Brunswick Parlour transforms a Victorian cottage into a hard-working, personalised home for a family of four. Our clients loved the character of their Brunswick terrace home, but not its inefficient floor plan and poor year-round thermal control. They didn't need more space, they just needed their space to work harder. The front bedrooms remain largely untouched, retaining their Victorian features and only introducing new cabinetry. Meanwhile, the main bedroom’s previously pokey en suite and wardrobe have been expanded, adorned with custom cabinetry and illuminated via a generous skylight. At the rear of the house, we reimagined the floor plan to establish shared spaces suited to the family’s lifestyle. Flanked by the dining and living rooms, the kitchen has been reoriented into a more efficient layout and features custom cabinetry that uses every available inch. In the dining room, the Swiss Army Knife of utility cabinets unfolds to reveal a laundry, more custom cabinetry, and a craft station with a retractable desk. Beautiful materiality throughout infuses the home with warmth and personality, featuring Blackbutt timber flooring and cabinetry, and selective pops of green and pink tones. The house now works hard in a thermal sense too. Insulation and glazing were updated to best practice standard, and we’ve introduced several temperature control tools. Hydronic heating installed throughout the house is complemented by an evaporative cooling system and operable skylight. The result is a lush, tactile home that increases the effectiveness of every existing inch to enhance daily life for our clients, proving that good design doesn’t need to add space to add value.

Surrey Hills bathrooms

Jasmine McClelland Design

Main bedroom en suite
Design ideas for a large contemporary master bathroom in Melbourne with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, an alcove tub, mosaic tile, marble floors, solid surface benchtops, white benchtops, a niche, a double vanity and a floating vanity.

New House Torquay

Baker Drofenik Architects Pty Ltd

New bathroom with freestanding bath, large window and timber privacy screen
Design ideas for a large industrial master bathroom in Geelong with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, a freestanding tub, green tile, mosaic tile, a vessel sink, solid surface benchtops, grey benchtops, a double vanity and a floating vanity.

Langham Place Davidson

Bathrooms By Oldham

A combination of oak and pastel blue created a calming oasis to lye in the tranquil bath and watch the world go by. New Velux solar skylight and louvre window were installed to add ventilation and light.

Beverly Hills Modern

Lori Dennis, ASID, LEED AP

Large and modern master bathroom primary bathroom. Grey and white marble paired with warm wood flooring and door. Expansive curbless shower and freestanding tub sit on raised platform with LED light strip. Modern glass pendants and small black side table add depth to the white grey and wood bathroom. Large skylights act as modern coffered ceiling flooding the room with natural light.

new bathroom addition

AXIS Productions

a bathroom was added between the existing garage and home. A window couldn't be added, so a skylight brings needed sunlight into the space. WoodStone Inc, General Contractor Home Interiors, Cortney McDougal, Interior Design Draper White Photography

Sleek modern master bathroom

Skydell Contracting Inc.

Red Ranch Studio photography
Large modern master wet room bathroom in New York with a two-piece toilet, grey walls, ceramic floors, distressed cabinets, an alcove tub, white tile, subway tile, a vessel sink, solid surface benchtops, grey floor and an open shower.

White on White

Partners 4, Design

Gilbertson Photography
This is an example of a small contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, white cabinets, an alcove shower, white tile, solid surface benchtops, a one-piece toilet, porcelain floors and flat-panel cabinets.

Contemporary Coastal

Avalon Architectural, Inc.

A bold statement tub creates a soothing oasis in the master suite.
Photo of a large contemporary master bathroom in Orange County with a freestanding tub, an alcove shower, a hinged shower door, a one-piece toilet, white walls, porcelain floors, a wall-mount sink, solid surface benchtops and beige floor.

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Moscow with black cabinets, an alcove shower, a wall-mount toilet, gray tile, porcelain tile, grey walls, porcelain floors, a drop-in sink, solid surface benchtops, grey floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, an enclosed toilet, a single vanity, a floating vanity and flat-panel cabinets.

Master Bathroom

R|House Design Build

Custom vanity
Inspiration for a large traditional master bathroom in Minneapolis with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray tile, porcelain tile, grey walls, an undermount sink, solid surface benchtops and grey benchtops.

2017 Parade of Homes Grand Hacienda Award Winner

Annie O'Carroll Interior Design

Wendy McEahern
Expansive contemporary master bathroom in Albuquerque with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, a drop-in tub, gray tile, mosaic tile, an undermount sink, grey floor, a curbless shower, a one-piece toilet, white walls, porcelain floors, solid surface benchtops and a hinged shower door.

Contemporary Ranch with Golf Course Views

Raugstad Inc.

As a builder of custom homes primarily on the Northshore of Chicago, Raugstad has been building custom homes, and homes on speculation for three generations. Our commitment is always to the client. From commencement of the project all the way through to completion and the finishing touches, we are right there with you – one hundred percent. As your go-to Northshore Chicago custom home builder, we are proud to put our name on every completed Raugstad home.

