A Japanese-style two-room bath filled with hanging plants
Photography by Nicholas Worley, courtesy of Simon Astridge Architecture Workshop. London architect Simon Astridge is a master of materials He gravitates to simple luxury and has a razor sharp focus... ...A sampling of his projects have been dubbed for instance the Plywood House The Pink House and The Clay House Fumed oak paneling lines the outer room not only on the walls but also the floor and ceiling. You move from the public zone tatami threshold into the private undressing dressing timber threshold and then into the bathing... ...and washing stone threshold Situated in what had been the kitchen the two rooms occupy a total of 140 square feet The custom sink is made of mild steel that will weather with use and develop a wabi-sabi appeal. For more of his inventive uses of plumbing parts, see A Tiny Plywood Kitchen with DIY Brass Hardware. Astridge sourced the fumed oak from AH Peck LTD, and the steel-framed glass wall with inset door was made by the venerable UK company Crittall—for details, see Hardscaping 101: Steel Factory-Style Windows and Doors. To “provide thermal comfort while undressing,” the space is heated by traditional Victorian matte black radiators. Ferns succulents and other moisture loving plants hang from the existing ceiling joists in the inner sanctum The walls and floor are lined... ...in stone like gray porcelain tiles from Pentagon Tiles and the shower ceiling rises into the plywood paneled eaves of the roof above Refined meets rustic: the matte black Shower Mixers are from Vola and the brass bath taps are another score from a hardware store in Braga, Portugal: “They’re very one-off but high quality,” says Astridge. For help selecting the plants, the couple worked with garden designer Patrick Featherstone, who directed them to tropical varieties that thrive in humidity and mid- to low-level light.