From steam rooms wrapped in terracotta tones to stone-clad sanctuaries with harbour views, these five bathrooms reimagine the home as a place of calm and restoration. Each offers a spa-like retreat, where everyday rituals are elevated into moments of serenity.
West End Residence by Tom Mark Henry
Gadigal Country / Sydney, Australia
Design studio Tom Mark Henry elevates the everyday into an at-home spa retreat at West End Residence. Working with the client’s vision, the home is layered with rich tones and textures, most memorably in the steam room. Wrapped in terracotta and russet tiles, the space takes on a hammam-like quality—a cocooning sanctuary that channels the serenity of a spa within the home.
“We explored unique stone combinations throughout the residence, adding depth through rich colours in materials and furniture,” design manager Yvonne Li says.
Drenched in warming hues, the steam room and bathrooms at West End Residence are all about evoking serenity and respite | Photography by Cieran Murphy
Designed as a place to sit and relax, the main ensuite at Darling Point Penthouse captures views out to Sydney Harbour, which can all be enjoyed from the bathtub and steam room | Photography by Anson Smart
Darling Point Penthouse by Mim Design
Gadigal Country / Sydney, Australia
In Darling Point Penthouse, Mim Design delivers a main suite that rivals the luxury of a five-star spa. Flowing from a finely detailed walk-in robe, the main ensuite bathroom is a sanctuary of stone, centred on a hammam-inspired steam shower and a sculptural bath that takes in sweeping Sydney Harbour views.
Rippling quartzite surfaces and curved walls heighten the sense of immersion, creating a spa-level experience that brings serenity and indulgence into the heart of the home.
Babylon Residence by Fiona Spence & Casey Brown Architecture
Garigal and Caregal Country / Avalon, Australia
There is a special unquantifiable magic to Babylon Residence, which the owner, Fiona Spence, confirms is often very hard to find.
Part of that magic can be found in the bathroom, where endless views form the ever-changing backdrop for the space. Beneath the windows is a deep-set concrete bathtub, emerging at an angle from the ground where offset crazy pave marble floors come up to meet it. Copper-fronted cupboards, floors to ceiling tiling and the endless views make this a singularly unique retreat to enjoy with ease.
Idiosyncratic in its aesthetic, Babylon Residence is unlike anything else—including the bathroom that perfectly captures endless views that can enjoyed from a deep, in-set concrete bathtub | Photography by Prue Ruscoe
Replete with a steam and sauna combo, Arches de Lumière by Atelier Alwill doesn’t hold back on bringing elevated luxury to this home | Photography by Anson Smart
ARCHES DE LUMIÈRE by Atelier Alwill
Gadigal Country / Sydney, Australia
At Arches de Lumière, the family of five “envisioned a sanctuary with dedicated zones for entertaining and relaxation. They wanted simplicity, calm, and a sense of retreat,” Atelier Alwill director Romaine Alwill explains. This vision comes to life in the home’s spa-like steam and sauna rooms, where Casa Handmade tiles wrap the walls and benches, and Mexicana Warm White tiles flow seamlessly across the floors into the adjoining outdoor areas. Together, the finishes create a calming, retreat-style atmosphere that blurs the line between everyday living and luxury wellness.
Highgate House by House of Grey
London, United Kingdom
There is a lived-in, wabi-sabi feeling to Highgate House—where soft curves and a muted palette create an instantly calming feeling.
In the bathroom, a large stone-shaped tub, sits in the middle of the room drawing you in for a soak. The corners of the whole room have been gently rounded, adding to the sense of softness, while the plaster finish walls blur the edges further. Effortlessly spa-like, this bathroom is the epitome of Zen.
Smooth and organic, the bathroom at House of Grey’s Highgate House would be at home in a Japanese Zen spa retreat | Photography by Michael Sinclair
