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Before and after: a beautiful bathroom transformation

From an '80s eyesore to a modern retreat. - by Rebecca Lowrey Boyd
  • 28 Feb 2020

After seven years of creating beautiful and distinct houses for other families, Christal Fysentzou and her husband Chris finally decided to build a dream home for their own family of four.

WATCH: How to get your bathroom design right

As the founders of Brisbane-based building and design firm Zou Build, they need not look further than Chris’s professional carpentry skills and Christal’s expertise in interior and colour design to complete an incredible modern home makeover.

The bathrooms were also given an entirely new look which reflected the contemporary aesthetic of the entire renovation.

Here, we talk to Christal about how she created a luxe bathroom retreat for home. 

1. Hardware

Modern bathroom renovation

In line with the contemporary renovation, Christal used Stegbar’s frameless shower screen with matte black Jett hardware, bringing together pared-back simplicity and sophisticated design. 

“Hardware is often an overlooked element when refreshing the home but is an element that shouldn’t be ignored. Incorporating black hardware in shower handles or wall hinges in the bathroom is a great way to add visual impact and style to any space,” says Christal.

2. Mirror

Modern bathroom renovation

The crowning detail of the bathroom is the custom-made Stegbar mirror in which Christal worked directly with Stegbar to achieve the very specific shape and size she sought – rectangular with rounded corners. This custom-made design also includes a mirror backlight.

3. Vanity

The vanity was custom-made using Laminex Absolute Matt White with Essastone. The luxe tapware, which is used throughout all three bathrooms, is by Meir Tapware in Champagne. The rectangle basin is the AXA H10 by Reece.

Modern bathroom renovation

4. Floors and walls

"We wanted to pay homage to the traditional Italian-style origins of the home, so we used a statement terrazzo in the flooring and extended it up the walls to keep the look uniform," says Christal. She used 1200 x 600 rock in Bianco from Edge Tile and Stone. 

Instead of changing to tiles for the walls, we used a Venetian plaster (Unirock in white) as a feature behind the mirror and on the adjacent wall. 

5. Lighting

"As the terrazzo tiles were a feature in themselves, we kept the lighting simple with down lights in the ceiling," says Christal.

You might also like:

Bathroom buying guide

Small bathroom designs: 14 of the best small bathroom ideas

Transform your bathroom in a weekend

  • Renovating
  • Bathroom Renovations
  • Ensuite Ideas
Rebecca Lowrey Boyd
Rebecca is the Digital Managing Editor of Better Homes and Gardens.

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