bo reudler: private bathroom in amsterdam

images courtesy of bo reudler studio

dutch-based bo reudler studio has recently completed a bathroom renovation in a late 19th century home located near amsterdam, the netherlands.

the whimsical design is a contemporary reaction to the historical elements of the house. the design elements are meant to tell a story about nature, drawing on the characteristics of water, the play of light and shadow, frost and natural decay. the claw foot bathtub and painted timber doors are original to the space, while the terrazzo floors and plaster ceiling flow in from other spaces in the house. the design was completed along with a team of local craftsman who were eager to practice their traditional skills in a contemporary manor.

‘slow white sink’

the sculptural hand-made basin is a part of bo reudler’s ‘slow white series’ and was designed specifically for this washroom. the legs – branches collected from the forest and covered in glossy white paint – dance beneath the sink and strongly juxtapose the copper sink and faucet which will green with age.

reliefed ceramic tiles line the walls. the crack details in them flow towards sources of water, growing where an intersection occurs, giving bloom to copper flowers that will bettina and ‘decay’ over time. small pieces of white tiles which are contrasted by charcoal colored mortar are missing along the base of the wall where terrazzo reaches up and meets them like patches of grass.

special attention was paid to the fittings – a cast iron heater and porcelain light switches, towel hooks and door handles – to evoke a sense of detail that was traditionally common in washrooms, but has since fallen out of practice.

the over-sized shower head connects directly to the exposed hot and cold water pipes which will transition and degenerate differently over time as a result of condensation on the copper surfaces. under the sink hangs copper pipes that will do the same.

the bathroom window overlooks the back garden and strikes a resemblance to frost. the scene on the glass depicts butterflies and dragonflies in a field of flowers, opaque at the bottom for privacy and becoming more transparent closer to the top of the window. during the day when light filters through the sandblasted window the pattern is bounced around the room evoking a sense of  sunlight shining through a forest.

plasterwork imitates clusters of water droplets on the ceiling

the play on water is carried on to the ceiling where plasterwork circles in a range of forms and sizes intersect to create droplets formed by condensation.

water droplets visible on the ceiling reoccur in the vanity’s ‘narisse mirror’. as a part bo reudler’s larger ‘asylum collection’, the mirror whose surface resembles rippling water, uses varying glass thicknesses and is meant to tell the story of a boy who fell in love with his own reflection.

the spout on the handmade copper faucet was designed like the spout on a teapot to allow for good water flow