These are the most sought-after features in a luxury bathroom renovation

Bathrooms were the first major challenge for The Block contestants, and with eventual high-end buyers in mind luxurious finishes have been considered essential.

But if money was no object in your renovation, how would you splash your cash?

We asked award-winning interior designer Greg Natale, high-end architect Rob Mills and director of boutique bathroom renovation company Giuselle Bathrooms, Joseph Principato, for their expert opinions on how to create a luxurious bathroom.

Hero the view

When it comes to injecting a bathroom with million-dollar magic, it’s hard to beat a killer view. Principato, who is currently working on a bathroom in a swanky Mosman house with harbour views, says you should definitely capitalise on any outlook that features water, lush greenery or a twinkling cityscape.

Mills concurs and says he loves the view from his shower, which looks out over Armadale. “If you don’t have a view, a good skylight can be a great solution,” he says. Especially effective placed above the bath or shower, a window to the sky can filter both light and sun into the space and put daytime shine on your bathroom fitout.

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A statement bath

The freestanding bath has become a symbol of opulence across the nation’s bathrooms. Often the focal point of the space, it promises respite and relaxation in equal measure.

For Natale, a bathroom without a statement bath is a waste of an opportunity to indulge. “You want your bathroom to be like a hotel room with a gorgeous bath as the centrepiece,” he says.

Mills agrees. “It should be beautiful to look at and it should have an ergonomic shape.” For heat retention, Mills nominates Corian as a good choice, while for maximum wow factor, a custom-coloured bath is hard to beat.

Layered lighting

Forget the lone light fitting in the centre of your bathroom or a scattering of dull downlights. A luxury bathroom should have a range of lighting to add both functionality and glamour.

“Lighting is really important,” Principato says. “You can have strip LEDs in the ceiling coves and underneath the vanity, and you can have chandeliers or pendant lights.”

Mills says dimmable lighting is essential for creating a calm sanctuary and he loves candles to set the mood for relaxation.

A soothing colour palette and tactile surfaces

Mills believes bathrooms should have a feminine feel with soft, light colours.

“I love beautiful detailing, like curved surfaces so your eye can gently travel across the space,” he says. “Bathing is one of the moments in the day that you really give to yourself so if it’s a good sensory experience it becomes a real pleasure. And pleasure is the essence of luxury.”

For Principato, European products have enduring quality. “In my personal experience of 30 years you can’t beat a classical look,” says Principato. “Number one on my list for luxury is natural stone: honed limestone, Calacatta or white Carrara marble in slabs or in large format tiles.”

Mills likes good-looking tapware with no sharp edges, a sound mechansim and fluid action.

“Taps are the objects you touch and if they don’t feel strong and robust and tactile and comfortable, then they’re not luxurious,” he says.

A hidden loo

Nothing kills romance quite like seeing your partner lazing on the loo, so tuck that toilet out of sight.

“We always put the toilet in a separate compartment so you can’t see it,” says Mills. “That allows people to share the space. In a relationship it’s those little domestic interactions which can undermine harmony.”

Natale believes breaking up the space in a large bathroom is the key to prestige. “You want to create a powder room, a shower wet room and a bathing space,” he says.

Principato says the bigger the space, the grander your bathroom can be, but using feature island walls to create partitions between the shower, bath, basin and toilet means these fixtures won’t look lost in a large room.

Turn on the heat

In spite of our relatively mild climate, under-floor heating has become de rigueur in many Aussie bathrooms, but have you heard of in-wall heating?

Principato says Giuselle is the only company in Australia currently offering wall heating, complete with electronic thermostats.

“So far we’re doing five to 10 of these installs a year, generally in bathrooms over the $60,000 mark,” he says.

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