Interior architect Adrian Condina has decades of experience locally and internationally. Recently returned to Australia after 10 years working in London with David Collins Studio, Condina honed his incredible eye for luxurious details and incomparable quality while working on ultra-high-end residential, luxury retail and hospitality projects for iconic global brands. Here, he shares his insights into what it takes to design a bathroom that goes far beyond the stark white wet room of the past.

Australian Design Review: The bathroom has evolved a great deal in recent years. Can you share your take on how bathrooms have changed to meet the needs of how we live now? 

Adrian Condina: Bathrooms over the past 50 years have evolved aesthetically with various design trends, but historically there would be an ensuite for the master bedroom and one main bathroom in a typical Aussie home. Bathrooms are now evolving in terms of functionality, not just aesthetics. They are no longer small wet areas within a residence; instead, multiple iterations of them now exist in a single house,  varying in size and functionality. 

ADR: You’ve designed bathrooms for some prominent international clients. Can you share how you approach creating a bathroom that reflects a client’s unique personality and lifestyle?

AC: First and foremost, it’s understanding who will be using the bathroom, ensuring all the functional elements are in place, and then layering that with the form and material palette to ensure it reflects their personality and overall design vision. No two clients are ever the same, so their bathrooms should reflect this also. 

ADR: What do you think about incorporating personalised elements into a bathroom space? Do you encourage it, or should everything be stored away in its right place?

AC: In most instances, I encourage clients to have some personal items on display or in view, and not all concealed away in storage. Items such as their signature fragrances or favourite candle fill the space with their personal scents, adding a mark of personalisation and familiarity in the bathroom. 

ADR: How do you weave colour schemes and materials into your design? What role do these play in expressing individuality in a bathroom?

AC: The biggest of them all! I often correlate the material palette and colour scheme of the design to the personalities that reside in them. It’s the balance of masculine and feminine, subtle and bold, hard and soft and so on. This creates a beautiful blend of materiality and colour for the projects that work harmoniously together. It’s great to see the results, especially the reactions received by the clients and the design elements that they love most, which are often two very different elements. 

ADR: Can you share examples of how you’ve customised bathroom designs for past clients?

AC: On a recent project, Prospect Residence, the new bathroom was not only intended to serve as the main bathroom for the homeowners’ two sons but also as the bathroom for guests. It had to look as spectacular as the adjacent kitchen, living and dining area, but also perform and function for frequent usage. We did a stocktake of all the products and items that needed to be stored and housed these within concealed storage cabinets built into the timber veneer wall. The material palette was chosen to link back to the rest of the house, but also to incorporate very robust materials such as terrazzo floors, ceramic wall tiles and Navurban wall panels. 

ADR: How do you ensure that the design remains functional while being highly personalised?

AC: In initial briefing meetings with clients, the bathroom is often the space where the need for high functionality is prioritised and often the first room to be discussed. It’s also important to ensure the bathroom is future-proofed, accommodating evolving needs or even for selling the residence.So much of our time is spent in bathrooms, so I always ensure efficient use of space, layering of lighting and functional storage solutions are implemented before the vision for the aesthetics even comes into play. 

ADR: Storage in bathrooms is often one of the most pressing concerns for clients. How do you design storage that is functional and beautiful?

AC: Concealed cabinets within walls, especially within smaller bathrooms is always a suggestion I put forward to clients. This allows the unique design of the vanity or the beautiful materials used in the space to stand out and create an impact.

ADR: Internationally we see a lot of art and design objects incorporated into bathroom design. What is your take on how this translates into an Australian context?

AC: Bathrooms in Australia are spaces where art, objects and decorative elements are becoming increasingly present. The English and Europeans have always treated their bathrooms as a flow on of the rest of the residence by bringing art, decorative wallpapers and objects into these areas. Small vignettes of art on the walls, incorporation of wall lights, and beautiful sculptural pieces on vanities or window sills are often layers added to reflect the individuality of the residences. If space allows, I love bringing in statement furniture pieces into the bathroom design, such as stools, side tables or even a unique armchair. 

ADR: What are some tips for choosing fixtures and fittings that stand out yet complement the overall design?

AC: Consistency is key. In most projects, I keep the design language and materiality of the sanitary fittings the same throughout the whole house. I also tend to bring in the materiality or joinery design details I have used in adjacent areas of the residence into the bathroom, to ensure there is a consistent design throughout. I’m always looking for unique design details within fittings that add an extra layer to the overall storytelling of the design of that residence, whether it’s referencing Art Deco, mid-century or contemporary design. 

ADR: We know how essential lighting is in interior design, and even more so in a bathroom where lighting needs to be variable for relaxation or focused tasks. What is your approach to lighting design for bathrooms?

