today`s master bath trends

Home
Bathing
Trends
with staying
power
76
August
August 2013
2013
Experts dish
on new bath
products
Ask the designer
decorating woes
answered
courtesy of Kohler Co.
Beauties
Contents
78
The Lowdown on
Master Baths
Interior designers tell us about the
tasteful bells and whistles that top
the list of homeonwners’ wants and
needs.
82
Dress It
Experts dish on their favorite new
bath products.
83
Staying Power
Eight ins and outs for bathroom
design.
84
Shopping List
Products that make a bathroom.
86
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Contractor: J.L. Tippett Construction Company, Inc.
Start Something Beautiful
Light the Way
Top picks for lighting.
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Visit our showroom and see more than 30 cabinet
diplays and countless material samples.
Vendors
Where to get started.
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Ask the Designer
courtesy of self (shapira)
Lauren Clement answers readers’
questions to home decorating woes.
about the
writer: Jennifer
Shapira continues
to be inspired by the
area’s artisans, their
creative uses of space
and realizations of dream kitchens,
bathrooms and outdoor areas. Her
own style is just the right mix of
minimalist/vintage/thrift. While
not one for name brands, she does
fantasize about the purchase of a
retro-style Smeg or Big Chill fridge.
kitchens
bathrooms
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It’s no secret that today’s master baths often feel like trips to the
spa, complete with a nod to nature. But even if a complete redo is
not in your home’s future, a number of small improvements, from
better lighting to a set of fluffy new towels, can help transform any
bath into a great escape.
No matter your bath’s style: traditional, transitional,
modern, somewhere in between, it’s those tasteful bells and
whistles, says interior designer Stephanie Kelley, that tops the list
of homeowners’ wants and needs.
78
August
August 2013
2013
Courtesy of Architectural Ceramics
The Lowdown on
Master Baths
80
August 2013
geously tiled room just for showering, stripped down
for the most basic purpose, but totally tricked out in
terms of function and design.
Walk-in showers have been popular for decades in
Europe, says Anne Overton, sales manager at Caprio
& Deutsch in Arlington, but they are just now trending stateside.
Walk-in showers are a plus for anyone who is
considering aging-in-place: they are ADA-compliant;
and if there is no step, wheelchairs can easily roll
right into them.
Flush, floor-mounted linear drains from companies like Quick Drain and Quartz by ACO can
Showers are larger, often
accommodating two people,
frequently with separate,
personalized jets and body
sprays at varying heights
for each individual.
add oomph to a shower—their grates are patterned
works of art, and can glow thanks to energy-efficient LED lighting, or can be tailored to match the
shower’s tile. They also offer total practicality: The
customized lengths allow fast-moving water to drain
at once, never allowing it to pool at your feet, says
Overton.
It’s “a great design element, a kind of a ‘wow factor,’ like you’d have in a nice hotel,” says Mina Fies.
But it’s also practical for those intending to age-in-
Courtesy of QuickDrain (continuous floor tile); Courtesy of Synergy Design & Construction (shower and basin)
O
ften, the details of a newly remodeled master
bath are exquisite, from high-end countertop materials to minimalist faucet fixtures
to warm footsteps on heated flooring. But in
today’s redos, the shower is really the focal point,
says Mina Fies, founder and chief executive officer
of the husband-and-wife-owned Synergy Design and
Construction in Reston.
Except in the case of the person
who relishes a good soak, tubs are
virtually non-existent.
Many experts say it’s often a challenge to convince homeowners to
keep one tub in the home strictly for
resale value.
“There is not a lot of practical use
anymore for a dedicated tub—in
other words, one separate from the
shower,” says Mark Fies, Synergy’s
chief operating officer and president of the Washington, D.C.-area
chapter of the National Association
of the Remodeling Industry. “We’re
either removing or not designing
them in the new space at all,” he
says.
The shower, no matter how luxurious, is still a get-in-and-get-out
action that fits into today’s busy lifestyle. Showers are larger, often accommodating two people,
frequently with separate, personalized jets and body
sprays at varying heights for each individual. These
spaces are encased in trim-less, transparent glass;
sometimes they are completely doorless—a gor-
◗ (Clockwise from top left) Bathroom by
QuickDrain with side-outlet shower drains
which enable you to place continuous floor
tile in your tile shower base; tiled showers
by Synergy Design & Construction; shower
with personalized jets and body spray by
Architectural Ceremics; vessel basin by
Synergy Design & Construction
place, or seek low- or no-threshold
entry into the shower. “It’s both functional and has great purpose, but it’s
also aesthetically pleasing.”
