Hertfordshire: Family Bathroom

This family bathroom is the third room Tile in Progress completed at this Hertfordshire property. The client called us in for the tiling and we also carried out the waterproofing before any tile went down. The room uses three different tile types across different zones and surfaces, each one chosen to play a specific role. The ribbed travertine-effect ceramic is the character piece. It is used on the feature wall behind the basin, on the wall that divides the walk-in shower from the rest of the room, and on the back walls of two of the three illuminated niches. The ribbed surface texture catches the light differently to the surrounding tiles and gives those surfaces a depth and warmth that a plain tile would not.
The feature wall behind the vanity is framed with brass trim so it reads as a deliberate panel within the wider scheme. The brass trims are set out flush with the tile face, which requires careful planning so the trim sits cleanly without any step or shadow at the junction. The remaining walls and floor are tiled in an ivory limestone-effect porcelain and in a light pearl ivory porcelain, both at 1200 x 600mm. The two materials are close in tone but different enough in finish and texture to read as a considered pairing rather than a mismatch. The pale palette across the floor and walls keeps the room feeling open and lets the ribbed feature wall and the brass details lead. Inside the shower area we built a niche with three custom shelves made from the same tiles.

Corners throughout the bathroom were mitred, with the only trims used on the step up to the bath. There are three illuminated recessed niches in total. Two are on the wall beside the toilet and the third is in the shower. Each was tiled with full tile setting out on every face, with the limestone-effect tile continuing from the surrounding wall into the niche without interruption. The recessed storage cabinet above the toilet was tiled to sit flush within the wall tile layout. The walk-in shower was formed without a raised tray, keeping the floor level continuous from the shower zone through to the rest of the bathroom.
The freestanding bath sits on a tiled plinth with LED lighting set beneath it. The area around the base of the bath is dressed with white pebbles that sit between the plinth edge and the bath itself. It is a detail that softens the transition between the hard tile surface and the curves of the bath and works well against the warm palette of the room. Every element in this room, from the brass trim frame to the pebble surround, was planned as part of the tiling scope. Four rooms in the same house, all held to the same standard.