In Jan 2023, Studio Mica were commissioned by House of Rohl to design a bathroom for WOW!house. This event at the London Design Centre has become a showpiece for interior design. A 500m2 house is constructed within the atrium, with each room the responsibility of a different design practice, working closely with specialist makers and renowned design brands. WOW!house offers designers a rare opportunity of a self-initiated brief, constrained only by the room’s size, location and function.

Bathroom design is often conservative, driven by practicalities. Yet research shows their value in promoting wellbeing. Studiomica proposed their bathroom as a Spa-Wellness space, transporting visitors to a destination of their imagination, blending themes from the Tropics and the East to induce a feeling of relaxation, removed from day-to-day stress.

The objective was to engage all the senses - light, touch, sound and scent – in a carefully-curated ambience, evoking memories of travel experiences or aspirations. Natural textural materials in a meticulously-chosen colour palette of tobacco and honey tones creates a sense of tropical tranquillity. The gentle rotation of the ceiling fan and subtle lighting set the tone for an intimate luxury bathroom.

The 12m2 room has zones for bathing, massage and showering. Ceiling levels emphasise these; a lower ceiling over the bath, for example, semi-obscured by voile curtains creates a secluded private niche. Behind the bath an amber convex mirror reflects the twin showers opposite, set against a wall of intricately-woven clay bricks. Framed by abundant foliage, it suggests a seductive outdoor showering experience.

Around the bath, panels of detailed marquetry are mounted in an offset brick pattern. The rich sheen of the timber panelling is reminiscent of Edwardian travel by train or liner. In the centre of the room the massage bench is framed against the sunset-silhouetted flora of the glowing screen wall.

WOW!house attracted over 11,000 visitors during June 2023. The reaction to the bathroom fulfilled the principle demand of the brief: WOW! was the almost universal response.

“The bathroom from Studio Mica and House of Rohl confronted wellness through the clever use of materials, tones and form. The organic and earthy set oozed natural zen from all angles and proved that ‘wow’ moments don’t have to be ostentatious or outrageous assaults on the senses.” Hotel Designs

Studio Mica sought natural materials that are renewable, sustainable or recycled. The clay bricks are made from upcycled slurry from Italian quarries, compacted and air-dried in a C02-free process. Despite this humble origin, they form a highly original shower wall, in two tones and two textures, artfully stacked and rotated to create pattern and alcoves.

To ensure the room would have a future beyond the event, dry-mounted panels were fabricated for demounting and re-assembly. Today it is the centrepiece of House of Rohl’s new Midlands’ Centre of Excellence.