its occupants.