Rhapsody in blue

Everyday sights and sounds can often provide the inspiration for ambitious projects. When George Gershwin premiered his famous concerto Rhapsody in Blue in 1924 he claimed to be influenced by the rattle of a Boston train. For interior designer Gary Orr, the catalyst for this bathroom was the owner's love of the color blue.

"Blue had to be at the heart of the design, despite the fact that creating such a vibrant color caused us to rethink the formula for stucco," Orr says.

The percentages in the stucco composition of cement, mineral pigments and sand were altered, and an adhesive was introduced into the mix.

"Knowing how a material is created assists you in experimenting with new ideas. There is no impediment to your imagination when you are able to alter a substance to enable a design to proceed," Orr says.

The deep blue of the room's structural partitions are enhanced by the ocre walls and the slate floor tiles. The chestnut backsplash and baseboard connect the design to the wooden floor in the bedroom.

Rather than be shut away, the bathroom is separated by a curved blue partition.

"The bathroom's an adjunct nook off the bedroom. This open-plan layout makes both spaces seem larger," Orr says.

To increase the feeling of spaciousness, the shelving and vanity countertop are both made of glass. Inset into the countertop are blue glass bowls that appear luminous under the halogen lighting directly above.

"The transparent surface of the countertop ensures that the basins can be seen in their entirety, as brightly colored globes," Orr says.

Ordinary faucets have been replaced by a chrome tube that shoots water directly into the basins. The outlet is custom designed so that upon entering each basin, the water spirals downward in opposite directions in one basin clockwise, in the other counter-clockwise.

Inspired by the transporter room in the TV series Star Trek, the shower has a cylindrical fitting on the ceiling that emits both light and water.

"The way the light plays on the water makes it appear as if liquid silver is raining down," Orr says.

Positioned in the corner of the room, the shower enclosure has a window incorporated into the radius of the wall. This window is constructed from 1/4" X 3" thick glass ribbons that are placed vertically and sealed together with silicone.

Water drains through the gaps between the ungrouted floor tiles, eliminating the need for a metal shower drain.

The stucco shower wall is completely waterproof. It has a chrome rail inside the shower for support and an external rail, on which to hang towels.

Neither the shower nor the other partitions in the bathroom reach the full height of the room. Inset into the hollow on top of the curved shower wall are lights that produce a halo lighting effect across the entire ceiling.

The sculptural walls and partitions tie the bathroom into the home's landscape design, as they echo the blue stucco walls that border the house.

Story by: Trendsideas