For this primary bathroom remodel, the homeowners presented designer Diana Burton, of Glen Ellyn, Ill.-based Drury Design with some straightforward parameters. This gave Burton both freedom and direction to develop a space that fulfilled her clients’ desire for a serene, luxurious bathroom retreat.
The designer recounts the homeowners’ three major pain points with the existing space. “The clients didn’t like the layout of the vanities and were hoping to omit the awkward angled cabinet in the corner. Next, the sloped ceiling on one side of the tub area really bothered them as they preferred a symmetrical design. Finally, the room had a lot of heavy molding and trim that just wasn’t their style.”
Luxurious Bathroom Fixtures
Burton’s original concept to balance the ceiling plane at the tub was a barrel vault, but that proved to be a stretch for the budget. Instead, she mimicked the angled ceiling on one side and recreated it on the other, yielding a pleasing architectural equilibrium.
While a free-standing tub would have fit the space, the clients preferred a built-in design for its easy and safe easy access. “Being able to sit comfortably and then swing one’s legs over is more conducive to the kind of spa experience they had in mind,” said Burton.
Complementing the water-centric wellness features is a steam shower. Burton points out that the right design elements can work in concert with steam to create a calming environment that promotes mental clarity. In this case, she selected white marble for the walls, floor, ceiling, bench and storage niche and polished nickel fittings to enhance the peaceful ambiance and counter the dark wainscotting and cabinets.
Supply Chain Snafu – and a Solution
For this job, the Drury Design team worked with a local cabinet supplier instead of one of its normal vendors. As the project was being realized during the pandemic, the local company’s lead time was significantly shorter. They were able to customize and template all of the wainscot panels throughout the bathroom.
“Now, we are back to using our normal cabinet suppliers that we prefer to do business with for many reasons,” said Burton. “This job, however, taught us that there will be times when we have to be nimble – like during a pandemic when nothing is normal and delivering on client expectations requires flexibility.”
