To make the bathrooms in this project functional and fun – and usable for both children and adults – designer Heather Lucas of Pacific Palisades, Cal.-based Lucas Browning Design, had her work cut out for her. The original 1924 home had 1.5 bathrooms: a full bath upstairs and a half-bath downstairs. The designer relocated the powder room to the ground floor and moved the full bathroom upstairs, where she also added a new primary bathroom.
Primary Bathroom
Color plays a role in making the primary bath and bedroom feel like one big suite. The green hue of the cabinets ties in with the art and rug in the primary bedroom and the black, globe light fixture in the bathroom doesn’t fight with the brass chandelier in the bedroom. The client wanted two shower heads and the addition of the rain shower in the middle of the enclosure added even more to the bathing experience. The railroad pattern of the Calcutta marble tiles contrasts with the herringbone tile of the floor. “In the primary bath, we did unlacqured brass; a finish which often ages beautifully,” said Lucas. “Los Angeles, however, has very hard water, so the aging process was very spotty. We opted to take the fixtures to a refinisher to speed up the aging process to get the patina we loved without all the water spots.”
Kids’ Bathroom
Because it is shared by the client’s son and daughter, the design of the kids’ bath is neither overtly feminine nor masculine. Keeping the sink area separate from the toilet/shower allows one child to shower with privacy while their sibling brushes their teeth. The room had a pretty small footprint so the designer opted to do a half glass door on the tub to make the space feel more open. The vanity is painted a soft blue that is gender-neutral and ties in with the whimsical wallpaper – a Hygge & West pattern that’s a happy, youthful moment that can grow with the kids as they get older. The bath features budget-friendly white subway tile and Kohler fixtures, which are balanced with a small splurge on Ann Sacks marble hexagon tile for the floor. While the majority of the home has brass finishes, the kids’ bath uses polished nickel – “Just to keep things interesting,” said Lucas.
Powder Room
“With such a small space, it’s fun to be bold,” said the designer about the powder room, which she relocated to the first floor of the home from its original spot on the second floor. The custom Palmer Industries marble sink is a show-stopper, and the Cole & Sons Palm Jungle wallpaper cued the dramatic use of dark paint for the ceiling and trim.
—By Leslie Clagett, KBB managing editor
