The rest of the story ...
This was not our first project in this house, clients have previously hired us to build-out their entire basement. And they were long ready to remodel this typical ‘cookie-cutter’ primary bathroom.
While the room itself is surprisingly large, nearly half of it was taken up by a decked tub, shower was crammed between the tub and a floor-to-(shed)ceiling linen closet. While the double vanity was nearly 6 feet long, it barely offered any usable storage. And access to the owners’ closet was also taking up quite a bit of the space. Not to mention all the fixtures and finishes were outdated, builder-grade quality, and some even non-working. The private WC was perhaps the only structure to keep in this remodel; all else was to be demolished.
Clients envisioned this space to have a modern farmhouse/luxury hotel feel with timeless yet low-maintenance finishes and fixtures. Preferences included his and her vanities, two-person shower, a freestanding tub. Sufficient storage was also on their priority list.
There were some structural challenges. The plan was to take down the soffit above the old vanity and resize the private WC. All those structures turned out to be load-bearing frames and had to remain. The east-facing room often felt cold, especially during winter months. Apparently the high ceilings absorbed all of the heat supplied through floor vents. And having separate vanities and still some linen storage was definitely a challenge as well.
immediately and instinctively proposed an open plan, except for the private WC, and closing off the doorway to owners’ closet to reconfigure the space and allow enough space for his and her vanities. Unquestionably, the arched window with cathedral ceiling above was an intriguing focal point, with a freestanding tub just below it. Staying away from too many trendy design features, to extend the longevity of the space, brought us to adding custom trim to the wall surrounding the window, to dress it up.
Not being able to enlarge the WC, we opted for a pocket door, which look we copied from the planned barn doors. Only instead of mirrors we used frosted glass and painted it matte black to match the faucets (Delta) and accessories in the room. Keeping the asymmetry and unmatched patterns in the room helped us mimic the typical random farmhouse style design. Heated floors (Schluter) were the natural choice to address cold in the room.
Clients are still in awe over the end results, which surpassed their expectations in nearly every possible way. They are loving all of the modern luxuries - heated floors, double shower head, separate vanities with custom storage. The large arched window with custom trim around it and a freestanding tub below, triple herringbone floor tile, live edge bench and matte black accents are just a few of many feelings-evoking details in this bespoke design. Their daily routines in this bathroom have helped them to energize for a new day in the mornings and unwind from their busy schedules in the evening.
Honestly, the pictures do not do justice to this remodel. We turned the dark, crammed and outdated bathroom into a bright, open and modern space, tailored to our clients’ tastes and lifestyle, improving functionality, adding modern comforts, all of which inherently improved their well being.The feature wall is definitely a show-stopper! Establishing our color palette early on helped with quickly pulling all the materials and patterns and finishes together. It was a bit of a style departure from our usual projects but a welcomed challenge. And clearly : our clients knew we can deliver.
Comments from our judges ...
Designer put a lot of time and thought into this design. The layout and elevations/perspectives were just as detailed.
I like the use of storage space. I like the idea of accenting the window, just not sure if I am a fan of the contrasting Wall paneling design around it.
There is a lot going on. Eyes going all over the place. Would like to have seen a little more constancy in colors and patterns and accenting just one or two things.