Winner – Custom Baths, GOHBA Interior Design Awards 2005
This renovation of an ensuite bath faced some formidable challenges; a long and narrow room, a two level room necessitated by elevation changes in rooms below, window locations, and a partial curved wall. The list of must haves from the client included, large walk-in shower with multiple shower heads, large whirlpool tub, his & her sinks, a generous make-up counter, heated flooring and a separate toilet room.
The solution to these challenges revealed themselves in stages. In the first stage the shape of the room was simplified by eliminating the curved wall and the windows were repositioned; this then gave the layout new possibilities. The next stage was to select the finishes; due to the awkward room, using only tile would have been complicated and likely too busy, the designer searched for a material that was simple, waterproof, and malleable. Hardened adobe mud came to mind, and this concept was expressed with tinted concrete. The vertical elements of shower stall and toilet room are joined by the horizontal tub platform, flooring, and room wainscoting all in the ‘mud’ finish. All of the concrete was enhanced using 18 karat gold flakes set below the clear epoxy.
Attention to detail and experimentation with the capabilities of craft are witnessed in the following items: • Flared tub platform with reveal and matching marble top • Curved walnut door with glazing to match shower, curved door • Tailored entry tile • Continuous stainless handrail/towel bar with ‘invisible’ supports • Magazine niche in toilet room • 3” thick marble tops, mitred edges • Floating mirror • Motorized window shades • Multiple lighting sources for flexibility dependent on mood
