Today I wanted to share this gorgeous minimalist bathroom by a Dutch designer Rene Mesman. The bathroom coexists in the open attic space with the bedroom. The placement of tub, shower, and washbasin allows for levels of privacy. Found via The Style FIles.
The bathroom in my childhood home had a quite large vertical window. There was a yucca plant standing on the window sill, and there was a view of nearby tree tops. I loved this window and this bathroom. Bathroom windows are fantastic as they provide natural light and ventilation. If they offer a view – that is another huge bonus, very hard to come by. My current bathroom does not have a window, and I cannot distinguish day from night when I am in it. Therefore, I believe, it is understandable that the images below move me so much. How amazing must it be to feel like you are taking a bath in a forest, in a field, or in a garden? I surely hope I will find out one day.
Summer House bathroom by LASC Studio.
New Orleans bathroom by Lang Architecture.
A bathroom by Julian King Architect.
Doe Bay Residence bath by Heliotrope Architecs.
Berkshire House X bathroom by Burr & McCallum Architects.
For the rest of us: a tree wallpaper on a bathroom wall.
I could post 50 photos of white tiled bathrooms I like. White, rectangular tile in my opinion is one of the most versatile materials. First of all the sizes and proportions are endless, orientation and pattern yet give more opportunity to play. White tiles look glorious with wood finishes, with concrete, with brick walls. They work in industrial, raw spaces and finished, detailed baths. The best part is that they do not have to cost a lot. I have seen lovely white tiles for as low as $2.50 per square foot.
Bath in Palo Alto, by CCS Architecture .
2in by 12in white, matte Heat tiles by Ann Sacks.
Bath by Stelle Architects.
White tiled shower with volted ceiling.
Bath in Soho House, Berlin.
Memories of growing up in the tropics, washing the sand and salt off behind a zinc sheet bring to life feelings of freshness, warmth, openness and freedom. The tactile quality of those moments, turning the old faucet and grabbing the hose while standing on a mix of stones, dirt and grass are thankfully hard to forget.
The outdoor shower provides an opportunity to use all kinds of materials, to loose control and let nature take over. They also become an inspiration for the way we design our bathrooms, so that our experience can be as rich and pleasant as all those times we washed outdoors.
About today’s guest blogger: Esther Beke has been practicing Interior Design in NYC since 2003. She is currently working on her Masters in Industrial Design and is very much interested in humans’ relationships and interactions with surrounding objects and spaces.
The clawfoot tub was considered a luxury item in the late 19th century and today it often is as well. The lovely shape, the famous feet take us back in time. A clawfoot tub looks great in a dark walled space. Its interior is porcelain, its exterior can be left white but more often than not is painted. I love both of the painted examples below: the pale blue and the chalky black.
Victoria & Albert Modern double ended tub.
Jenna Lyons' Brooklyn bath, photography Melanie Acevedo.
Rimini Cast iron bath.
Cast iron claw foot tub at The Crown in Amersham, UK - design by Ilse Crawford.
Once in a while I find myself browsing for washbasins, and I kept noticing that one particular type of basins was catching my attention. Or rather, it was a series of basin and washstand combinations, by Barclay. What is it that kept me looking at this series? Perhaps the simple, geometrical shape of the basins, or the equally simple, but rustic and bold design of the washstands. Most definitely the striking effect the combination of those two is creating. I also love the idea of having the basin to the side of the washstand, creating space for a make-up counter. I am already dreaming of a country house in which I could place such a set…
Cube basin and washstand.
Steps basin and washstand.
Patricia Square basin and washstand.
Oval basin and washstand.
Flat basin and washstand.
While the sauna connoisseurs and purists are all the rage over the traditional smoke saunas in the snowy Finnish countryside most of us are quite content with a modern sauna and a cold shower afterwords. Sauna is a must in any decent hotel or gym. I especially enjoyed sauna designs by a Helsinki based firm Avanto Architects.
Infrared sauna in hotel and wine-growing estate Stroblhof, Italy.
Sauna designed by Avanto Architects located on an island of a remote lake in Finland. Found via Remodelista.
Changing area at the Ville Hara sauna.
A solid wood sauna by Avanto Architects winner of 2009 Habitare Sauna design competition for young architects and designers. A modern interpretation of a traditional log sauna. Found via Archtronic.
I like to play this game and imagine the perfect bathroom. A bathroom that I will have one day. It turns out that I may need to build more than one bathroom for myself, as there are so many options, and they are all tempting. For example, should the tub be free-standing with a floor mounted tub spout? Or should it be placed by the wall, with a wall-mounted tub filler? Today I want to focus on the latter. I have a short list of wall mounted tub fillers. The type I like best, with a narrow rectangular back plate. And still, it is hard to decide. Which is your favorite?
Boffi Cut tub filler.
Vola two handle tub filler.
Lacava Waterblade.
Dornbracht Symetrics tub filler.
Dornbracht Elemental Spa tub filler.
Originally the sauna was a place to bathe, but as it was the only available clean place with abundant water, it has also been a place for giving birth and healing the sick. Today the Finnish sauna is a place to relax in with friends and family, and a place for physical and mental relaxation. In Finnish culture it is considered a necessity not a luxury. Taking a sauna begins by washing up and then going to sit in the hot room, typically warmed to 80-110 degrees Celsius (170-230 degrees Fahrenheit), for some time. Water is thrown on the hot stones to produce steam, known as löyly, which increases the moisture and heat within the sauna. The word löyly is used for this steam only in the context of the sauna. Its original meaning was spirit, breath, soul.
A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski. In this type of sauna wood is burned in a particularly large stove and the smoke fills the room, there is no chimney. When the sauna is hot enough, the fire is allowed to die and the smoke is ventilated out. The residual heat of the stove is enough for the duration of the sauna. Smoke saunas are considered superior by the connoisseurs.
It is common to enjoy a beer or other beverage in between and after sauna sessions.
When the heat of sauna begins to feel uncomfortable a dip in the lake is in order. In the winter rolling in the snow or even swimming in a hole cut in the ice suffices as well.
The vihta is made in the summer, just before the Midsummer's Feast, by cutting bunches of young, tender birch branches, about 40cm long and tying them together. The vihta is used in traditional sauna-bathing for massage and stimulation of the skin.