AC: Lighting is crucial in creating the right atmosphere for bathrooms. For powder rooms where guests spend shorter periods of time, I love creating more atmospheric and restrained lighting levels compared to a master ensuite that is used to get ourselves ready each day. Having multiple, adjustable layers and brightness levels of lighting in bathrooms is important for getting ready, day and night. This ensures that we see ourselves in consistent lighting, similar to how we appear when we leave our homes.

ADR: Can you recommend any specific design features that can be customised for a more personal touch?

AC: Recently, my residential projects have been renovations of various design periods. This has given me scope to explore unique details with references to those design periods and implement these in custom cabinetry handles, door hardware and joinery profiles. Clients are striving for their houses to continue to tell the story of their original dwelling after renovation, so incorporating these small details with a nod to the heritage of the original house always brings a nostalgic emotion to those living in it. 

ADR: Technology is also having a significant impact on bathroom design, not only the design of the space itself but the expectations of clients. What innovations do you anticipate will become standard in future bathroom designs?

AC: Technology, particularly in bathrooms, is catching up to the advancements typically seen in kitchen design. Toilets, basins, showers and mirrors are constantly undergoing technological improvements, not only for functionality purposes but also for efficiency and environmental impacts. These technological advancements are aligning with the shift towards making bathrooms spaces for wellness. 

Having spent half of my working career based in London, it was incredible to see the tech advancements incorporated into bathroom fittings, particularly from German manufacturers. Showers had features such as personalised settings, mood lighting, pH-balanced water, music, multiple water jets to activate pressure points and even personalised fragranced water.

A number of my luxury residential projects in the US had a preference for bringing tech into their bathrooms via integrated televisions into their vanity mirrors, so they could watch the news and keep an eye on the stock market while getting ready for the day ahead. 

Infrared saunas and steam rooms are often on a client’s wishlist. That sense of cleansing, relaxation and renewal that we find leaving the spa is now a feeling clients want inside their homes. Accessibility to these features has increased, with pre-built sauna pods from Germany and Italy now being distributed in the Australian market.

ADR: Given your international experience, where you’ve had clients incorporate TV screens into their smart mirrors, can you share some innovative ways to integrate these new technologies seamlessly into bathroom design?

AC: I love incorporating the technology without really seeing the technology, if possible. Smart mirrors are a great tool for being able to do this, as settings and applications can all be turned on and off and disappear visually from the mirror. 

Implementing technology through products allows clients to adjust the ambience and functionality of all their bathroomsthrough apps on their phones or smart cars. I am seeing more and more technology, which was previously reserved for kitchen appliances, air conditioning and general home automation,  now extending into the bathrooms. This allows for tailored experiences such as setting desired light levels, adjusting water temperature, operating skylights and preheating the floors. 

ADR:  With these technological and wellbeing shifts, does sustainability still influence bathroom design? 

AC: Sustainability is paramount in the future of bathroom design, particularly when placed within multi-residential developments and commercial buildings to achieve 6-Star Green Star ratings. It’s an attractive selling point when buyers or tenants are considering these developments. Given the amount of energy and water consumption that occurs within bathrooms alone, sustainability in every aspect of bathroom design and its elements is a key driver of  influence. 

I also seek to incorporate as many natural materials as possible within the space to bring my client closer to nature, creating a sense of calm that we experience when we’re out in a natural environment. Stones, marble, timber and plants are often Incorporated when I’m designing these spaces, especially if they are tactile. 

The desire for a sense of calm in bathrooms is something all my clients desire. Gone are the days of stark white glossy and clinical bathrooms. Nowadays, the focus is on naturally lit spaces filled with natural materials and colour tones we find in nature.

ADR: For those who can’t incorporate a sauna or steam room into their bathroom, how can the bathroom environment be optimised for relaxation and stress relief?

AC: Lighting plays a key role in this. It enables the client to adjust the different light levels and layers of light to suit relaxation when needed. For instance, it’s important to ensure that there are indirect light sources for those evening baths and trips to the bathroom. The use of natural materials also encourages our bodies and mindsets to be more aIf space allows, incorporating a courtyard adjacent to the bathroom looking out to beautiful and lush greenery and bringing in streams of natural light instead of having a small fluted or frosted glass window make a huge difference in the space.t ease and invokes a sense of calmness. 

Skylights have become a standard in my bathroom designs, bringing in natural overhead lighting and ventilation. This allows connectivity to the outside environment.  If space allows, incorporating a courtyard adjacent to the bathroom that looks out onto lush greenery and brings in streams of natural light—rather than using a small fluted or frosted glass window—can make a huge difference in the space. It is important that bathrooms no longer feel confined or dark, as we spend so much of our day in them. 

This month, we turn our attention to one of the most important rooms in any building designed for people to live, work, play or learn in: the bathroom. Once a purely functional wet room devoid of style, the bathrooms of today are anything but basic. We spoke with a select group of Australia’s leading and emerging interior designers to reveal what’s next in bathroom design.

All photography is of the Prospect residence. Photography by Brad Griffin.

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