Roadmap to Nirvana: Evolution of a Bathroom

Once a purely functional room, bathrooms today reflect our desires for a higher quality of life and, as such, have become high concept work horses. Creating a bathroom that is at once functional, conceptually pleasing and melds nicely into the overall design scheme of a dwelling is challenging. The  dizzying array of tile, fittings, fixtures and  furniture available today could either send you running for basic white subway tile on everything, or creating a hodgepodge. My goal in designing this master bathroom was to create a clean and modern aesthetic that was also natural, warm and inviting. So, once the floor plans and elevations were finished and I could select fixtures, fittings and finishes--the question was 'where to begin?'

Tile: First and only stop, Porcelanosa, the Spanish tile company and industry leader in environmental impact management. Porcelanosa offers superb quality floor and wall tiles that are modern, elegant and subtle. Their large format tiles were perfect for this space. With rectified edges, the tile can be installed very tightly with minimal grout lines for a clean look and feel. Literally, with so little grout this tile is truly a breeze to clean!  The floor tiles are porcelain and a dead ringer for concrete, at a fraction the cost. Again, beautiful and clean. 'Mosaic' and striated wall tiles ….whites and grays with a touch of blue. Note: I’m not sure why floor to-ceiling tile design and installation is still not the norm in the U.S. The nominal cost for the extra tile and installation is outweighed by its functionality and aesthetic.

Tub:  A free-standing soaking tub was in order. Victoria and Albert’s Englishcast bathtubs made from natural volcanic limestone possess exceptional strength and heat insulating properties.  The Napoli, seen here, was conceived as a low slung shell, and offers the simplicity of rimless bathing combined with extreme comfort and a low step-in-height.

Window Treatment:  A woven wood top down-bottom up shade tied the mahogany into the tub area.  Transparent enough to allow light to filter through while still providing privacy, this inexpensive treatment functions perfectly and provided the counter balance to the tub and tile I was looking for.

Shower: Lot's of glass was in order to keep the room feeling spacious, and the tile and hardware in constant view. The tall niche with shelves was born from structural necessity, but works as a design element.

Fittings…. I recommend keeping the fixtures consistent, using one manufacturer. For this project, Hansgrohe’s Axor Citterio M for all faucts and Axor Massaud for the tub fill. They collaborate with international designers and architects creating exceptional collections of bathroom fittings.

Furniture:  This 96-inch wide vanity could have dragged the room down, so, I designed it to ‘float’, suspending it  8-inches above the floor, with open areas for towels. The light and dark waves in the mahogany wood grain lend the piece movement and an organic feel.  The thick white Corian counter cleanly caps the piece.

Mission accomplished.  Simple and modern, warm and natural. What's  your dream bathroom look and feel like?  Please comment below.  

For more photos of this bathroom please go to www.lauramannesdesign.com