The bathroom should be the most restorative room in the home. It is where we begin and end the day. It is where we retreat when we need a moment of quiet. And yet it is often the most neglected room in the design process.
Our philosophy is simple: the bathroom should feel like a private retreat. Not a clinical space. Not an afterthought. A sanctuary.
"A bathroom should feel like a gift you give yourself every morning."
— Michael James, on bathroom designUnderstanding the Brief
When we design a bathroom, we ask: what does this space need to do? The answer is usually more than "contain a shower." It needs to support morning routines. It needs to support evening wind-down. It needs to feel private even when the rest of the house is busy.
For the Runda Spa Retreat, we designed a bathroom that felt like a spa — a steam room, a soaking tub, and a meditation space that opened onto a private garden. The client wanted to feel that every morning was a reset.
For the Karen Master Suite, we had less space but the same ambition: a bathroom that felt like a retreat, not a necessity.
The Runda Spa Retreat — a bathroom designed as a private sanctuary with steam, tub, and garden connection.
The Material Language of Rest
Bathrooms are wet spaces. They are also intimate spaces. The materials must perform — they must resist moisture, be easy to clean — but they must also feel. Stone, marble, and wood can work if specified correctly. The key is to avoid the cold, clinical feel of the generic bathroom.
We favour natural stone for walls and floors. We use wood for vanities — carefully sealed and placed away from direct water. We layer lighting: soft ambient for the morning, brighter task lighting for the mirror, and a dim option for the bath.
Principles for Spa-Like Bathrooms
- Design for the ritual — morning and evening routines.
- Prioritise natural materials — stone, wood, where they perform.
- Layer lighting — ambient, task, and accent.
- Include a view or connection to nature where possible.
- Provide storage that feels considered, not cluttered.
- Consider acoustics — quiet spaces feel more restorative.
The Reveal
When our clients first see their completed bathroom, the reaction is often the same: they did not know a bathroom could feel like this.
That is the goal. Not to surprise, but to exceed expectations. To create a space that feels like a gift.
The main bathroom — a sanctuary designed for morning rituals and evening wind-down.
What This Taught Us
Every bathroom we design teaches us something. The best ones are not the largest. They are the ones where the client says they cannot imagine starting the day anywhere else.
