Inside Doonan Glasshouse

Award-winning bathroom indulges minimal modernism: inside the Doonan Glasshouse

Designed with clean lines, minimalism and transparency in mind, the award-winning contemporary Doonan Glasshouse on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, is nothing short of an architectural masterpiece. From the chic monochromatic colour palette carefully echoed throughout the house to the luxe award-winning indoor outdoor master bathroom, Architect Sarah Waller of Sarah Waller Architecture meticulously designed every aspect of the house.

Describing the style of the house as 'luxury resort', Sarah Waller details the modernist movement of the 1950s as a source of inspiration. A design movement emphasised by open floor plans, an abundance of windows and creating a seamless flow from the interior to the exterior – the Doonan Glasshouse is the perfect contemporary interpretation.

Walls of glass surround the home allowing an abundance of natural light to fill every room and provide uninterrupted views of the tropical landscape. "The house is surrounded by lush greenery so the intention was to remove the distinction between the indoors and outdoors thus creating spaces that are open and transparent," says Sarah. "The design allows light to move seamlessly around the house throughout the day."

In keeping with the resort-style design philosophy, each of the five bathrooms in the home are private, relaxing spaces. "They have the vibe of a luxury hotel – I wanted each bathroom to be a place to unwind after a busy day," explains Sarah. "We have the luxury of space which allowed me to be indulgent and create the master bathroom with an outside shower and bath."

The award-winning master bathroom is indeed a design triumph. Featuring stylish amenities such as double wash basins, the innovative Methven Aurajet® Aio showerhead, a spacious bathtub, and a state-of-the-art toilet with concealed cistern – the master bathroom extends outside and includes another spacious shower and freestanding bath installed amongst nature. "It was important to capitalise on the natural light and tropical surrounds," says Sarah. "It is a true spa-like atmosphere and allows the user to completely relax and feel at one with nature."

Ensuring consistency throughout, Sarah chose Methven Aurajet Aio showers for every bathroom in the house. "The clean lines of the design appealed to me, as did the innovation," says Sarah. A unique halo-shaped showerhead that delivers an advanced, highly efficient and invigorating shower experience, Methven Aurajet Aio was the perfect choice. "As well as being stylish, innovative and easy to clean, it's also extremely high-performance," she explains. "The property uses tank water and pressure can be an issue, but the Methven Aurajet showerhead is powerful with perfect pressure and works well with the limited water supply."

Adding to the clean lines and seamless flow of the architecture is the monochromatic colour scheme. In the master bathroom a matte black tiled wall frames the mirror and floating vanity, while matte black accessories, tapware and pendant lights add interest to the adjoining white walls and ceiling. "The restrained colour palette is timeless and in keeping with the minimalist design and clean lines," says Sarah.

An architectural statement, the Doonan Glasshouse is the perfect example of minimalist details, a pared back palette and lush, tropical surrounds coming together to create a modern family home and resort-style escape.

Sarah Waller Architecture Bathroom Design Tips

- Plan carefully. Be thorough when planning your bathroom layout. It's a small space so carefully consider lighting, ventilation, windows, the placement of fittings and the colour palette.
- Keep the colour palette simple. Bathrooms are usually quite small, intense spaces and busy colours are too overwhelming on the eye and can create an unwelcoming space. Look to black and white to provide clean lines.
- Storage, storage and more storage. Everything should be hidden away in concealed storage for a clean line of vision.
- Choose classic styles for longevity. Select fittings that are classic in style and high in quality.
- Steer clear of trends. When selecting bathroom tiles remember you have to live with them for the next ten years so be wary of trends. It's not easy to retile a whole bathroom.
- Clean lines rule. Look to long, straight linear elements rather than curves.
- Create space. The more floor space you have, the larger a bathroom will feel. Anything you can keep off the floor is a design win. Look to floating vanities, wall-hung toilets and concealed cupboards. Adding storage behind mirrored cabinets is ideal.
- Keep it warm and cosy. Underfloor heating is amazing in bathrooms and takes the edge off walking on cold tiles.
- Light it up. Lighting is important as we tend to use bathrooms at night. Make sure your space has mood lighting for enjoying a relaxing bath, as well as task lighting for doing things like your makeup. Windows are energy efficient and provide natural lighting throughout the day.

- Matching accessories complete the look. Choose items such as towels, soap dispensers and decorative pieces that complement your colour palette, this will tie the whole look together.

The Methven Aurajet® Aio shower collection is exclusively distributed by Reece Bathrooms in Australia. For further information, visit www.methven.com and www.reece.com.au