Courtesy of Synergy Design & Construction (rain shower); Courtesy of Architectural Ceramics (personalized jets)
Trends With Staying
Power
T
rends that are hopefully here
to stay when a master bathroom gets gutted are: better
insulation, radiant-heated
floors, energy- and water-saving
appliances—from light fixtures to
dual-flush toilets—to using recycled
and manmade materials in countertops and cabinetry. Finding new uses
ASK the
DESIGNER
Are you ready to redecorate your abode, but aren’t quite sure where
to start? Now is your chance to get advice from interior designer
Lauren Clement of Lauren Nicole Designs. Submit a question
and Lauren will give her expert recommendations.
NorthernVirginiaMag.com/ask-the-designer
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81
◗ (Clockwise from top) Vanity with lots of
storage space; Stone Bianco Venatino
Honed Marble Field Tile bathroom; bathroom with a walk-in shower by Terranova
Construction Kitchen and Bath Inc.
Experts Dish on Favorite New Bath Products
Anne Overton, sales manager at Caprio
& Deutsch:
“People are doing so many body sprays
and two or three different shower
heads,” says Overton. “If you’re passing
a lot of water like that, a standard drain
won’t accommodate; you don’t want to
be standing in water.” So, for her clients’
custom-built, walk-in showers, Overton
orders linear drains from Coloradobased company Quick Drain.
“They make really cool covers for
them: polka dots, squiggles, lines,” she
says. Another option is to cut a long,
narrow piece of matching tile, so that the
drain itself nearly vanishes.
Stephanie Kelley, owner of Refined
Design:
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August 2013
“Tiles are so beautiful now, that is where
real personality and some trendiness
might come in,” says Kelley. “Put some
beautiful tiles in even if it is just an accent.”
Be sure to carve out some space in the
new shower plan for a recessed niche or
two, to have shampoos and body washes
at-the-ready, or a spot for a favorite
scented candle.
“A bit of sparkle is always nice, too.”
And that doesn’t have to break the bank.
Add some dazzle in the smallest ways:
consider a stylish soap dish or pretty
apothecary jars.
Barbara Hawthorn, owner of Barbara
Hawthorn Interiors:
“I love everything at Porcelanosa,” she
says, adding a master bath doesn’t have
to be huge in order for it to be beautiful,
well-appointed and functional.
“I just did two bathrooms with Porcelanosa, and I just love it. One vanity in
particular is so gorgeous—the ultimate
in a smooth, sleek, modern style. The
new thing in kitchens and baths [are]
these beautiful finishes that are sort of
reflective laminate.”
Called Compact, from the Skyline line,
“this is a wall-mounted vanity, which is
incredible. And it has a fabulous drawer
system that slow-closes, and rounded
edges that create a very modern feel,
and it’s absolutely gorgeous. It just
floats. It looks like a piece of modern
art. It really is just the sleekest thing you
could ever imagine.”
Courtesy of Architectural Ceramics (tiled bathrooms); Courtesy of Terranova Construction Kitchen and Bath, Inc. (walk-in shower)
for what otherwise might have been
cast-offs is a green, stylish, current
take on a redo. Not to mention, it’s
satisfying. Rehabbing an old piece
of furniture scored at a yard sale or
antique shop can live a new life as
bathroom storage. A part DIY, part
contractor job is that of a favorite
antique dresser that can be stripped,
repainted and outfitted with new
knobs and drawer pulls, and, with
just the right basin, becomes a oneof-a-kind bathroom vanity.
One happy benefit of the demo of
old vanities is that modern cabinetry is taller, measuring 36 inches in
height from floor to countertop, says
Mark Fies. The vanities being ripped
out of older homes were a mere 30
inches in height, so the additional
six really adds to the comfort of the
daily tasks of putting on makeup,
shaving, brushing your teeth, “so
you’re not bending so far over to use
them,” he says. Another advantage is
the increase in storage below.
