Immersed in splendor

The spa-experience is enjoyed throughout this suite of rooms, which includes a morning kitchen used for late night suppers

the bathroom features an antique chandalier which matches cabinetry, ceiling, estate, floor, flooring, home, interior design, living room, lobby, room, wall, brown, orange — the bathroom features an antique chandalier which matches the vanity's elaborate mirror frame

tha master bedroom features a distinctive four poster bed, bed frame, bedroom, ceiling, furniture, home, interior design, mattress, room, wall, black, gray

this expansive bathtub is placed inside a bay ceiling, chair, dining room, furniture, home, interior design, living room, room, table, window, brown, gray

a fire place in the wall and a bathroom, ceiling, home, interior design, room, wall, window, gray, brown

his vanity is distinguished from her vanity by cabinetry, ceiling, countertop, floor, flooring, interior design, room, wood flooring, brown, black

the shower enclosure is located behind limestone walls bathroom, cabinetry, countertop, flooring, interior design, room, brown, black

view of the morning kitchen that can be cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, home, home appliance, interior design, kitchen, room, under cabinet lighting, gray, brown

floor plan - area | design | diagram area, design, diagram, drawing, floor plan, line, plan, product design, structure, white

The romance of international travel needn't end when you arrive back at home. Not if you decide to replicate the luxury of a five-star hotel suite within your own private quarters.

Architect Jim Klippel says homeowners Allen and Toya Engel were inspired by a trip to Europe create a spa-like master wing.

"They wanted to feel as though everyday they were living in a well-appointed hotel," he says.

In addition to a master bedroom, the bathroom contains two large vanities and an expansive bathtub and shower enclosure. There is also a split-level master closet, exercise room and morning kitchen. Every room leads logically onto another, to ensure that there are no dead-end spaces, says Klippel.

"The flow of the design creates a sweeping suite of rooms that allows each person to have their own space and still function as a communal area."

Toya Engel says that in addition to allowing for a generous space, their travels inspired a luxuriant use of materials in every room within the suite.

"We stayed in a Parisian hotel where the limestone walls reached all the way to the ceiling, and I decided I wanted this for my own bathroom."

The material palette, together with individual pieces, such as an elaborate four poster bed, formed the basis of this distinctive interior, created by the Engels, Klippel and interior designer Leigh Nunnery.

"The purple-colored walls in the master bedroom set the tone for the royal feeling throughout the entire suite," says Nunnery.

The grandness of the bed is replicated in the generous bathtub, positioned in a niche, framed by Greek columns and a Roman archway. Delicate window treatments, made from wispy fabric, soften the edges of the mottled limestone, which covers the walls. A fireplace and a plasma screen contribute to the tub's indulgent quality.

This expansive area also contains a shower enclosure that is hidden behind a limestone partition that reaches the ceiling. Although accessed by a single opening, the shower itself is long and deep and accommodates powerful water jets.

Two elaborate vanities with a deep mahogany glaze, provide a strong visual contrast to the limestone. They are differentiated by an oval mirror on her vanity and a rectangular mirror on his.

A morning kitchen is well used, facilitating a nightcap the couple often enjoy in the suite.

"It's a nice place to gather your thoughts at the end of the day," says Toya Engel.