2026/Rigato Retreat

NKBA Awards 2026Entry 275

Rigato Retreat

Hub Design·Jacks Point·Bathroom

Carmen Hubber

Designed by

Carmen Hubber

Hub Design

Rigato Retreat — bathroom by Hub Design (NKBA Excellence in Design 2026)

OFFICIAL RESULT

DNKBA Gold Bathroom Design Award

Rigato Retreat is a bathroom that understands texture as a form of quiet luxury.

Project gallery

10 images

01 / 10Photography by John Williams. Specified: Blum, Heirloom, Hideaway Bins, New Zealand Panels.

Project story

Rigato Retreat is a bathroom that understands texture as a form of quiet luxury. It does not need high contrast or a theatrical gesture to make its point. Instead, it builds atmosphere through oak, stone, pleated tile, gunmetal detailing and a calm, tonal discipline.

Designed by Carmen Hubber, the Jacks Point bathroom has the feeling of a retreat in the truest sense: warm, contained and beautifully composed. The custom vanity brings timber grain into the room, grounding the scheme with natural warmth. Above it, a stone top gives the space its softness, while pale tile keeps the architecture light.

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There is a lovely discipline in the way the finishes have been held together. The pleated wall tile gives the room movement, but the overall palette stays quiet. Gunmetal fittings add definition without the sharpness of black, while the oak keeps the space from becoming too cool or too polished.

The specification is restrained but considered. Heirloom heated towel poles bring the gunmetal finish into a practical daily detail. Hideaway Bins is specified within the vanity, proof that even the less glamorous elements have been thought through. Blum hardware supports the cabinetry function, while New Zealand Panels components sit behind the finished surfaces.

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The success of Rigato Retreat is in its moderation. Nothing is trying too hard. The palette has warmth without heaviness, texture without busyness, and enough contrast to keep the room from disappearing into beige politeness.

It is a bathroom made for slowing down: not spa-like in the overused sense, but genuinely restful. Every surface seems to understand the assignment, and every decision feels as though it has been made with one eye on mood and the other on daily use.

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Judges’ comment

This lovely ensuite is a calm, cohesive and restorative retreat, with a consistent material palette carried beautifully throughout the space. The textured tile, reeded glass and custom vanity work together to create warmth, softness and quiet elegance. Thoughtful detailing and soothing tones give the bathroom a tranquil, peaceful quality.

hubdesign.nz

Project record

Entry number
Entry 275
Project
Rigato Retreat
Entered by
Hub Design
Designer
Carmen Hubber
Location
Jacks Point
Programme
2026 NKBA Excellence in Design
Room type
Bathroom
Category entered
Bathroom
Photography
John Williams

Official result

  • DNKBA Gold Bathroom Design Award

Official NKBA 2026 result.

Credits
Blum, Heirloom, Hideaway Bins, New Zealand Panels