Into the blue

There are many good reasons for remodeling a master bath, some a little more emotional than others. For the owners of this Spanish-influenced mission style house, an earthquake, children growing and leaving the nest, and a leaky kitchen combined to necessitate two remodels of the entire house 15 years apart.

Designer Chadine Flood Gong says her initial brief for the then-rented house right after a 1989 earthquake centered on remodeling the kitchen and bathroom in the event her clients would want to move there after the children had gone.

"At that stage the shower was relined in locally made blue tiles, giving a feeling of freshness to the space, and dual shower heads were installed. A glass block wall let plenty of light in and the design enabled the shower to be free of a door," says Gong.

Fifteen years after her clients moved in, a leak in the kitchen roof began what would become a major overhaul of the house. Gong then suggested Fu-Tung Cheng, a designer renowned for his concrete countertops, come in to remodel the kitchen. The client loved the new look so much she requested the same countertop in the bathroom.

The decision to replace the existing sink with another to integrate with the cement look made way for the inclusion of a basin carved from a single pale green granite boulder. The inside was scooped out and polished smooth, and a drain hole cut into it, while the outer shell remains in a natural roughened state.

A widened mirror now runs the length of the wall, creating an illusion of depth. Etching a design onto the left of the mirror surface and replacing it with silver leaf and colored enamel paints created the point of difference and interest her clients desired, says Gong.

"The feeling of harmony in this bathroom is created by combining the colors and textures of diverse yet complementary materials."

Story by: Trendsideas