When Seashal Belldina of Interiors by Seashal was engaged to renovate an indoor pool bathroom in a Pittsburgh residence, she faced some literally immovable obstacles. Concrete walls and a rustic sandstone floor, to be specific.
The sandstone had to stay not just because the material runs throughout the 1990s house – it wraps the pool, comprises outdoor patios and is incorporated into the interior of the home – but it also bolsters the Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced aesthetic found in the architecture. Since the sandstone is matte and bold in both color and texture, it was a little tricky to find the right wall tile for use in the indoor pool bathroom. “Originally, we wanted to use tadelakt (a Moroccan plaster finish) in the entire bathroom, but the client didn’t love that idea and requested a porcelain tile in the main space,” said Belldina. “We needed something that was matte, had little to no grout lines, was low-maintenance, brightened up the space and tied in with some of the colors in the sandstone.”
Belldina ultimately chose a large format porcelain tile for the walls and floor in the room. Making the 110-inch-tall tiles plumb to the ceiling made the installation tricky. The contractor had make very precise cuts to make sure the units lined up, as both the ceiling and the floor were uneven. Using a matching tile molding and pencil trim to create a custom baseboard that matched the tile allowed the contractor to shim at the base so the tile sat perfectly along the ceiling.
The shower also presented challenges. The walls behind the original ceramic tile were thick concrete that was very labor intensive to remove – a realization that came about during the demolition needed to access the plumbing. To recoup that expenditure, and to stay on budget, Belldina needed a material that could be laid on top of the existing tile. The answer: lime plaster. “I had wanted to use lime plaster in a bathroom project, and the style of this home and bathroom were the perfect fit from a design standpoint,” she said. There was a learning curve to this, as it was the designer’s first experience with the material. “We worked closely with our contractor and plaster installer to make sure everyone communicated on the detailed steps in the process.”
Artisanship & Teamwork
In keeping with the Wrightian ethos, craftsmanship plays a major role in this project. All the cabinetry is handcrafted only a few miles from the home, then stained by hand by the painter. The copper is worked in Brooklyn, the hardware on the cabinet was poured by hand in Idaho. The shower door hinge was hand painted and finished to match the copper hardware. Artisans expertly cut and installed the countertop and shower bench and plastered walls at the direction of the contractor. “There’s a beautiful symphony of hands, minds and hard work that goes into creating custom bathrooms,” said Belldina. “I certainly appreciate the role we all play in making it happen for our clients.”
Sources
Design: Seashal Belldina for Interiors by Seashal; Photography: Dave Bryce Photo; Cabinets, Wooden Shower Mat: DC Carpentry; Cabinet Hardware: Rocky Mountain Hardware; Countertops: Caesarstone; Faucets, Shower Fittings: Watermark; Lighting: Hudson Valley Lighting; Mirrors: AOrganik; Paint: Sherwin-Williams Exterior Paint (ceiling only); Plaster: Vasari; Sinks: Nature Trail; Tile (wall): Luca; Toilet: Kohler POOL AREA Furnishings: Four Hands
