Historic Urban Remodel Gets Modern Charm
The renovation of a historic carriage house updates the past and brings it directly into the 21st century.
The Johnston/Belmonte design team tackled two baths and a powder room in the remodeled carriage house. In the 78-sq.-ft. children’s bath, a wealth of vibrant color and smooth textures define the breezy style.
“We found this great textured tile that came in a beautiful aqua color and the rest of the bathroom fell into place. It captured the color of water so nicely that we decided not to bring in any other colors to compete with it,” says Belmonte. The rest of the bathroom was subsequently kept white, the designers choosing large-format rectangular tiles from Lea Progetta to continue the overall modern, streamlined look.
“The countertop is 3Form Chroma, which is a renewable surface that can be refinished easily by the owner with fine sandpaper if it scratches. This increases its lifetime dramatically, especially in a bathroom used by children,” notes the designer. “We also lowered the countertop so the kids could more easily reach things, but installed surface-mounted sinks so the room would grow with them.”
Fixtures in the kids’ bath include faucetry and tub by Hansgrohe, a TOTO toilet and sinks by DaVinci, among others.
A high-end ‘hotel look’ was requested for the 66-sq.-ft. master bath, so the design team selected a creamy limestone contrasted with a custom walnut vanity. Space constraints did not allow for the creation of a separate water closet, so the light color was crucial to add depth to the room.
Elements rounding out the room’s design include a wall-hung Duravit toilet/Geberit tank combination, a sink from Duravit, lavatory faucet from Dornbracht and a medicine cabinet from Keuco with integrated lighting.
“The industrial showerhead from Boffi pours water onto a floor of smooth stones that massage your feet as you shower,” Belmonte adds. “The showerhead is my favorite element in the bath; it’s the one funky element in the space that keeps the overall look from being too serious.”
She describes the powder room as a work of art. “We always like to use extra special finishes in our powder rooms. These tiny spaces are an opportunity to splurge because [you can use fewer] finishes and less tile. Since it is a less private bathroom, it is used more often than most people realize,” she says.
The carriage house powder room includes a carved granite sink with exposed plumbing, a distinctive faucet and metallic paint to give the room a soft glow and personality to spare.
“The metallic paint plays off the hints of metal in the floor tile and the stainless pennyrounds,” comments Belmonte. “A wall-hung toilet with a concealed tank maintains the modern feel, while the dual-flush keeps it environ-mentally friendly.”
