Trends New Zealand Trends Volume 32 No 1 New Zealand | Page 115

either views to the clients’ manicured garden or
user privacy with a flick of the switch – essentially, a chemical reacts with a low-voltage
current to bring clarity, while turning off the
current results in the default translucent effect.”
The strong, minimalist bathroom has several touches that look straightforward but were
quite tricky to execute.
“Having the glass shower screen stop short
of the floor required thoughtful design, in terms
of the engineering, as well as a sloped floor that
extends out beyond the stall’s footprint.”
Even the shower plumbing is hidden away

inside the stall’s chrome support rod – nothing
is as simple as it appears at first glance.
Barnes also designed the sculptural vanity –
a steel frame clad in engineered stone – which is
the centrepiece for the dramatic bathing space.
“Wall cavities were used for the storage
usually found in the vanity, while recycled oak
frames the generous, well-lit vanity mirror.”
Another artisanal feature of the bathroom is
its carefully considered large-format tilework.
Used in different sizes for floor and wall, their
layout is designed to avoid small half end pieces
that would have cluttered the clean aesthetic.

Preceding pages: Privacy at your
fingertip – high-tech switch glass
turns a shower wall into a scenic
window in this dressed-to-impress
bathroom space by Owen Barnes.
This page: The mitred niche shelving
in the shower is in a contrasting
colour to the surrounding wall. Wood
and moisture are poor company so
Barnes introduced a window sill and
window surround in a dark stone tile.

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