8 Bath ins and outs
Courtesy of Terranova Construction Kitchen and Bath, Inc. (Terranova bathroom); Courtesy of Kohler (blue shower, facet, vessel sink); HamsterMan/Shutterstock.com (tub); 7505811966/Shutterstock.com (gold shower head); JPagetRFPhotos/Shutterstock.com
(beige tiles); Courtesy of QuicK Drain (linear drain); Breadmaker/Shutterstock.com (brown sink)
◗ Bathroom by Terranova Construction
Kitchen and Bath, Inc.
From comfortable height to
a sitting area, to the ease-with
which your grooming tools are
within reach, Marcello Dobrauchi, owner of Vienna-based
Terranova Design & Remodel,
asks clients to weigh in on a detailed questionnaire to make even
the smallest details even more
livable.
Designing for something as
simple as keeping the hairdryer,
the curling iron, the electric
toothbrush, smartphones and
Rehabbing an old
piece of furniture
scored at a yard
sale or antique shop
can live a new life as
bathroom storage.
tablets all plugged in—with the
outlets out of sight and items
items powered off—can be done
with inside drawers where plugs
are concealed at all times.
“What we tend to do is decide
for those needs,” he says. “If you
are left- or right-handed, who
will use the left sink, who will
use the right sink? And we would
place all these items in very
small and dedicated places,” he
says, ideally leaving the granite
or marble countertop sleek and
uncluttered because everything is
tucked away.
IN:
Out:
Bigger, show-stopping walk-in showers roomy enough for
two, with designer
jets and handhelds
for each individual.
All vintage builder-grade tubs, and
even Jacuzzis and
soakers. Who has
time for a bath?
Shower and sink fixtures in chrome,
brushed nickel, satin metals, bronze.
“Brushed gold is good— hopefully that
is the gold that is
making a comeback,” says interior
designer Stephanie
Kelley.
The shiny gold from the ‘90s,
she says. “Replacing metals in a
bathroom is one of the easiest
fixes to get a
more updated
look.”
Tiles have become so much more
affordable, even those that look luxe.
So, tile an enclosed shower all the
way up, including the ceiling, says
interior designer Barbara Hawthorn.
Stopping the tile
three-quarters of the
way up was a costsaving trick that’s
now outdated.
Artistic, custom-built
linear shower drains that
have a ‘wow factor’ effect.
The typical, classic round drain
that any adult recalls from his/
her youth.
Chic, understated lighting; elegant
sconces and chandeliers; energysaving LEDs.
Those bulbous Hollywood lights
that flanked builder-grade
mirrors. “Those drive me nuts.
I love taking those out!” says
Mina Fies, president & CEO of
Synergy Design & Construction.
Gorgeous—but functional—statement-making vanities and basins.
With any luck, vessel sinks in any
bathroom besides a low-traffic powder
room. Beautiful, but
totally impractical,
experts say.
Ceramic tiles in grays, whites and
ivories; marble; wood replica, says
Architectural Ceramics’ Christina
Ginn.
Tile with no personality, no oomph!
Radiant-heated floors in the
bathroom, with timers set to control
when your feet pad onto the tile each
morning.
Cold feet
www.northernvirginiamag.com
83
1
shopping list
Products
Good Wood
Experts are loving the very on-trend,
stylish, rustic look of hardwood
replicas, which have the durability of
porcelain tile. Available in tones from
browns to grays, from weathered
to polished, any wood-grain choice
makes sense in the bathroom;
it’s easy-to-clean and stain- and
mildew-resistant.
1 Wood Replica 6x36, $10.58/square
foot; architecturalceramics.com/
products/wood-replica
Full (or Partial) Flush
As homeowners become more
eco-conscious, experts have to do
less convincing to get their buy-in
when it comes to putting in new
fixtures. Dual-flush toilets are sleek
and comfortable, and better for the
environment: They adhere to EPA’s
water-saving guidelines.
2 Persuade Two-Piece Elongated
0.8 or 1.6 GPF Toilet with dual-flush
technology, $420; us.kohler.com
3
2
6
Ensconced
Call it the “Mad Men” effect. In the
master bath, sconces and other
lighting fixtures that mix industrial
with transitional is a popular look
now, says Joshua Mollet, showroom
manager at Alexandria Lighting. In
chrome and polished nickel, they’re
on-trend, but provide the decorative details that make for exciting
lighting.
