Kids Bathroom In Brown Marble With Hanging Mirror

The brown marble is cut into narrow vertical grooves running up the walls. A large flat run of dark stone can look heavy and dull, so the grooves break the surface into slim bands that catch the light down each edge. That gives the wall texture and a sense of height without adding any other material or colour. It is the same stone throughout, just worked, which keeps the room feeling calm and of one piece.

The vanity is a solid marble block with the stone carried down the sides in a waterfall, so it looks carved from one piece rather than built from boards. The basin is set under the counter, which leaves a clean stone rim around it and makes the top easy to wipe. Below the counter, dark drawers store the daily clutter. An under-counter basin like this hides the join, though it needs the stone cut precisely so the edge stays neat.

The shower sits in its own recess lined in the same brown marble, kept open to the room rather than boxed behind a bulky frame. A niche is cut into the wall to hold soap and bottles, so nothing hangs off a rack. The controls and spout are set into the wall, and a slim drain runs in the floor. Keeping the shower open makes a small bathroom feel bigger, at the cost of a little spray reaching the wider floor.

The ceiling is a plain painted white, edged with a moulded cornice where it meets the marble, which softens the change from dark stone to light ceiling. Set into it are recessed spots for the main light and a cassette fan, the square ceiling type with a fan behind a grille. In a windowless or humid bathroom that fan pulls the damp air out and keeps the marble from staying wet. The white overhead also bounces light down.

It holds up well, which is part of why it suits a busy bathroom. Darker marble hides the water spots and toothpaste splashes that show instantly on a pale surface, so it looks tidy for longer between cleans. The grooved walls do collect a little more dust in the lines than a flat wall, so they want an occasional wipe down the grooves. Marble stays cool and wears slowly, which handles daily knocks better than a painted finish.

Marble is easy if you are gentle with it. Wipe surfaces with a soft cloth and a mild, non-acidic cleaner, and rinse off toothpaste or soap before it dries on. Avoid gritty scrubs and anything acidic, which can etch a dull patch into the polish. The under-counter basin and wall-hung toilet both leave clear surfaces to wipe around, so there are few awkward corners. Run the fan after a shower to dry the stone and stop water marks forming.

The stone and the skilled work behind it drive the figure. Grooving the marble, folding it into a waterfall vanity, and matching the veins around corners are all slow specialist jobs, so labour is a big part of the cost. The hidden frame for the wall-hung toilet, the concealed shower valve, and the custom hung mirror each add work you never see. Using marble on the floor and one feature wall, with simpler finishes elsewhere, brings it down.