Dreaming of your own green bathroom? Two interior designers go head-to-head to create a biophilic scheme for one of our readers, who loves plants and wants a spa-like space.
Senior designers Amanda Lafontant, from bathroom retailer Aston Matthews, and Alison Evans, owner of design studio Obsidian Interiors, have created two different biophilic green bathroom designs for homeowner Heather. Think an abundance of green, natural materials and lots of plants. Read on to see the plans come to life…
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The client
Heather, 38, a data scientist, lives with her husband John, 35, a nutritionist, in their flat in Chiswick. The couple, who have lived in their home for four years, have decided it’s time to finally start renovating the space and put their unique stamp on it. They want to start with their main bathroom before moving on to the rest of the home.
The bathroom is reasonably sized at 2.4m by 3.2m. It has a large window on one side, which provides lots of natural daylight and makes the space feel much bigger. The budget is £25,000 including installation.
The wishlist
- The bathroom needs to be as green as possible, from the colour of the tiles to the plants that will be dotted all around the space. The couple would like shades of natural green and possibly a beautiful moody tone.
- Privacy is hugely important for the couple, who want the WC to be in a separate area from the rest of the bathroom. Ideally, Heather would like the toilet to feature a privacy screen.
- They live in a relatively small flat, so plentiful storage is essential. Everything from cosmetics to cleaning supplies needs to be hidden away neatly out of sight.
- For the main showering space, the pair would like a wetroom with a large overhead shower – think waterfall in the forest.
The moodboard for the green bathroom
Designer one
Amanda Lafontant joined bathroom specialist Aston Matthews in 2022 as a senior designer. She has worked as a designer since 2010 after completing a degree in interior architecture at The Design School Southern Africa. Following the brief, Amanda has designed a biophilic green bathroom that focuses on fluting and natural materials.
Green bathroom: The plans
- The vanity unit has lots of storage for various cosmetics.
- The bath nook in the corner is an idyllic feature with the plants and the fluted wooden wall.
- The shower area is directly opposite the WC creating a little section with the shower screen and the faux WC wall.
- The full-height stud wall has a bespoke unit fitted above the cistern for more storage.
Creating a biophilic green bathroom
Amanda talks us through the design: “Various keywords struck me in the client brief – luxurious spa, storage, privacy and green. These provided the road map I needed to start the design. By adjusting the room’s layout, I have included our freestanding Astonian solid surface bath, positioned under the window and surrounded by plants to give that vital spa experience. And I have suggested bamboo pendant lights above the bath.
“Storage was a primary consideration for this project. Our Horizon basin unit measures 125cm-wide and features two deep drawers. The fluted doors mirror the fluted glass of the shower screen, and we can arrange to have this lacquered to match your décor. Here, I chose a soft sage green to contrast slightly with the walls.
“Further storage can be found in the full-height stud wall we built behind the WC. This now houses a recessed cabinet with fluted glass doors, the perfect place for spare toilet rolls and cleaning materials. There is also a double-fronted, deep mirror cabinet above the basin, which includes a built-in shaver point and light. And for the final flourish, we have included a recessed shelf in the shower. It includes an LED strip light to contribute a relaxed ambience.
“As the shower is directly opposite the door to the bathroom, I have suggested a fluted glass shower screen for privacy. This also introduces an interesting texture to the scheme.”
The client’s verdict
“One of my favourite parts of this design is how there is a huge wow factor as you walk in. The freestanding bath makes a statement, and the décor shelves make it feel homely. I appreciate the designer making space for our plants. And I like the many on-trend elements such as the terrazzo tiles and the fluted vanity unit. The fluting around the space is particularly beautiful – I like how it is used in the wall panels, the shower screen and the vanity unit. It just ties everything together nicely,” says Heather.
Designer two
Alison Evans is an award-winning interior designer at Obsidian Interiors in Cheltenham. She has over 20 years of experience in interior design and loves creating stunning spaces for her clients. Her design leans into luxury spa-like biophilic green bathroom with living wall.
Green bathroom: The plans
- The shower area sits in the corner with glass panels to stop the splashing of water.
- The vanity unit has a large mirror that echoes the window on the other side. As it is wall-mounted, the space feels more open.
- The toilet, sectioned off in its own space, is clearly separated from the spa-style bathroom.
- The towel rail heats the space and is placed near the shower and the bath for easy access.
Spa-like biophilic green bathroom
Alison breaks down her design: “Using green in the bathroom is a great way to evoke a sense of nature and nurture into the bathroom space. To bring more of the outside in and create a bright, spacious feel, I have proposed changing the window so that it goes down to the floor. It will let in lots of of natural light, creating an ever-changing viewpoint and the perfect backdrop for a statement freestanding bath.
“Creating a separate cubicle for the WC within the room and hiding it from immediate sight, allows the creation of living walls on either side of the window and on one side of the stud wall. I have also planned to add handy storage above the WC area – storage in any bathroom is vital.
“A large walk-in shower with full-sized, floor-to-ceiling glass wetroom panels and recessed profiles will be installed at one end of the room, fitted with a waterfall ceiling-mounted showerhead that’s recessed into the ceiling.
“The space opposite the bath is an excellent place to position the basin. Using a matching stone countertop basin creates a natural synergy within the space through materials and forms, while mounting it on an organic white stone worktop offers space on either side for accessories and a couple of plants. The addition of a floating drawer unit underneath allows a place for everything and yet maintains a sense of space.”
The client’s verdict
“This design has totally blown me away. Using the living wall as a dividing wall is simply genius as it brings in so much greenery. The green accents throughout the bathroom are stunning, particularly when contrasted with the gold taps and the shower.
“The overall layout of the bathroom feels perfect, especially the bath area. I can imagine feeling like I am in a forest when I’m having a bath. I’m not sure whether I’d go for the entire natural living wall or with something that doesn’t require as much maintenance. The separated toilet helps the design to feel spa-like – it shows how you can have both beauty and functionality. And I would have liked more storage. But I may consider using a different vanity by the basin to give us more space.”
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