Crawford Street

Palmerston Design Consultants

Stephani Buchman
This is an example of a large modern master bathroom in Toronto with furniture-like cabinets, medium wood cabinets, a freestanding tub, an alcove shower, gray tile, white tile, marble, white walls, mosaic tile floors, a vessel sink, solid surface benchtops and a wall-mount toilet.

Canyon Pass at Dove Mountain

Milestone Homes

Large master bath with custom floating cabinets, double undermount sinks, wall mounted faucets, recessed mirrors, limestone floors, large walk-in shower with glass doors opening into private patio. Photo by Robinette Architects, Inc.

Cube House

Edmonds + Lee Architects

Eddy Joaquim
This is an example of a mid-sized modern master bathroom in San Francisco with a trough sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, solid surface benchtops, a freestanding tub, an open shower, gray tile, stone tile, white walls, marble floors and an open shower.

Contemporary Bathroom

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary master bathroom in Miami with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, solid surface benchtops, a freestanding tub, beige tile, stone slab and marble floors.

renovated bunk bath

AXIS Productions

an existing bathroom in the basement lacked character and light. By expanding the bath and adding windows, the bathroom can now accommodate multiple guests staying in the bunk room. WoodStone Inc, General Contractor Home Interiors, Cortney McDougal, Interior Design Draper White Photography

Modern Home Overlooking Cape Cod Bay - North Truro, MA

Cape Associates, Inc.

Photographed by Dan Cutrona
Photo of a large contemporary master bathroom in Boston with a freestanding tub, beige tile, a wall-mount sink, a two-piece toilet, mosaic tile, beige walls, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, an alcove shower, mosaic tile floors, solid surface benchtops, beige floor, a sliding shower screen and white benchtops.

Bathroom Design Ideas with Solid Surface Benchtops

If you’re looking for bathroom ideas, look no further than Houzz. Our image gallery brings you a large range of photos with inspiration for your viewing pleasure, and not only that - you can also save your ideas in ideabooks and find the professional that has done the job. When planning your bathroom design or update, start by collecting images of designs you like and take it from there. Whether you are designing your bathroom from scratch, redesigning, updating or simply decorating, you’ll be sure to find ideas for every possible scenario. And once you're ready, you can find the architect and/or builder to get the job done. But let’s start with the bathroom design basics.

How to Plan Your Bathroom Design

A good bathroom design brings together beauty and functionality. It reflects your personality in its style, colours, fittings and fixtures, but serves your needs to a tee both when you’re getting ready for work in the morning and when you want to wind down in your bathtub after a long day.

1 Collect Bathroom Ideas to Decide on Your Layout

Firstly, consider your space. Is it rectangular or are you working with a long, narrow room? This will determine how many wet walls you can accommodate, and if a bathtub can fit. For example, in a narrow room a freestanding bathtub may not work, and a one-wall layout that lines up shower, toilet and vanity on the same wall will make sense in most cases. (It’s also the most budget-friendly option in terms of plumbing). Maybe separate rooms for toilet and shower make sense? Maybe you want to work with a window above a bathtub or in the shower. You may live in an old house where you can keep some of the original character of the home, or you may be working with a small apartment space. All these considerations are vital in deciding on which layout will work best for you. Have a look at some popular ideas to get started.

2 Consider How You Use Your Bathroom

Once you’ve gathered some inspiration, have a think about who is using the room, and how they will be using it. A single guy needs a lot less storage than a teenage girl, and a family bathroom may need to consider elderly family members. Making your bathroom wheelchair accessible could save you thousands down the line. You may also want to accommodate a washer and dryer in the bathroom, since it’s where clothes are taken off frequently. Also consider safety and cleaning. Ensure no-one will slip and hurt themselves, and consider that many little tiles will make for many little nooks for grime to accumulate, whereas big surfaces like a sink that is integrated with the vanity counter, or a big mirror will make wiping down the surface much easier than having sinks sitting on top or an intricately designed mirror.

3 Your Style Determines The Colours and Fixtures You Choose

When looking at bathroom photos on Houzz, you’ll probably lean towards a certain style pretty soon. Are you into rustic charm, modern beach house style or a mix of styles? This will determine if you opt for whites, greys and blues or if you go for dark cabinets, black floor tiles or bronze fixtures. Specifically, you want to consider:

Tiling

Are you going to tile floors and walls? There’s so many possibilities, from your choice of tile to how they are laid. If you’re budget conscious, you may want to consider a wallpaper or paint for certain areas. A simple grey tile can make room for other elements to shine, while mosaics or a subway tile can make a great feature wall.

Lighting

Lighting doesn’t only look pretty, but can impact your bathroom experience significantly. The mirror is a special area you want to light well, so that you don’t miss any hair when shaving or can apply that perfect line to your eye.

Furniture & Fixtures

Pay attention to how colours of cabinets and floor can impact a room. You may want to consider a wooden floor for something different and pair it with simple white vanity and cabinets, or you may want to go for the steampunk look with bronze tubes and black walls. Consider what type of shower, bathtub (if any), toilet, sink and vanity you want. Maybe you have space for a generous spa with walk-in shower, or maybe you want a freestanding bath to be the feature of the room.