Points of Departure - Samuel Furr Architects

THIS PHOTO: A clawfoot tub brings vintage
elegance to Margaret
and John Torell’s new
master bath getaway.
opposite: The spacious
shower features marble
tiles in varied shapes,
sizes, and colors.
86
kitchen and bath ideas • march/april 2008
Points of
Departure
No ordinary bath would do for a
couple who get away from it all in an elegant multiroom retreat.
Written by alyssa schmitt photographer anthony-masterson field editor sandra l. mohlmann
KitchenBathIdeas.com
87
above: For design
symmetry, twin vanities
are set on facing walls,
while the shower and
tub stand at opposite
ends of the room.
opposite, clockwise
from top left: The
window wall is the
perfect spot for the
claw-foot tub Margaret
always wanted. An
old-style tub faucet
includes a hand shower
for modern ease. Pocket
doors can close off the
storage-rich dressing
area from the bath.
Marble countertops in
this island bath suggest
sand and ocean spray.
88
kitchen and bath ideas • march/april 2008
Just a bathroom. It’s not a phrase
you’d use to describe Margaret and John
Torell’s master bath, part of the couple’s
new vacation home on Kiawah Island,
South Carolina. The out-of-the-ordinary
space provides both elegance and privacy.
Working within architect Samuel
Furr’s en suite scheme, interior designer
Regina Garcia, a member of the National
Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), created
a sophisticated yet inviting atmosphere,
starting with the cabinetry. Bow fronts
on the vanities add curves to the long,
rectangular bath. “It was key to make them
look like furniture pieces, not just typical
sink cabinets,” Garcia says.
The furniture look continues in the
adjoining dressing area, a space Margaret
wanted for practical reasons: She can use
it in privacy when the rest of the bath is
occupied. “Our kids sometimes take baths
in our bathroom, so I thought, If I’m ever
going to be able to go in there, I need more space,”
Margaret says. The dressing area includes a
long sit-down vanity and access to closets.
The dressing area and main bath also
share a muted color scheme. Though the
home is near the coast, Garcia avoided an
obvious ocean theme. Instead, she used
a subtle beach palette: a seashell color
for the walls, soft cream for the trim, and
marble countertops with a veining pattern
reminiscent of ocean spray.
Marble also plays a big role in the
oversize shower, which spans one wall.
Garcia picked several shapes and sizes
of coordinating marble tiles to cover
the shower floor and walls. The variety
showcases the stone’s texture and provides
visual interest without looking busy. “I
thought it would be nice to break it up,
since it’s such a huge shower,” she says.
With so much marble in the shower,
Garcia opted for mahogany flooring. The
rich, dark wood brings out the shape of the
claw-foot tub that Margaret long desired.
The result is anything but ordinary,
Garcia says. “I think you feel like you’re in a
retreat, not just a bathroom.” KBI
Resources begin on page 130.
Graceful curves and fine flourishes lend room-softening
sophistication to the bath’s oblong, symmetrical spaces.
suite LUXURY
CLOSET
6x11
CLOSET
6x6
BATH
9x18
DRESSING
13x6
The en suite floor
plan creates a series
of connected spaces
to allow sharing with
privacy. Windows
brighten the tub niche
and dressing area.