INTERIORS

Redefining Luxury with AXOR and Barber Osgerby

Special feature by AXOR
05 Jul 2023

Design studio Barber Osgerby shares their refreshing interpretation of luxury.

Taking a step back from the expansive, spa-like bathrooms that have long been touted as the poster child of luxury, the London-based design studio Barber Osgerby has unveiled their new interpretation of luxury. And it is very refreshing.

The creative duo, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, of the eponymous Barber Osgerby design studio, were tasked by the German bathroom products manufacturer, AXOR, to imagine a bathroom imbued with their sense of style and personality for its Make it yours! design campaign. Other designers that were invited to participate include Paris-based interior designer Tristan Auer and Iranian-German architect Hedi Teherani.

However, Barber Osgerby rose marvelously to the challenge, opting to showcase their design prowess in a space-starved locale over an extravagant space. More specifically, they designed their bathroom in the corner of a penthouse apartment located in the heart of London’s prime neighborhood.

“The project was inspired by the move towards more compact living,” Osgerby explained. “It’s a move away from the huge, lounging, spa-style bathrooms that we’ve come to know from the top-end of the market over the last few years, into creatively addressing compact spaces, particularly in urban environments.”

The result is a cleverly designed space that the studio christened Skyline.


(Related: Colors come alive with the new AXOR One Bathroom Collection)

  • MAGIC OF NATURAL LIGHT
  • THE HARMONY OF MONOCHROME

Magic of natural light

Imagined as a seven square meter bathroom, Skyline demonstrated how Barber Osgerby incorporated natural light to maximize the sense of space. Through the inclusion of a floor-to-ceiling window and skylight just above the shower, the studio managed to create a space that feels inexplicably expansive. “It’s about being clever with the space,” Osgerby shares, “by flooding it with light and offering views.”

  • MAGIC OF NATURAL LIGHT
  • THE HARMONY OF MONOCHROME

The harmony of monochrome

Additionally, Barber Osgerby masterfully wields the power of monochrome by robing the entire bathroom – walls, ceiling, and floor included – in speckled green tiles that they developed for Mutina. This hue, Primavera Verde, plays multiple roles in the space. “In terms of color theory, green is obviously the most calming color,” Osgerby muses. “It’s a reference to nature. But at the same time, in this instance, it gives us the ability to have one palette which unifies the entire space. 

The green canvas also sets the stage for the AXOR all-new uber sleek Matt White finish to shine. Naturally, the Skyline features the AXOR One collection, a minimalist range of fittings that was designed by Barber Osgerby themselves, in the new Matt White finish. To match, the designers wove in the AXOR Universal Circular Accessories – also in Matt White, no less.

The final product is a harmonious space that speaks volumes of Osgerby’s definition of luxury. In his words, “Luxury is time, advancement, space, and travel. And some of those things we can get in [Skyline]. The idea of being able to remove yourself – of having time and space to think – it’s luxury.”


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