A Timeless Microcement Bathroom That's Both Traditional And Contemporary
Microcement is a contemporary finish, and it's one you wouldn't expect to find in a Federation cottage.
That's because a microcement bathroom looks nothing like a traditional one. Instead of tiles, the walls are finished in a seamless, cement-based coating, with no grout lines at all.
Yet in this bathroom by Kitty Lee Architecture, microcement sits right alongside original French doors, traditional wall lights and a mosaic floor. And the result is the perfect combination of traditional and contemporary. It's sophisticated and understated, and it speaks quality. To me, it's timeless design, perfectly executed.
The Story Behind This Bathroom
Alamo House is a Federation cottage, restored and extended for a growing young family. This bathroom used to be the living room.
When the room was redesigned, its pair of original French doors was kept. The architect made them the starting point for the whole new design, and that's where the traditional side of this bathroom begins.
Kitty Lee Architecture • A freestanding bath beside the original French doors
Kitty Lee Architecture • A laundry hidden behind the curved microcement wall
Project Details
Project: Alamo House
Location: Annandale, Sydney
Architect: Kitty Lee Architecture
Recognition: Longlisted, Top 12 Bathroom Interiors, Dezeen Awards
Where Traditional Meets Contemporary
The original French doors reflect the heritage of the home, and the wall lights and mosaic floor tiles are a nod to it. Against them sit clean, contemporary lines: the microcement walls, the curves and the warm timber vanity.
It's a clever combination of styles, and every piece has a job. The traditional details give the room its character and connect it to the heritage of the home. The contemporary finishes keep everything around them clean and understated, so nothing competes with those details. That restraint is why this bathroom speaks quality, and why it looks like a designer's work.
This is how you design a bathroom in a traditional home so it feels contemporary. Keep the heritage features that carry your home's character, and add a few traditional details that echo them. Then pair it all with quiet contemporary finishes that don’t compete for attention.
Kitty Lee Architecture • A double timber vanity warms the microcement
Kitty Lee Architecture • Bathroom wall lights beside the original French doors
How To Make A Cool Palette Feel Warm
The colour palette in this bathroom is cool, and a cool palette can easily feel cold. This one doesn't, and here's why.
You can use cooler colours successfully. It's all about what you balance them with.
Here, the balance starts with the curves. Microcement is a hard finish, and the curves add softness to it. Every curve is in the right place, and every one is intentional. Kitty Lee describes the microcement as sweeping across the curved walls. Because the finish is seamless, each curve reads as one soft, continuous form.
The timber vanity is essential. It brings in exactly the warmth the cool palette calls for. The traditional details add to that warmth in a quieter way, through the wall lights and the mosaic floor. Together, they bring in just the right balance, so the palette stays cool without ever feeling cold.
Z+S Tip: Balance a cool palette with warmth. Timber, curves, warm metals like brass and traditional details all work to bring that warmth in.
Kitty Lee Architecture • A curved microcement wall and mosaic floor tiles
Kitty Lee Architecture • A freestanding bath and an arched opening
Is Microcement Good For Bathrooms?
Yes. Microcement is waterproof and durable, which makes it the best product for rendering a bathroom.
It does cost more in a bathroom than in other rooms in your home. Matt from Render X explained that rendering a wet area like a bathroom costs nearly double what a bedroom or living room does, and it can take up to 10 days to finish, compared with around 3 days for other rooms. You can read more in my Venetian plaster vs microcement guide.
Z+S Tip: Microcement needs to be applied in a number of layers, with a sealant, to achieve a fully waterproof and sealed finish.
Kitty Lee Architecture • A freestanding bath and an arched opening
Kitty Lee Architecture • An arched doorway in microcement
Timeless Design Is About Balance
This bathroom is quiet sophistication. It proves you don't have to choose between traditional and contemporary to create a bathroom that feels timeless.
Choosing finishes that balance each other like this is what I teach in home. BY ZEPHYR AND STONE, my home design course.
Design: Kitty Lee Architecture · Photography: Nat Spada Photography · Builder: Geometric Construction · Styling: Tilly Roberts Design
Ania Mikina, Home Design Strategist
Ania is an interior designer and co-founder of Zephyr and Stone. For over twenty years, she's watched people pour their savings, hopes and dreams into building and renovating, only to run out of money for the things they really wanted.
It's almost always avoidable, and it's why she created Fix Your Floor Plan First™, the framework at the heart of her home design course, home. BY ZEPHYR AND STONE. It shows you where to spend your money, so you get the home you want, in budget. Subscribe below for Ania's expert advice, straight to your inbox.
