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When tasked with reimagining the bathrooms of a modern home, Natalie Bulwer Interiors embraced a bold brief: to use the elegance of traditionally styled bathroom fittings with a distinctly modern sensibility. The result is a series of spaces where soft and classical forms are juxtaposed with sleek contemporary lines, creating a layered and deeply compelling visual narrative.
Central to the bathrooms were oval counter-mounted basins, a feature the client considered essential, contrasted with bespoke ceramic vanities as functional statement pieces. This desire to balance historical elegance with modern design informed every decision that followed.
This project, a complete remodelling of kitchen, living areas and bathrooms, was nominated as a finalist in the 2024 International Design Awards for the Best Global Interior Design Scheme.
At the heart of the design approach was the use of rich, patterned ceramics for the vanities; vibrant surfaces that immediately draw the eye and set the tone for each bathroom. These bold vanities act as a contemporary counterpoint to more traditional fixtures like basins and sanitary ware.
To soften the visual transitions between old and new, warm wooden flooring was extended from adjoining rooms into the bathrooms, creating a sense of cohesion and flow.
The result is a seamless integration of modern minimalism and traditional refinement.
Material choices played a pivotal role in realising this vision. Further classic elements, including crisp subway tiles and a freestanding Chaise bath on Art Deco feet with a traditional bath mixer on stand pipes, anchor the design.
These are offset by a more restrained interior palette, and natural materials like wood and stone. Pops of jewel-coloured artwork in the home’s shared spaces echo throughout, but the bathrooms are tempered by muted, modern stone elements and wood–tactile surfaces that ground the rooms.
For Natalie and her team, achieving the right balance between functionality and visual appeal was both the greatest challenge and the most rewarding. “One has to constantly prioritise the two until they work together,” Natalie explained. Counter-mounted vanities not only enhanced the aesthetic but offered a solution for efficient storage.
In the end, it’s the relationships between elements that bring the design to life: the warmth of wood against crisp porcelain, the texture of ceramic against smooth stone, the charm of a freestanding bath set against minimalist lines. The bathrooms are more than functional spaces, they are nuanced environments where every choice tells a story.
