Room Tour: An Extended En Suite Gets the Boutique Hotel Treatment
Creating a luxurious look and a feeling of spa-like sanctuary informed the design decisions behind this bathroom
The owner of this family house in Warwickshire was browsing Houzz for bathroom inspiration when a project by Martina Landhed of InStil Design caught her eye. It was this space, a white marble bathroom with a bespoke vanity unit. “She got in touch, saying she loved it, but wanted her room to look a little warmer,” Martina remembers. “Her brief to me was, ‘I want to feel like I’m on a lovely weekend away at a boutique hotel.’”
In addition, the owner specified a bidet, freestanding shower, separate bath and as much storage as possible be included. As her previous small en suite had been cold, it was also vital that this one felt toasty. “She wanted to have warm towels all year round,” Martina says. Take a tour around this large and luxurious bathroom to see how the designer pulled it off.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
In addition, the owner specified a bidet, freestanding shower, separate bath and as much storage as possible be included. As her previous small en suite had been cold, it was also vital that this one felt toasty. “She wanted to have warm towels all year round,” Martina says. Take a tour around this large and luxurious bathroom to see how the designer pulled it off.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
Making the bathroom a bit wider meant it could accommodated a sliding pocket door and pipework for the radiator, both just visible in the mirror in the previous picture.
“It allowed me to build in a deep cabinet that’s recessed into the wardrobe behind,” she says. “It has open shelving and two cupboards, top and bottom. Each has an adjustable shelf in it, so it’s big enough for towels.”
To get that marble look the owner loves, Martina chose very large marble-effect porcelain tiles for the floor. “They are a practical option, perfect for easy maintenance,” she says.
Porcelain floor tiles, Grespania. Walls painted in Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball.
Find reviewed bathroom suppliers in your area on Houzz.
“It allowed me to build in a deep cabinet that’s recessed into the wardrobe behind,” she says. “It has open shelving and two cupboards, top and bottom. Each has an adjustable shelf in it, so it’s big enough for towels.”
To get that marble look the owner loves, Martina chose very large marble-effect porcelain tiles for the floor. “They are a practical option, perfect for easy maintenance,” she says.
Porcelain floor tiles, Grespania. Walls painted in Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball.
Find reviewed bathroom suppliers in your area on Houzz.
Martina designed twin basins in quartz and had them made by a local stone supplier. Beneath are 80cm-wide drawers providing more of that all-important storage.
Recessed mirrored cabinets, which have adjustable shelves and socket points inside, are fitted above. “There is further storage for cleaning products and toilet rolls over the toilet,” she says.
To allow for a generous walk-in shower, Martina chose a shower toilet, which combines a bidet and loo. “The owner wanted a bidet, but if we’d installed one, that would have used up another square metre of floor space,” she says.
There’s also a variety of lighting in the room, on four different circuits. “You can have soft light for a relaxing bath, but also strong light if you’re doing a deep clean of the space,” Martina says.
The ceiling spots are on one circuit, then the spotlights in the recessed shower storage, the vertical LEDs on the vanity unit wall, and the additional spotlight in the tall storage to the right of the bath work off another circuit. Wall lights either side of the window make up the third, and finally there are motion-sensor lights on the window ledge and by the toilet that act as night lights.
Mirrored cabinets, Keuco. AquaClean toilet, Geberit.
Recessed mirrored cabinets, which have adjustable shelves and socket points inside, are fitted above. “There is further storage for cleaning products and toilet rolls over the toilet,” she says.
To allow for a generous walk-in shower, Martina chose a shower toilet, which combines a bidet and loo. “The owner wanted a bidet, but if we’d installed one, that would have used up another square metre of floor space,” she says.
There’s also a variety of lighting in the room, on four different circuits. “You can have soft light for a relaxing bath, but also strong light if you’re doing a deep clean of the space,” Martina says.
The ceiling spots are on one circuit, then the spotlights in the recessed shower storage, the vertical LEDs on the vanity unit wall, and the additional spotlight in the tall storage to the right of the bath work off another circuit. Wall lights either side of the window make up the third, and finally there are motion-sensor lights on the window ledge and by the toilet that act as night lights.
Mirrored cabinets, Keuco. AquaClean toilet, Geberit.
Due to the vaulted ceiling, the long wall that’s home to the shower and vanity unit was only 1.9m high. To allow for standard-height shower screens to be installed, Martina designed a stud wall behind the basin area that sits forward of the supporting wall.
This meant the mirrored cabinets could be recessed into it and the basin taps and wastes hidden here. Vertical LED light strips highlight the false wall on each side.
Shower screen, Drench Showers.
This meant the mirrored cabinets could be recessed into it and the basin taps and wastes hidden here. Vertical LED light strips highlight the false wall on each side.
Shower screen, Drench Showers.
“The bathroom has a solid floor, so drainage for the shower was a challenge,” Martina says. “The wastes had to be dropped down into a false ceiling in the kitchen below.”
White gloss brick tiles in a herringbone pattern reflect the light and add character to this classic look.
Martina added a floating seat in the shower. “The enclosure was big enough to fit one in and, even if you don’t sit on it, it’s useful for when you shave your legs or wash your feet,” she says.
The long slim drain has a neat tile insert that that can be lifted up for cleaning, revealing the two waste traps below.
More: How to Plan for a Bathroom Renovation
White gloss brick tiles in a herringbone pattern reflect the light and add character to this classic look.
Martina added a floating seat in the shower. “The enclosure was big enough to fit one in and, even if you don’t sit on it, it’s useful for when you shave your legs or wash your feet,” she says.
The long slim drain has a neat tile insert that that can be lifted up for cleaning, revealing the two waste traps below.
More: How to Plan for a Bathroom Renovation
The large-format tiles behind the basins have a linen texture in a warm grey tone. “They are slim and really big, about 1.2m x 2.4m, so there are minimal grout lines,” Martina says.
It’s another example of the attention to detail evident in this project, and one of the reasons the owners left a glowing review on Houzz: “[It’s] the most lovely bathroom, with brushed gold finishes, a sumptuous shower and an enormous bath. We have been delighted with the finished results and service and would highly recommend Martina/InStil to anyone with a juicy project on their hands.”
All brassware, Graff.
Tell us…
What do you like most about Martina’s design for this bathroom? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
It’s another example of the attention to detail evident in this project, and one of the reasons the owners left a glowing review on Houzz: “[It’s] the most lovely bathroom, with brushed gold finishes, a sumptuous shower and an enormous bath. We have been delighted with the finished results and service and would highly recommend Martina/InStil to anyone with a juicy project on their hands.”
All brassware, Graff.
Tell us…
What do you like most about Martina’s design for this bathroom? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A couple and their two teenage sons
Location Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Property A detached house with five bedrooms and four bathrooms
Room dimensions 2.7m x 4.3m
Designer Martina Landhed of InStil Design
Photos by Chaz Snell
The bathroom redesign was part of a full-house refurbishment, begun in 2020, which included an extension at the back. In fact, the room is partly located in the new extension.
As Martina was involved early in the project, she was able to liaise directly with the architect and make modifications to the room’s structure to ensure it ticked every box on the owners’ wish list.
“I moved the wall between the bathroom and dressing area to make a larger, wider room,” she says. This meant the bath could fit alongside the window. She also changed the window size to maximise the light and view.
Martina worked in blond oak and brushed brass to soften and warm up the cool marble of the flooring. To create actual warmth, she added several heat sources: underfloor heating; a towel radiator by the sliding door that runs on the central heating, and three brass towel bars by the bath, which are electric and have individual switches, meaning towels can be dried when the central heating is off.
Bathroom furniture, Svedbergs.