Contemporary Suite
The family returned to their beloved eclectic antique home after a 5 year business assignment in Europe. The home had contemporary additions made years ago by a previous owner/architect. Antique portions of the home had been updated, but there was a desire for a modern functional design to suit their current lifestyle.
The clients share a great design sensibility and having lived with modern style fixtures in Europe they were comfortable incorporating contemporary styling in the bathrooms of their home.
The design challenge was to update the master suite and bathrooms without having to surrender the antique character and inherent quirks of their home. Radiant base board heating pipes, low, often uneven ceilings, and shallow plaster walls presented challenges. These conditions often require an alternative design approach for lighting, furniture, bathroom layouts and tile selections. My knowledge of the suitability of materials and finishes and an ability to consult with the contractors as a team approach was essential.
I designed the custom bed/headboard/nightstands unit to be positioned “proud” of the wall to allow for heat air circulation above and below due to the unavoidable radiant pipes located behind the bed. The new bed unit was integrated with the existing built in cabinetry.Contemporary reading lights were installed on the headboard surface with additional electrical outlet options installed on the back of the headboard. The low set platform of the bed appears to float and provides the illusion of space from the low ceiling above.
The glass, feather design tile on the bathroom vanity wall provides a forgiving solution for an uneven ceiling line. The reflective jewel – like glass and floating vanity with multiple modern lighting solutions creates an airy, functional, sophisticated mood in the small scale master bathroom.
Image credits Rouleau Photography