Very occasionally a client gives free reign.  The client in this case had eccentric and artistic taste, and allowed his new bathroom to be bedazzled.

The brief was for the replacement of a very dilapidated ensuite bathroom, and replacement with a new ensuite including the functional requirement for a flush recessed shower. 

The architectural response drew from a shared interest in naval dazzle camouflage; a type of camouflage used on naval vessels during the first and second world wars, and championed  by zoologist John Graham Kerr and artist Norman Wilkinson.  The principle was visual disruption to distort the perception of both direction and range rather than the normal concealment.

The patterned floor and wall was completed using ceramic tiles, a job that involved a significant amount of tile cutting.  For the non-patterned walls, bathroom wall vinyl was selected to “bookcase” the patterned floor and far wall, and to prevent excessive disorientation. 

The bathroom vanity was made from 3mm thick plate steel painted black, and supporting two slabs of hardwood timber to complete a functional box.  Also custom was the full length towel rail and toilet roll holder, from painted solid steel and hardwood timber.  The vanity, towel rail and toilet roll holder were all made by the Sunshine Centre for Design Excellence.   The overhead cupboard includes a mirrored front, and is from black laminate.  The composition was completed with the selection of ornate vintage style chrome tapware.

Lighting is achieved with two adjustable surface mounted downlights from ARK Lighting; periscopes from above.