Case Study: Rowville Reno - Master Suite

The renovation of the master suite was one of the most important spaces for us. After all, we do spend a third of our lives in the bedroom!

The master bedroom suite was actually one of the first spaces we tackled in this renovation. We wanted a moody ensuite to replace the existing outdated (and leaky) one.

During our first inspection of the home pre-purchase, we noted there was a decent sized WIR and ensuite to the master bedroom. Both were underutilized spatially - the WIR had cupboard doors sitting within walls limiting storage potential and the ensuite had the toilet partitioned off as a separate room. There was definitely potential!

The aim of the design for the master suite was to create an intimate, cozy and most importantly comfortable space.

We knew we didn’t require a large set of rooms - but rather prioritized ambience and comfort. The depth of the bedroom was actually reduced to include a set of cupboards facing the entry, maximizing the storage capacity of the house.

CLICK BELOW TO OUR ROOM BY ROOM POSTS FOR BEFORE & AFTER SHOTS

INTRODUCTION

KITCHEN

HOME OFFICE

MASTER SUITE

BEDROOMS, LAUNDRY, BATHROOM

Layout

The existing master suite had good bones, it was a matter of tweaking some internal walls to maximize storage and practicality.

Some space was borrowed from the bedroom to add a wall of storage cupboards opening onto the hallway. This allowed for shoe and linen storage aswell as a built in hall table.

Previously, the WIR was closed off on each side by a wall and shelves were accessed by double doors. As the room was quite deep on both sides, this resulted in a tight, dark space beyond the doors. The redesigned WIR saw a reduction in depth and removal of the enclosing walls and doors on each side. One full length joinery unit was added to each wall forming a walk through robe to the ensuite.

The additional space created by reducing the depth of the WIR allowed a niche to be introduced in the ensuite to house the toilet suite. This extra space also permitted a freestanding bathtub to be installed where the shower area was previously. The existing highlight window was replaced with a larger picture window to frame a view of landscaping outside.

Design, Finishes & Specifications

The ambience we wanted for the master bed and ensuite was a relaxing, private space. We did this through the use of dark moody tones in the tiles and feature walls. Warm pendant and lamp lighting offset the dark walls creating an overall intimate feel and complimenting the modest room sizes. This was further emphasized by the warm timber laminate selection for the WIR cabinets and vanity unit.

Larger format tiles were used in the ensuite on the walls and floors to give an impression of a homogeneous surface. Some interest is added by the penny round feature wall tiles to the shower wall and toilet niche. Black accents feature throughout and round vanities to match the circular theme throughout the rest of the house.

Specifications

Demolition, Framing & Plasterboard

During the demolition works in the ensuite, we discovered incorrect waterproofing underneath the shower area which resulted in water leakage through to the subfloor.

This was an unforeseen cost as a few joists had to be reinforced or replaced. Always ensure on your renovations that you have budgeted for a healthy contingency amount (15-20% min) as unknown issues will always pop up during the course of the renovation.

Re-plastering the walls presented a perfect opportunity to upgrade the existing insulation. We replaced these with a product that had better thermal and sound insulation properties.

Painting, Joinery & Flooring

The main joinery in the master suite was the vanity bench and the cabinets in the walk in robe. Once the base carcasses were in and waterproofing was down, the tiler could start on his work.

Although the penny rounds came in tiles, they were fiddly to match and was the most time consuming part of the tiling. Generally your tiler will charge a higher rate for installing mosaic tiles due to the additional time required and extra grout.

We painted a feature wall in the bedroom a dark color to match the mood of the ensuite. A neutral loop pile wool carpet was installed to compliment any decor scheme within the space.

Costs

Get the Look (Click on the links)

Walls, Ceiling Paint: BRITISH PAINTS “STAR WHITE”
Bedroom Feature Wall Paint: DULUX “BLUE RHAPSODY”
Carpet: CAVALIER BREMWORTH LEVANTE “FELUCCA”
Joinery: WOODTEC
Armchair: AMART - DISCONTINUED
Side Lamps: BEACON LIGHTING BELLE SQUAT 2 LIGHT LAMP
Curtains: ISEEKBLINDS WEYLANDS “TRANQUIL” BLOCKOUT
Side Tables: BEDSHED ZANDER BEDSIDE
Windows: ACCENT WINDOWS
Ensuite Wall/Floor Tiles: NATIONAL TILES MEXICANA GREY NATURAL
Ensuite Feature Wall Tiles: NATIONAL TILES PIETRA GREY PENNY ROUNDS
Ensuite Tap: HIGHGROVE BATHROOMS SPIN NERO GOOSENECK MATTE BLACK
Ensuite Vanity Basin: HIGHGROVE BATHROOMS EDEN BENCH MOUNT BASIN MATT WHITE
Ensuite Pendant Lights: BEACON LIGHTING LUNAR 1 CYLINDER/ROUND PENDANT IN BLACK/SMOKE
Ensuite WC Unit: CAROMA LUNA WALL FACED TOILET SUITE

Coming up next week: Living & Dining!