By special request

Two contrasting bathrooms one opulent, the other a simple Zen design meet the owners' requirements for this city loft apartment

View of the bedroom cabinetry which includes a cabinetry, ceiling, furniture, home, interior design, room, wall, brown, orange — View of the bedroom cabinetry which includes a pull-out TV

View of the master bathroom - View of bathroom, interior design, room, brown

View of the bedroom of this home - architecture, bedroom, ceiling, home, interior design, real estate, room, suite, wall, window, gray, brown

View of the master bathroom - View of architecture, bathroom, ceiling, estate, home, interior design, real estate, room, suite, wall, brown, orange

View of the guest bathroom - View of architecture, bathroom, bathtub, ceiling, daylighting, floor, interior design, room, tile, wall, gray

View of the basins within the guest bathroom architecture, bathroom, interior design, plumbing fixture, room, sink, tile, black, brown

Master suites are very personal spaces. For this reason they may have a different design emphasis to the rest of a house. However, there are likely to be design elements that are common to both.

The owners of the loft apartment featured on these pages wanted a very warm and colorful master bathroom with modern conveniences. But for the guest bathroom, they preferred a simple, monochromatic, Zen-like space.

Architect David Howell says the master suite is a private retreat for the owners. It was designed along the lines of a small hotel room, with every convenience. To provide a visual link with the main living area the bedroom features an undulating vaulted ceiling.

"It's a very fluid shape," Howell says. "As the walls don't quite reach up to the ceiling, it appears to float beyond the room. This gives the sense of one large space, even though the suite consists of more than one room."

View of the master bathroom bathroom, interior design, room, brown — View of the master bathroom

In the master bathroom, fittings were designed around structural columns. But the rich palette compensates for the lack of space, says Howell.

"The owners wanted a sense of opulence," he says. "The terrazzo stone floor, English sycamore wood paneling and artisan plaster on the walls all help to provide a feeling of luxury."

A colorful painting, Celadon-green glass tiles in the shower and a collection of gold ceramics also warm the room visually. Niches and shelves, lit from within, add to the warm ambiance of the room.

While most of the lines in the bathroom are square, the curved front of the double vanity is a visual reference to the undulating loft ceilings. And, although the room has no windows, there is a large skylight providing natural light.

View of the guest bathroom architecture, bathroom, bathtub, ceiling, daylighting, floor, interior design, room, tile, wall, gray — View of the guest bathroom

The guest bathroom has a totally different atmosphere. With its solid, Israeli limestone surfaces, it has a more monolithic, clean-lined look, says Howell.

"The design plays with the concept of carving the space out of stone. For example, the basins are carved from solid limestone, and the bath set into a limestone surround gives a similar impression."

Howell says raised platforms, niches and shelves also create strong forms that help to visually break the height of the room.

"It is a very calming environment. The beautiful backdrop of the limestone mosaic shower wall, in particular, prevents it from looking too austere."