OR ANYONE who likes their bathrooms beige, the stark monochrome bathroom of 26 Castlewood Avenue might be a bit of a shock.

The owner wanted a dark and atmospheric bathroom that was conducive to a long relaxing soak in the evenings.

This is in contrast to the white, bright en suite bathrooms in the rest of the house designed to kick the occupants into gear in the mornings.

The walls and side of the bath are covered in a black Glass Antracita tile from Porcelanosa (01-458 4976) which costs €89.03 a sq m. This is in stark contrast to the natural stone-coloured Natal Tabaco floor tile, also from Porcelanosa,which costs €60.45 a sq m.

The bathroom suite is from the Ideal Standard Moments range from Chadwicks (01-864 4312) and has a bidet; a fairly unusual addition in an Irish bathroom. The bath, taps and other fittings costs €2,347.89.

The toilet bowl costs €595.01, the cistern is €400.21 and the seat and cover costs €302.38. The bidet costs €489 and the mixer is €426.89. Chrome edging provides relief to the continuous black tile.