3 Kichler Builder Series 1-Light Wall
Sconce, $79; alexandrialighting.com
4 Hampton Bay 1-Light Brushed
Nickel Wall Sconce, $52; homedepot.
com
Waste Not
For a go-to wastebasket that says
Zen as much everything else in your
serene oasis, choose this earthy
stand-out from the Container Store.
Too pretty for trash? Add a second
for extra storage: fill up this handcrafted catch-all with rolled towels
or rolls of bath tissue.
5 Makati Round Wastebasket Goldenrod, $19.99; containerstore.com
Towel Off
Punch up a tired towel collection with
textiles from Target’s new Threshold
line. Printed with nautical stripes,
serene landscapes and black-andwhite starbursts, these thirsty bath
sheets will be a welcome envelopment post-shower, no matter a
bathroom’s style or color scheme.
6 Threshold towels from Target:
$9.99; target.com
84
August 2013
4
Courtesy of Architectural Ceramics (hardwood replicas); Courtesy of Kohler (toilet); Courtesy of Kichler (Kichler builder series wall sconce); courtesy of Home depot (Hampton
bay 1-light brushed nickel wall sconce, anywhere fireplace); Courtesy of the Container Store (makati round wastebasket); Courtesy of Target (threshold towels); Courtesy of
Quick drain USA (linear drain); Courtesy of Rouge spa (fragrances)
Go Linear
Plans for a shower redo? Give some
thought to the otherwise dull drain.
Custom linear drains add an artistic
flair to any gorgeously tiled space.
With grates available in wave or
square designs, the drains provide a
seamless transition that is at once
striking and, if you choose to match
your tile, completely discreet.
7 prices vary upon design and size;
quickdrainusa.com
8
9
Fire It Up
Capture even more of that spa-like
ambience in your master bath with
a wall-mounted or free-standing
fireplace. Often more affordable and
more compact, today’s built-ins or
rimless glass options add a flame
effect to any bathing experience.
Many offer heat or no-heat options
for year-round enjoyment. Marie
LaGoe, owner of Aspen Green Gasworks in Herndon, says clients love
the Regency line, “because they are
beautiful and give nice heat.”
8 Anywhere Fireplace Gramercy
32-inch Vent-Free Ethanol Fireplace
in Black/Tempered Glass, $199;
homedepot.com
Apply Some Rouge
Anita Henry, owner of Rouge Spa and
Boutique in Leesburg, custom blends
fragrances, lotions and essential oils
for Virginians, from swimmers to
horse trainers, and everyone in between. Henry says her own scents of
citrus-y Sicilian Clementine, or others
that include notes of fresh-cut grass
or vine-ripened tomatoes are among
her best-selling items. The boutique
also sells products from Europe.
9 Rouge fragrance bottles, $32,
other products, prices vary; rougespa.
com
7
5
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85
◗ (Left) Bathroom by
Terranova Construction
Kitchen and Bath, Inc.,
(above) “rock grotto”
bathroom designed
by Barbara Hawthorn;
[right] towel warmer
inside the shower
designed by Terranova
Construction Kitchen
and Bath, Inc.
windows in the shower, there are
abundant creative ways to let those
Dobrauchi is a big proponent of
morning rays spill in. Strategically
maximizing natural light in a master
placed mirrors reflect light, bouncbath, whenever possible. He recalls
ing it top to bottom, side to side. In
a recent remodel in Langley “where
keeping with the bathroom’s style,
we gutted everything, prioritizing
matching architectural sconces on
natural light, so exterior walls were
either side of an eye-catching mirror
opened up to allow more natural
provide additional sources of light;
light in.”
When a master bath looks out over in the ceiling, add recessed LEDs for
tasking.
the home’s priNo matter
vate backyard,
Pop culture’s love
your bathroom’s
he sees that as a
style, a chandeperfect opportuaffair with mid-century
lier can be an
nity to open up
modern, thanks to “Mad
elegant choice;
the space with
Men,” has had a real
from a more
a large-scale
influence on lighting,
contemporary
picture window.
elliptical shape
And if there’s a
says Joshua Mollet.
to a more tratrue view—of
ditional crystal
a wooded area,
candelabra, they are sure to make a
the Potomac River—even better to
statement.
showcase it, he says.
