Designers’ Notebook: Bathrooms

The objective was to have spacious tub and shower areas as well as his and her private toilet areas. He wanted a urinal and she did not want to see it. The solution was to create a large, grand bathroom salon. The salon includes a tub, his and her vanities, wet bar and TV. Through the salon are his and her private toilet areas, his with a urinal and hers with a bidet. Located between the two toilet areas is the master shower with barrel ceiling, large bench, natural light, and a steam generator.

This master bath uses minimalist materials and custom elements to create a refuge for the homeowners. Custom cabinets with seeded glass doors, and additional ledges provide space to showcase the owners’ art collection from India and Africa. Floors are made of limestone tiles set on a bias with a polished marble mosaic at grout joints. A fireplace adjacent to the whirlpool tub enhances the relaxing atmosphere in the 400 sq. ft. bathroom.

The goals were to create a spa-like atmosphere within a 130-sq. ft space, maximize natural lighting, and to conceal the vanity and storage. A wall of stacked glass allows diffuse natural light to fill the space while providing privacy. The use of floor-to-ceiling glass tiles unifies and energizes the space. Glass, maple, zebra wood and aluminum combine to achieve a modern and spa-like aesthetic.

Designed as a luxury second home, this Mediterranean-style home emphasizes the sights and sounds of water provided by a lake and the home’s rockscaped lagoon-style pool and spa. Distinct architectural detail, sophisticated interior design and a spacious layout combine to create the home. The success of this model home can be measured by its sale within three months of its grand opening.

The goal for this project was to design a custom ski-vacation getaway that reminds the clients of their tine in Switzerland. Rather than altering the site to accommodate the home, the home was designed to complement the landscape. It is nestled into the lay of the land, looking as though it has been there for years.

The first floor would provide a summer retreat for the owners’ parents; the second and third floor would become the owner’s weekend getaway and summer retreat destination throughout the year. Another goal was to mask the obviousness of a dual entry, two family home. The owner required that the house be designed and built with an entry way that would provide private access to each unit, while preserving the classic look of a single family Seaside Park bay front residence.

Clients wanted a Craftsman-style home that would appeal to their contemporary tastes while blending into an established mountainside community. The center section of the home is built on a steel skeleton to handle wind loads. Glass enclosures and countertops in the master bath create an open feel to the space.

This started as a remodel project for a client returning home from Florida where he fell in love with a house plan he saw on vacation. The remodel job turned into a whole-home construction on his 7-acre property where a new home site was chosen. Radiant heating is used throughout the home.