New This Week: 3 Dreamy Places to Take a Bath
There are few things more relaxing in this world than soaking in a bathtub. While hot water and a leakproof tub are all you really need, extras can push the experience to another level. Sure, rose petals, a good book and a glass of champagne can get you there, but stunning materials, lots of natural lighting and a killer view can truly make the experience transcendent. Here, three bathrooms show what that might look like.
1. Mountain Minimalist
Designer: Kristin Fay of Trauner Fay Designs
Location: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Size: 112 square feet (10.4 square meters); 14 by 8 feet
Homeowners’ request: A modern mountain space with clean lines and neutral colors
Special features: Hand-hewn reclaimed oak walls; free-standing bathtub; reclaimed beam base for tub; picturesque view
Designer secret: Using clean, neutral lines and finishes allowed designer Kristin Fay to keep the focus on the views and oak walls.
“Uh-oh” moment: “We all had the idea of raising this tub on two reclaimed logs,” Fay says. “However, the way the tub drained posed a problem, and so the logs needed to be hand-carved out by the contractor.”
Also on the team: Chris Kiernan of Two Oceans Builders (construction); John Kjos of Ellis Nunn Architects
Bathtub and tub filler: Signature Hardware; rug: Surya; reclaimed logs: custom, Chris Kiernan of Two Oceans Builders; shades: Castec; light: clients’ own
See more photos of this home
Designer: Kristin Fay of Trauner Fay Designs
Location: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Size: 112 square feet (10.4 square meters); 14 by 8 feet
Homeowners’ request: A modern mountain space with clean lines and neutral colors
Special features: Hand-hewn reclaimed oak walls; free-standing bathtub; reclaimed beam base for tub; picturesque view
Designer secret: Using clean, neutral lines and finishes allowed designer Kristin Fay to keep the focus on the views and oak walls.
“Uh-oh” moment: “We all had the idea of raising this tub on two reclaimed logs,” Fay says. “However, the way the tub drained posed a problem, and so the logs needed to be hand-carved out by the contractor.”
Also on the team: Chris Kiernan of Two Oceans Builders (construction); John Kjos of Ellis Nunn Architects
Bathtub and tub filler: Signature Hardware; rug: Surya; reclaimed logs: custom, Chris Kiernan of Two Oceans Builders; shades: Castec; light: clients’ own
See more photos of this home
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2. Graphic and Gorgeous
Designers: Michaela Deiss andStephen Corelli of Triarch
Location: New York City
Size: 111 square feet (10.3 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: A bathroom flooded with light and flowers. “The overall theme was to somehow resemble a dressing room in a ’30s-era theater,” says designer Michaela Deiss.
Special features: Philippe Starck free-standing tub; mosaic tile in a custom rose pattern
Why the design works: “The design idea works out beautifully because these elements are set up against a more neutral background of white marble tiles and black porcelain tiles on the floor,” Deiss says.
Designer secret: “Different heights of the bathroom ceilings — and the addition of Italian custom wall sconces combined with recessed minimal ceiling lights — emphasized the creation of separate spaces within the bathroom and accented the special elements.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “When the homeowner discovered that the design indicated repositioning of the entire plumbing of the bathroom, there was a moment of silence,” Geiss says. But she and the contractor were able to complete the job without major complications.
Also on the team: Spectrum (construction); Metropolitan Building Consulting Group (engineering); Peter Dressel (photography)
Faucet: Axor; mosaic tile: Bisazza; glass tile: Glacier; marble and porcelain tile: Artistic Tile
See more photos of this home
Designers: Michaela Deiss andStephen Corelli of Triarch
Location: New York City
Size: 111 square feet (10.3 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: A bathroom flooded with light and flowers. “The overall theme was to somehow resemble a dressing room in a ’30s-era theater,” says designer Michaela Deiss.
Special features: Philippe Starck free-standing tub; mosaic tile in a custom rose pattern
Why the design works: “The design idea works out beautifully because these elements are set up against a more neutral background of white marble tiles and black porcelain tiles on the floor,” Deiss says.
