Where Clean Lines Meet Calm Luxury in Bathroom Design
Calm spaces with clean lines, big windows and spa-like details are in the forefront of today’s bathroom design.
Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
After a long day, nothing is more soothing than a hot shower or a long, relaxing bath. Bathrooms serve more than just this purpose, however. They’re where we spend our first waking minutes, getting ready for the day ahead, and the last few moments of the evening, winding down for the night. How our bathrooms look and feel sets the tone for a great day or a restful night’s sleep. These personal spaces also allow a homeowner to express their creativity and personality through dramatic wallpaper and a playful mix of tiles, metals and finishes.
CLEAN AND NATURAL
This low-profile home was thoughtfully designed as a quiet Colorado mountain retreat for a busy couple. Interior designer Lindsay Kadlick, principal of Scottsdale, Arizona-based Lindsay Kadlick Interiors, had worked with the homeowners on other projects and was familiar with their design aesthetic. “They wanted a serene, spa-like space with windows that frame the landscape,” Kadlick says. She kept the palette soft and understated so it would not compete with the wild outdoors.
Oversize mirrors and thoughtfully placed sconces enhance the sense of space and reflect the natural beauty outside. Durable porcelain tiles (from Porcelanosa) in two complementary textures were used throughout the room and in the steam shower—a growing trend in contemporary bathroom design, and one of the homeowners’ top priorities. Natural rift-cut white oak cabinetry (by Phoenix-based Distinctive Custom Cabinetry) paired with gray marble countertops (from Galleria of Stone) brings a comfortable balance to the space.
“We purposely kept everything simple, so your eye goes out to the exterior,” says Kadlick. A freestanding Victoria + Albert tub is perfectly positioned in front of floor-to-ceiling glass, blurring the lines between inside and outside. Under-floor radiant heating creates a gentle feeling of warmth underfoot, and in-drawer outlets help to keep the countertops uncluttered.
The custom vanity’s mirror reflects the sweeping Colorado landscape. Designed for daily rituals, hidden cabinetry inserts offer smart storage. Custom vanity stool by Solido Furniture with Lee Jofa upholstery. The sconces: Sonneman Keel LED Bath Bar. | Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
ARCHITECTURE: DJ Architects
INTERIOR DESIGN: Lindsay Kadlick Interiors
SMALL AND SERENE
Photo: Audrey Hall
A secluded home high in the mountains of Big Sky, Montana, has a clean, quiet and uncluttered bath. The soft wall color and exposed wood add to the tranquility. “The homeowner, who enjoys the craft and creativity of interior design, was clear that she didn’t want traditional, nor did she want contemporary … but something like refined rustic,” says the home’s architect, Joe Roodell, principal at Bozeman, Montana-based Miller Roodell Architects. Specifically, she wanted her bathroom to be bright, airy and open with an abundance of glass.
The tub looks out (through nine-foot-high windows) to a pristine mountain meadow. “It is the perfect platform for seeing wildlife—her private national park,” Roodell says. Cool and elegant marble plays a big role—including the Waterworks pedestal vanity, radiant-heat floors and a zero-threshold shower, which is flush to the floor with no lip or ledge.
“A sweep seal on the bottom and sides keeps the water contained,” he explains. Many of the pieces—like the mirror above the vanity and the wall sconces—are objects the homeowner sourced on her travels to the East Coast and to Europe. The walls are a natural plaster that was worked and burnished by hand. “They have a texture, depth and warmth that you can’t achieve with a paint product,” says Roodell.
Photo: Audrey Hall
ARCHITECTURE: Miller Roodell Architects
INTERIOR DESIGN: By the homeowner
BOLD AND DRAMATIC
Photo: David Patterson
Backlit onyx, warm brass details and a resort-inspired aesthetic reflect the homeowner’s personality. “She knows what she likes, and this room captures the glam side of her,” says Katie Siegel, lead designer at Steamboat Springs, Colorado-based Rumor Designs. The home is perched on the bank of the Yampa River in the center of Steamboat, with the primary bath on the upper level. A dramatically scaled feather wallpaper mural (created by Adele Renault and produced by Area Environments) sets the tone. The bold pattern transforms what would have been a bland wall into the focal point of the entire room.
Onyx, a material the homeowner has admired in five-star hotels and spas during her extensive travels, is the bathroom’s other star. “We incorporated this stunning stone in two ways—a raised tub deck, and a backdrop wall for the vanity,” says Siegel.
“We wanted the mirror to look as if it were floating on the onyx, creating a beautiful glow.” The deep and inviting Victoria + Albert Amalfi tub looks out onto treetops and, from another angle, catches a bird’s-eye view of Steamboat. In the shower, a metallic tile (Ann Sacks Ermanno Bronze on White) references a luxe tweedy fabric; the shower fixtures are Delta Trinsic in Champagne Bronze.
Photo: David Patterson
“The homeowner wanted something different … something French … something with a touch of glam,” says lead designer Katie Siegel. Backlit onyx, underfloor heating, warm metallic accents and tweedy fabric-look shower tile create a resort-inspired aesthetic. | Photo: David Patterson
ARCHITECTURE: Michael J.K. Olsen Architects
INTERIOR DESIGN: Rumor Designs
