Guest Bathroom with Brown Marble Feature Wall

It is a counter-top basin set on a marble top over the vanity, paired with a wall-mounted tap. Sitting the bowl on the surface makes it a shape you notice, and putting the tap on the wall keeps the counter around it clear and easy to wipe. The one care point is the seal where the basin meets the stone, which should be kept clean so water does not creep beneath the bowl.

The floor is laid in a star-pattern tile, a quiet geometric design underfoot that adds interest without shouting. In a small bathroom a patterned floor gives the eye something to read while the walls stay mostly plain, which balances the room. The pattern also helps disguise the odd water spot or footprint between cleans, which a plain pale floor would show more openly.

There is a glassed-off shower zone at the far end of the bathroom, which keeps the spray contained so the vanity and toilet stay dry and usable. A glass partition suits a compact guest bathroom because it separates wet from dry without a solid wall closing the small room in. The clear panel also lets light travel through the whole space rather than blocking it at the shower.

The toilet is wall-hung, with its cistern concealed and the pan floating clear of the floor. That open floor beneath makes a small bathroom easier to mop and helps it feel less cramped, since you see more of the tile. A concealed cistern also gives the wall a cleaner line. The supporting frame is built into the wall, so it needs setting right at the plumbing stage.

A little. Natural marble is porous, so the feature wall should be sealed periodically and kept away from acidic cleaners that can etch the surface. Day to day, its glossy face shows water spots, so a quick wipe after the basin or shower is used keeps it looking sharp. In return you get a wall that looks like solid stone, which no printed tile quite matches close up.

Very much so; it is built for one. The wall-hung toilet, the glass shower partition and the single feature wall are all moves that make a small bathroom feel bigger and easier to keep clean. Concentrating the marble on one wall gives a rich look without the cost or heaviness of cladding the whole room. It is a good template for a guest bathroom where space is tight.

A wall-mounted geyser provides hot water, fitted up high to stay out of the way in a tight room. Lighting comes from recessed ceiling spotlights spread across the space so it stays evenly bright. In a compact bathroom, even ceiling light matters more than a single feature fitting, since it keeps the corners and the shower zone from falling into shadow when the glass partition is in use.