Ethereal effect

Clean lines, flowing curtains and a sculptural tub give this space an airy feel

View of bathroom featuring freestanding tub, floor-to-ceiling windows, architecture, bathroom, ceiling, floor, flooring, home, interior design, plumbing fixture, real estate, room, suite, white — View of bathroom featuring freestanding tub, floor-to-ceiling windows, vanity with marble tops and lacquered cabinets, stone tiled floors, lighting.

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The fluid, sculptural lines of a freestanding tub in a modern bathroom design will always attract the eye. When the curved bathtub is framed by clean, straight lines, the impact is even greater.

Interior designer Emily Summers designed this bathroom in conjunction with the original architect of the home, Max Levy. The architect completely reconfigured the existing space, setting the scene for the designer's makeover.

"The owners asked us to update what had been a 20-year-old space and give it 21st Century relevance," says Summers. "The house has clean lines with an emphasis on textural materials and prominent use of modern detailing all these elements are echoed in the master bathroom."

Another request from the owners was for an abundance of natural light in the bathroom. To this end, floor-to-ceiling picture windows flood sunlight onto the tub and stone floors beneath. Privacy was addressed by the inclusion of diaphanous, full-length curtaining.

The introduction of the freestanding tub gave the elongated bathroom an aesthetic focal point. From here, Summers and Levy reinterpreted warm wood paneling found elsewhere in the house for the bathroom walls. The clean lines of the wood panels provide a contrasting backdrop for the tub. These are in rift-cut, quarter-sawn white oak.

In further contrast, the high-gloss lacquer cabinets play off the oak walls and stone floors, which give the room a tactile, natural aesthetic.

"This is a his-and-hers bathroom, with the hers component including a custom vanity and a built-in, freestanding mirror," says the designer. "The custom mirror required a detailed design process, addressing issues such as the appropriate height required for applying make-up and optimal lighting this was addressed through pendant light fixtures hung by rigid nickel dowels."