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Room Tour: Spa-like Sophistication in a Redesigned En Suite
With its curved wall, freestanding bath, stylish lighting and Scandi wood elements, this bathroom is pure sanctuary
As part of major renovation work in this Cambridgeshire house, the main bedroom was reworked and so too was its en suite. In its previous incarnation, this bathroom was spacious and functional, but, with its simple scheme of large-format travertine tiles, it lacked any distinctive style.
Hugo Fleming of Cranberryhome was asked by the owners to rethink it. The brief? A high-end design and finish with great usability, functionality and flow. “They wanted it to be a luxurious personal space,” he says.
Hugo Fleming of Cranberryhome was asked by the owners to rethink it. The brief? A high-end design and finish with great usability, functionality and flow. “They wanted it to be a luxurious personal space,” he says.
The bathroom as it looked before. As Hugo worked up the new design, he used Houzz Pro tools to share drawings, information and product details with the owners.
“They loved it. They could approve or decline products, and write comments directly onto the designs, rather than putting it all into a long email,” he says.
Easily find and hire local bathroom designers on Houzz.
“They loved it. They could approve or decline products, and write comments directly onto the designs, rather than putting it all into a long email,” he says.
Easily find and hire local bathroom designers on Houzz.
Lots of thought went into the lighting in this bathroom. Hugo included striking pendant lights near the bath. “It’s quite a large space, so it’s nice to pop in something that gives a bit of drama and perspective, rather than everything being arranged around the outside with nothing in the middle,” he says. “Now there’s a visual focus. It’s a bit quirky, too.”
This cluster pendant light with filament bulbs was not designed specifically for bathroom usage, so had to be hung a safe distance from the bath.
Pendant light, Dar Lighting. Bath, Lusso Stone.
This cluster pendant light with filament bulbs was not designed specifically for bathroom usage, so had to be hung a safe distance from the bath.
Pendant light, Dar Lighting. Bath, Lusso Stone.
In addition to pendant lights, there’s an ambient scheme for general lighting, plus recessed LED lights fitted where the panelling ends, creating a wash of illumination down from the ceiling. “It’s a kind of ombre effect, which picks out the waves in the tiles,” Hugo says.
Luminor Tress Blanco tiles, Azulev.
Luminor Tress Blanco tiles, Azulev.
The floating mirrors are back-lit to create a halo effect. The pendant lights hanging either side of each basin are fully IP (Ingress Protection) rated, but still hung out of any immediate splash zone.
Pendant light, Lucide.
Pendant light, Lucide.
To create a connection between the vanity units, Hugo fitted two simple towel rails. “It was an inexpensive idea and we then designed a tray for accessories or products in the middle for a bit of interest,” he says.
Now, the eye is drawn to this little bridge. “Without that focal point, the tiles behind, while fab, might look a bit plain,” he says.
Now, the eye is drawn to this little bridge. “Without that focal point, the tiles behind, while fab, might look a bit plain,” he says.
This floor plan shows the en suite centre-left. The curved shower was designed in response to the bedroom on the other side. The owners wanted to create a curved wall within their bedroom to soften the space, which then had to be used somehow within the bathroom.
An early layout had the vanity units fitted on the curve but no bath. A later one had shower and bath included, with the shower on one side of the curve and the toilet on the other. The final design, though, includes an elegantly curved shower, with the toilet tucked in discreetly against the bedroom wall.
An early layout had the vanity units fitted on the curve but no bath. A later one had shower and bath included, with the shower on one side of the curve and the toilet on the other. The final design, though, includes an elegantly curved shower, with the toilet tucked in discreetly against the bedroom wall.
One challenge was how to tile the shower space without squaring off its beautiful curve. “The obvious choice would have been mosaics, but that didn’t feel very original or fitting for this scheme,” Hugo says.
Instead, he used very slim, rectangular tiles. “They taper from bottom to top,” he says. “It starts with a flat tile, then rippled tiles, then flat again. It creates a sense of movement.”
Tiles, Wow Design. Ribbon towel radiator, Zehnder.
Instead, he used very slim, rectangular tiles. “They taper from bottom to top,” he says. “It starts with a flat tile, then rippled tiles, then flat again. It creates a sense of movement.”
Tiles, Wow Design. Ribbon towel radiator, Zehnder.
Black accents are peppered throughout the room, on the lighting, taps, towel rails and trims, helping to punctuate the white and wood scheme. “You don’t need a lot of black for it to really work,” Hugo says.
Unsurprisingly, the owners are delighted with their new en suite. “They absolutely love it,” he says. “They find it such a great space, with everything they wanted in it, including a freestanding bath, a shower and two basins.”
Tell us…
What do you like best about Hugo’s design for this bathroom? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Unsurprisingly, the owners are delighted with their new en suite. “They absolutely love it,” he says. “They find it such a great space, with everything they wanted in it, including a freestanding bath, a shower and two basins.”
Tell us…
What do you like best about Hugo’s design for this bathroom? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A family of four
Location Near Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Property A detached 1970s house with five bedrooms and four bathrooms
Room dimensions 3.15m x 3.2m
Designer Hugo Fleming of Cranberryhome
Photos by Agata Brennan Photography
As with every project he works on, Hugo came up with two concepts for this room. “One was a spa bathroom with wood and white in it, and the other was a contemporary scheme with 3D tiles, which was more edgy,” he says. “The owners found it difficult to choose, but went for this spa one, which felt relaxing and luxurious. They liked its classic look and the earthy feel the wood gave to the design.”
The slatted oak ceiling introduces that warm, timber element. “There’s a bit of a Nordic forest feel in there,” Hugo says. It’s standard acoustic cladding, chosen not for its soundproofing properties, but to create lines that direct the eye towards the back wall and the basins. “It feels a bit like a sauna,” he adds. The flooring, which is large-format concrete tiles, anchors the scheme.
The vanity units bring in more wood tones, this time in teak, and are home to two basins. “We included individual his and hers basins, which is always nice to do if you have the space,” Hugo says.
Typo solid teak vanity units, Tikamoon. Basins, Lusso Stone. Oak panelling, Acupanel.