Currently Viewing / 
Browse by topic
and/or by category
myTrends - your complete scrapbook of design ideas
|
Home
>
Let there be light
Let there be light from Remodeling Trends volume 2704
A home can often be dated by the presence of oddly angled walls and ceilings. So a simple way to modernize may well be to remove these relics of a bygone era.
The master bathroom suite shown here was outdated, with angled walls, a vaulted ceiling and a trapezoid window high up above the bath. A separate toilet and shower room made it seem crowded.
Certified designer Becky Sue Becker says the owners wanted their ensuite bathroom to be a luxurious personal oasis that they could escape to.
"They requested warm, natural materials, better light, a larger shower and a more functional space," she says.
The first move was to drop the ceiling to a flat 9ft height.
"To overcome the loss of light from the trapezoid window, we added windows behind the tub and the vanity. These help to bring in more light and give a view of the woods outside the window," says Becker.
The flow was improved by removing the wall separating the toilet and shower from the rest of the space. Instead, a panel of Lumicor acrylic with prairie grass embedded in it and wrapped in a maple frame, provides partial privacy for the toilet. Lumicor was chosen because it obscures the view while still allowing light to flow through the space. The rearrangement also resulted in extra space for a larger shower enclosure.
Originally a set of his and her closets was accessed from the bathroom. These were combined to make a single large closet, and an angled closet wall was made straight. A second closet was positioned in an unused corner of the bedroom, and tall cabinetry for storage of linens and toiletries was built into the space created where the angled closet wall had been removed.
"The owners wanted the bathroom to have a feeling of Zen-like calm, and to bring the outdoors inside, so we have used organic materials as much as possible," says Becker.
Maple was chosen for the vanities and tall cabinetry, the mirror surrounds and framing around the toilet partition. The wood complements the warm, brown tones of the travertine slab countertops and travertine tiles in the shower, around the tub and on the floor.
To modernize this bathroom, a vaulted ceiling was changed to a flat ceiling, and a trapezoid window above the tub was removed. Large windows over the bath were added to replace the light source, and these have the advantage of creating a better connection with the woods outside.
A Lumicor panel with prairie grass embedded in it screens the toilet. This provides privacy for the toilet without blocking the light.
To introduce subtle movement to the room, travertine tiles on the floor form a pinwheel pattern. A chambered stone, these tiles also cover the face of the tub and a small brick mosaic behind it.
With customized maple-framed mirrors, the vanities look like two towers.
Credit List
Designer
:
Becky Sue Becker, CBD, CKD, CAPS, Designs by BSB (Lawrenceville, GA)
Vanity
:
Stained maple, from Anders Custom Cabinets Private Label by BSB
Vanity cabinetry
:
Slab door style with Häfele zinc handles
Vanity top
:
Travertine slab
Faucets
:
Danze Sirius in brushed nickel
Shower door
:
Frameless from Creative Glass Concepts
Wall and floor tiles
:
Travertine tiles from TopCu Tile & Stone
Lighting
:
George Kovacs sconces, Minka Air ceiling fan/light
Accessories
:
Danze tissue holder, towel bars and robe hooks; Ginger soak dish with razor hook in shower; Amba towel warmer
Blinds
:
Built in from Pella Windows
Privacy wall
:
Lumicor Prairie Grass panel, framed with maple
Story by Mary Webb
Photography by Bettie Sotomayor
|