Designer secret: “Different heights of the bathroom ceilings — and the addition of Italian custom wall sconces combined with recessed minimal ceiling lights — emphasized the creation of separate spaces within the bathroom and accented the special elements.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “When the homeowner discovered that the design indicated repositioning of the entire plumbing of the bathroom, there was a moment of silence,” Geiss says. But she and the contractor were able to complete the job without major complications.
Also on the team: Spectrum (construction); Metropolitan Building Consulting Group (engineering); Peter Dressel (photography)
Faucet: Axor; mosaic tile: Bisazza; glass tile: Glacier; marble and porcelain tile: Artistic Tile
See more photos of this home
3. Sleek Sanctuary
Designer: Janet Brooks of Janet Brooks Design
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Size: 342 square feet (31.8 square meters); 18 by 19 feet
Homeowners’ request: To transform a cramped, compartmentalized bathroom, which had a bathtub up three steps on a platform, into a more open and airy space
Special features: 24-by-24-inch Caspian Bisque marble tiles on floor and shower walls; free-standing tub
Designer secret: “To create a Zen feeling in a bathroom, keep the number of different materials and finishes to a minimum,” says designer Janet Brooks. “This room works because everything is white except the cabinets, and the marble on the floor is the same as the marble in the shower, creating a visually relaxing space.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “Our original intent in this room was to try to clean up all the clutter of too many materials and too little open space,” Brooks says. “Some things were obvious, such as getting rid of glass block, using a free-standing tub and installing a much larger window behind it,” she says. “But the tub was still in between two full-height walls and felt closed in. Thankfully, we were able to convince the homeowner to get rid of a small walk-in closet in the adjacent bedroom, and include that space in the bathroom. This gave us the ability to remove the wall to the right of the tub, and replace it with a pretty zebrano wood cabinet with open shelving for convenient bathing accoutrements.”
Bathtub: matte white finish, ADM Bathroom Design; tub faucet and handheld shower faucet: Sidema collection in polished chrome, Brizo; countertops: Blizzard, Classico collection, Caesarstone; area rug: David E. Adler; paint color: Pearly White, Sherwin-Williams; floor and shower walls tile: polished Caspian Bisque marble, Bedrosians; cabinet: Woodesign; nine-piece artwork on right: Kathleen Hope; large artwork on left: artist unknown
Designer: Janet Brooks of Janet Brooks Design
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Size: 342 square feet (31.8 square meters); 18 by 19 feet
Homeowners’ request: To transform a cramped, compartmentalized bathroom, which had a bathtub up three steps on a platform, into a more open and airy space
Special features: 24-by-24-inch Caspian Bisque marble tiles on floor and shower walls; free-standing tub
Designer secret: “To create a Zen feeling in a bathroom, keep the number of different materials and finishes to a minimum,” says designer Janet Brooks. “This room works because everything is white except the cabinets, and the marble on the floor is the same as the marble in the shower, creating a visually relaxing space.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “Our original intent in this room was to try to clean up all the clutter of too many materials and too little open space,” Brooks says. “Some things were obvious, such as getting rid of glass block, using a free-standing tub and installing a much larger window behind it,” she says. “But the tub was still in between two full-height walls and felt closed in. Thankfully, we were able to convince the homeowner to get rid of a small walk-in closet in the adjacent bedroom, and include that space in the bathroom. This gave us the ability to remove the wall to the right of the tub, and replace it with a pretty zebrano wood cabinet with open shelving for convenient bathing accoutrements.”
Bathtub: matte white finish, ADM Bathroom Design; tub faucet and handheld shower faucet: Sidema collection in polished chrome, Brizo; countertops: Blizzard, Classico collection, Caesarstone; area rug: David E. Adler; paint color: Pearly White, Sherwin-Williams; floor and shower walls tile: polished Caspian Bisque marble, Bedrosians; cabinet: Woodesign; nine-piece artwork on right: Kathleen Hope; large artwork on left: artist unknown