Pop culture’s love affair with
Besides the obvious money-saving
mid-century modern, thanks to
benefits of less expensive heating
“Mad Men,” has had a real influand electric bills, natural light also
ence on lighting, says Joshua Mollet,
provides a primary daytime light
showroom manager at Alexandria
source. From skylights to niche
86
August 2013
Lighting.
That “aesthetic has a very clean,
chic, minimalistic style to it,” he says.
“Not embellished or fussy. Just clean
and straight.”
Bringing the Outdoors In
McLean-based interior designer
Barbara Hawthorn is at work crafting what she calls a “rock grotto”
master bath for a luxury log-cabin
renovation in Potomac, Md., replete
with wooded views from its picture
window. The second in a succession
Courtesy of Terranova Construction Kitchen and Bath, Inc.
Light the Way
VENDORS
Barbara Hawthorn Interiors
1950 Valley Wood Road
McLean, VA 22101
703-241-5588
barbarahawthorninteriors.com
Stephanie Kelley
Refined Design LLC
703-851-2412
refineddesignllc.com
Courtesy of Barbara Hawthorn (“rock grotto”)
Synergy Design & Construction
11701 Bowman Green Drive, Suite
100, Reston, VA 20190
703-766-6333
synergydandc.com
of bathrooms for the family’s home
“compound”—with its view of the Potomac River—Hawthorn has sought
inspiration from the banks of the
river into her current project.
In keeping with the log-cabin
feel of the first bathroom, sheets
of smooth, flat river stones in cool
beige and gray tones have been
placed throughout the walls and
floor of the contemporary space,
even in the shower, where it offers a
gentle foot massage. Custom copper
and heart pine cabinets are outfitted
down to the smallest detail: butterflies as knobs evoke the joy of a summer afternoon spent outdoors.
“Integrating nature into our living
space is a trend that is becoming
more and popular,” says Hawthorn.
“When you go into your bathroom,
it’s like your own mini-resort,” she
says. “It’s like you’re out in nature
but you’re in this tiny space in a
log-cabin home, but all of a sudden it
becomes this amazing rock grotto.”
Over the years, Hawthorn has
worked on a number of additions for
the home, and conceptualized this
bath space.
“I totally dreamed this up, and
when I told them, they loved it! I
thought I was going a little bit out on
a limb, and they were ecstatic with it.”
Call it a labor of log-cabin love.
Terranova Design & Remodel
8453-Q Tyco Road
Vienna, VA 22182
703-761-0604
terranovackb.com
Architectural Ceramics
Falls Church Public Showroom
7505P Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22043
703-714-0161
architecturalceramics.com
Alexandria Public Showroom
203 S. Union St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-299-6200
Porcelanosa
porcelanosa-usa.com
701 Dover Road, Unit B
Rockville, MD 20850
301-294-8193
Grainger Industrial Supply (for
Fantechfans)
2947 Gallows Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
703-698-1503
grainger.com
Aspen Green Gasworks
307 Spring St.
Herndon, VA 20170
703-657-0477
aspengreengasworks.com
Falls Church, VA 22042
703-289-9970
ferguson.com
Caprio & Deutsch
4755 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA 22207
703-841-0355
Yves Delorme
6651A Old Dominion Drive
McLean, VA 22101
703-356-3085
yvesdelorme.com
Alexandria Lighting
701 N. Henry St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-548-2320
alexandrialighting.com
ZenCastle
107 S. West St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-739-1031
zencastle.com
Rouge Spa & Boutique
17 S. King St.
Leesburg, VA 20175
703-779-3700
rougespa.com
Infinity Tile & Design
42601 Magellan Square
Ashburn, VA 20148
703-227-7158
infinity-tile.com
Northern Virginia Tile Company
703-447-9380
nvtileco.com
Ideal Tile
929 W. Broad St.
Falls Church, VA 22046
703-237-8400
idealtile.biz
GraniTech
8404 Alban Road
Springfield, VA 22150
703-550-7912
granitechinc.com
Ferguson Enterprises, Inc.
2964-66 Gallows Road
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