Nicola Dawkins renovated her home's small ensuite bathroom, focusing on a large walk-in shower instead of a bathtub. She worked with designer Mark Crossey to maximize the space through clever design details like recessed areas and wall-mounted furniture. They achieved a look of luxury without ostentation using rich materials like walnut furniture and textured brown tile from Italy. Nicola is pleased with her "little treat" ensuite bathroom which is both stylish and comfortable.

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EAST SUSSEX HOME
Top left: The Matki walk-in shower enclosure comes complete with removable teak decking to
save the floor from drips Above: A Deluge showerhead is mounted on an overhead bar support to
provide Nicola with the revitalising morning drenching she was looking for Left: Matki’s Elixir
concealed thermostatic shower mixer has soft-turn, precision-made controls that determine the
flow and temperature of water to exact requirements Below: Wenge-coloured ceramic tiles from
the Philosophy range have an etched floral design that adds a feminine touch to the space
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EAST SUSSEX HOME
n the final stages of a major
refurbishment project on her
recently purchased three-
bedroom house, located
on the seafront of the popular
resort of Eastbourne, young
professional Nicola Dawkins
decided that it was time for a bit
of unrestrained pampering.
“This was the bit I was really
looking forward to,” recalls
Nicola. “There had been a lot of
major work to do throughout the
house and one of the last rooms
to be tackled was the ensuite
bathroom adjacent to my new
master bedroom. I’d already
made my mind up at the start of
the project that, if all went
smoothly, this new bathroom
would be my little treat right at
the end.”
To that end, Nicola was
looking for a truly outstanding,
high-spec bathroom to help
her create her little sanctuary
of unashamed modern luxury.
However, she also decided that,
rather than installing a bath for
long soaks, a large portion of the
modest 2.4 x 2.7m space would
be occupied by a spacious walk-
in shower. “I’ve always felt that
an ensuite bathroom is the place
to get refreshed in the morning,
so I wanted to just turn on a big
rain shower, rather than waiting
to fill a bathtub,” she explains.
The company that Nicola
chose to design and fit her new
ensuite haven was André Le
Gros Design Studio. “It was a
simple choice for me – the
company is local, and the very
first time I walked into the
showroom I knew they had
exactly the kind of beautiful,
high-end modern fixtures and
fittings I’d been looking for,”
she enthuses. “When I met
their designer, Mark Crossey,
it was immediately clear that
he had knowledge and a passion
for design, so I always felt
in safe hands and knew that
together we could come up with
something really striking.”
I
Just
reward
A spacious walk-in shower
replaces the bath in a luxury
ensuite bathroom
Report: Greg Cook Photography: Richard Parsons
Left: The 1700 walk-in shower
enclosure by Matki is spacious and
practical, while its frameless
construction gives it a barely-
there appearance

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EAST SUSSEX HOME
What Mark and Nicola have
achieved is an ensuite that has
the look and feel of true luxury
without any traces of ostentation,
making a modest-sized space
seem much larger than it is
thanks to some very clever
design details.
“We used recesses in the
shower and behind the WC to
give a sense of extra width, and
the Vitra Espace unit system
opposite is wall mounted,
making more floor area visible.
The big mirrors above it reflect
the light to create more depth,”
explains Nicola. “Creating
a comfortable feeling of space
was actually our main issue.
The Espace asymmetric left and
right washbasins are a really nice
touch. Set at the corners of each
unit on a slight diagonal, they’re
another great feature that helps
the room look more spacious.”
Space-sapping straight lines and
corners were rejected in favour
of a curved walk-in shower
enclosure from Matki.
Top: Cream travertine floor tiles and plain white walls compensate for the lack of natural light while
also dramatically offsetting the rich dark brown tones of the walnut furniture and wenge-coloured
shower tiles Above: Left and right asymmetric Espace basins by Vitra sit either side of the tall unit
Right: Vitra’s wall-hanging Espace furniture visually enlarges the space, while mirrors with touch-free
lighting give a greater sense of depth and bounce light around the room
“I’d made my mind up at the start
of the project that, if all went smoothly, this new
bathroom would be my little treat”
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EAST SUSSEX HOME

3. EAST SUSSEX HOME
DESIGN
Mark Crossey of André Le Gros
Design Studio (01323 430278 or
www.andrelegros.co.uk)
BATHROOM
Furniture and basins Espace,
Vitra (01235 750990 or
www.vitrauk.com)
Basin mixers Diagon, Vitra,
as before
WC Retro, Vitra, as before
Shower 1700 enclosure with
Elixir mixer and Deluge
showerhead, Matki
(01454 322888 or
www.matki.co.uk)
Tiles Philosophy in Wenge and
Avorio, Ceramiche Marca Corona
(www.marcacorona.it) at André
Le Gros Design Studio, as before
COST
A similar bathroom would cost in
the region of £8500
84 KITCHENS BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS
“I absolutely love the choice
of materials in here,” says
Nicola. “Mark sourced these
beautiful oblong tiles from Italy,
to clad the shower walls. They’re
ceramic but textured with a
slight grain and in a rich brown
colour that makes the ideal
complement to the walnut
washstand unit opposite.” The
plain tiles were intermixed with
etched floral tiles to create a
unique pattern. “As soon as I saw
them I knew they were going
to be perfect,” recalls Nicola.
“But actually they’re still just one
of many carefully considered
elements that have contributed
to making this bathroom part of a
whole living experience, not just
a room to get washed in.” KBB
The walnut-veneered Espace washbasin unit
provides the perfect hiding place for towels and other
bathroom paraphernalia, leaving surfaces clutter free