JOSHUA TREE BATHROOMS

A SOFTER EXPRESSION OF ALPINE LIVING

A complete reworking of the main bathroom and ensuite brings warmth, texture and sculptural calm.

Earthy tones, organic lines and the quiet tactility of microcement shape the main bathroom and ensuite, creating two warm and deeply calming spaces within this Porepunkah home. Inspired by Joshua Tree National Park, close to the childhood Californian home of its owner, the curved walls, integrated ledges and softly mottled surfaces bring an organic, sculptural quality to the rooms. Limestone, handmade clay tiles and Australian timbers ground the palette into the surrounding alpine landscape.

Both bathrooms were stripped back and completely reconstructed, with new layouts, windows and skylights, custom joinery, underfloor heating, lighting and fixtures throughout. The design responds to the home’s broader material palette, including natural timber, earthy polished concrete and furnishings in warm shades of brown, caramel and chocolate.

Microcement became the defining material of the project. Applied across walls, benchtops and integrated architectural elements, its soft variation creates depth without visual noise. It also allows curved partitions, ledges and built forms to feel continuous and fluid, bringing a sense of softness to spaces more commonly governed by hard lines.

Main bathroom featuring microcement walls, custom designed spotted gum vanity and Robert Gordon lights.
Main bathrom tapwaer by Par Taps, ABI above bench basin and thin clay Bejmat tile by Tiles of Ezra.
New double glazed window brings light in on the floor tiles in Jerusalem Stone by Aspire Ceramics.
Main bathroom also features an inset bath wrapped in microcement.
Main bathroom vanity joinery details.
Simple elegance of the main bathroom inset bath.
The Ensuite of the Doughty House features a consistent design langues to that of the main bathroom.
Ensuite shower features both a niche and a shaving shelf.
The new skylight floods the ensuite with functional light.
Main bathroom detail of the blackbutt timber vanity top and thin clay Bejmat tiles.
Ensuite niche wall seperates wet and dry areas whilst housing a heated towel rack.
The organic, textural finish of microcement.
New toilet, niche, shelving and linen press of the ensuite.

In the main bathroom, an inset bath and generous shower are shaped by arched walls and integrated niches. This theme extends to the ensuite, which continues the same harmonious shapes and palette through Limestone floors that anchor the room, handmade Moroccan clay wall tiles, rumbled brass fittings and custom timber joinery that introduce warmth and natural variation. Microcement is the hero of these spaces, paired with richly toned Spotted gum and vintage teak mirrors alongside Robert Gordon ceramic lighting.

Previously a windowless room, a new skylight draws daylight deep into the ensuite, allowing the texture of the microcement to shift subtly throughout the day. Reclaimed 70’s plantation shutter doors conceal the linen cupboard while adding another layer of warmth and texture.

Together, the bathrooms offer a calm and contemporary interpretation of the Californian desert and alpine life. Earthy, tactile and quietly expressive, they feel connected to their surroundings while remaining deeply personal to the owner and her home.

Interior design, materials and finishes, lighting, fixtures, fittings and styling by Britt White Studio.

Built by Gregory Projects.

Photography by Threefold Studio.

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Dr Anton Lambers