If kitchens are the central social space, then bathrooms are their antithesis – the most private and singular of spaces within a house. For many, solitude is the essence of luxury and daily bathing is the perfect ‘alone time’. These three bathrooms demonstrate how to celebrate quietude and privacy in different ways, from framing a view to proximity to private dressing rooms.

Invisible House, Blue Mountains
Peter Stutchbury Architecture

The architecture of the Invisible House (page #) finds a balance between comfortable spaces for living and underscoring the enormity of its natural setting. Located just below a ridgeline in an immense landscape, life is celebrated in the simplest of ways. Rooms defer to the view and experience of nature, deliberately pared back and designed for passive climate control. This concrete bathroom dramatically exposes the view from the upper floor. A freestanding bath and a cantilevered brass sink and taps offer minimal gestures to avoid detracting from the real subject of the space – the outdoors.

Peter Stutchbury Architecture
Photo Tom Ferguson

Country house in the city, Auckland
Pattersons Associates with interior design by Sonja Hawkins

In contrast to the concrete bathroom on the opposite page, the luxury of this bathroom is in its materials and details. The image shows a contemporary take on a dressing table as part of a large dressing room. With a washbasin and make-up space, it allows the user to sit and prepare for her day or evening out. The materials are natural and classic with oak, glass mosaic tiles (in the form of a mural), and a white marble benchtop. The Hay Strap Mirror from Cult and Vieques Basin (by Patricia Urquiola) from Matisse add character and a sense of the handmade.

Pattersons
Photo Simon Devitt

Planchonella House, Queensland
Jesse Bennett Architect with interior design by Anne-Marie Campagnolo

This bathroom was designed as a peaceful and inspiring space with outlook to the surrounding rainforest. It has a simple colour palette of black, white and honey-toned timber against the soft grey concrete ceiling and floor. Textures and patterns are introduced through tiles and fittings for characterful accents to the room, and greenery is used to adorn the bathroom and to connect with the foliage outside. The dressing room, on the right in the photo, offers a touch of glamour and softness in the sheepskin floor rug and pink ottoman designed by Anne-Marie Campagnolo.

Jesse Bennett Architect
Photo Sean Fennessy