Lavish retreat

Separated by a long gallery from the rest of the house, this master suite is designed to emulate a luxurious European hotel

View of the master bathroom which is entered bathroom, ceiling, floor, interior design, room, tile, wall, wood, brown, orange — View of the master bathroom which is entered through double glass sliding doors opposite the large tub. The bathroom features onyx-topped vanities, one for putting on make up the second with two basin. Murano glass vases sit on glass shelves. The shower is tiled by onyx is accesed cia the mirror-lined galllery.

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View of the master bathroom which is entered bathroom, countertop, interior design, room, orange, brown

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View of the master bathroom which is entered bathroom, ceiling, floor, flooring, home, interior design, room, sink, tile, wall, orange, brown

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Two essential ingredients for a relaxing retreat are peace and quiet. And in a busy family home, both of these are often in short supply.

Architect Alan Berman was briefed by the owners of a 28th-floor apartment overlooking the East River, south of the Queensboro Bridge.

"The owners wanted their master bedroom wing to be quite separate from the rest of the apartment, with a private entrance. It had to be quiet, and the bathroom was to be a spa-like environment," says Berman.

To achieve this level of separation, the owners needed more space, and so they purchased the apartment next door. The living and dining room of the neighboring apartment became their new bedroom, and the kitchen became their bathroom.

The new master bedroom wing is located at the end of a gallery-style hallway that opens off the grand entrance foyer, ensuring it is private and well away from the main living areas of the house.

Double pocket sliding doors open from a smaller hall within the suite into the first section of the bathroom, which contains two separate vanities on either side of the space. On one side is a custom-built make-up vanity with space for a chair, and the other side includes two basins. A large spa tub is built into an alcove opposite the sliding doors.

The gallery opens out from this area, providing access to a steam shower enclosure and toilet room. Large mirrors, which conceal medicine cabinets, run along one side wall, and a spacious walk-in linen closet is hidden behind mirrored doors on the wall at the far end.

Large cream-colored onyx tiles were chosen to finish the walls and part of the bathroom floor. The shower enclosure has a mix of onyx slabs for the seat and tiles on the floor and walls, and the vanities are topped with slabs of the same stone. A mosaic-tiled pattern adds energy to the floor of the gallery through the center of the bathroom. Bands of a darker-toned onyx accent the walls, and wenge wood is used for the vanities and the trim around mirrors and doors.

Coffered ceilings along the length of the gallery add a sense of grandeur to the space, which is lit by Murano glass chandeliers. Matching pairs of sconces on either side of the tub and make-up vanity were custom made in Murano glass.

"The whole flavor of this expansive master suite, from the richness of the onyx and the wenge to the mosaic floor, is reminiscent of a Greek or Egyptian spa," says the architect.