Modern art in bold colors pops against pale tile in this Potomac, Md., bathroom-turned-spa retreat. Photo by Jesse Snyder
Imagine stepping into a resort inside the comfort of your own home. Contemporary, spa-like bathrooms with clean lines and features such as floating vanities, open shelving, innovative storage and low-maintenance materials are on trend this year in bathroom remodeling projects.
When the main level master bathroom in a 1970s-era Reston home got a major facelift earlier this year, Dean Turner, of Evolution Design & Build in Reston, was tasked with addressing structural issues as well updating the entire space.
“This bathroom had a sunken tub and shower combination that was leaking into the basement below,” said Turner. “They wanted me to solve their water problems … update their bathroom, and they were very interested in a floating vanity.”
The floating, walnut piece was made a by a local cabinetmaker and hovers 12 inches above the floor, and Turner was able to give the homeowners an abundance of storage by incorporating cabinetry into the vanity. A simple touch of the fingertip opens and closes its drawers and doors, eliminating the need for visible hardware. Motion detecting, LED lighting under the vanity is another convenience.
“If you have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, you don’t have to fumble with a light because it can sense activity,” said Turner.
Turner’s team removed the existing wall and floor tile, replacing it with scratch- and stain-resistant porcelain tile that has the appearance of natural stone, while the wall tiles were made in the image of natural wood.
“When you look at it,” said Turner. “It looks just like hardwood flooring on the wall.”
Meanwhile, a Potomac, Md., bathroom is a serene retreat with a touch of glamour and an unexpected jolt of color. Nadia Subaran of Aidan Design hung a statement-making painting with orange and yellow hues against a backdrop of pale green walls, which ties together the contemporary aesthetic. A glass-enclosed shower makes the space undeniably serene.
“The owners wanted a spa-like bathroom, especially with a steam shower,” said Subaran. “They wanted modern, but inviting. … They love art and were thrilled with a space in the bathroom to display it.”
Open, built-in shelves above the tub offer plenty of space for storing additional art and practical items like towels and toiletries.
AFTER MOVING into a retirement community, an empty-nester couple decided to overhaul the builder-grade bathroom that came with their home. They enlisted the help of Stephanie Brick, of Nicely Done Kitchens and Baths in Springfield, who designed a contemporary space.
“The homeowners were looking for something that was calming and had a spa-like energy,” said Brick. “They also wanted more storage, especially open storage for linens and displaying items.”
Brick and the Nicely team installed cabinetry with open shelving over the toilet. The vanity has a quartz countertop with veins of blue and turquoise that bears a close resemblance to marble. “Those colors were carried through in an accent piece in the shower,” said Brick.
The porcelain tile floor has a marble-like appearance.
“You get the beautiful look of marble, but you don’t have the maintenance or the cost,” said Brick. “The new bathroom has a much more spa-like aesthetic. It was very bland and vanilla and it needed a face lift."
When the owners of a contemporary home in Burke decided to remodel their master bathroom so that it matched the style of the rest of the house, they called on designer Cathy Gross, also of Nicely. She used porcelain tile on the walls accented with river rock stone, a material that she also used on the bathroom floor.
“They wanted to continue the calm, zen, contemporary feel in the remodel of their master bath,” said Gross, who also designed the home’s kitchen five years prior.
Honed marble, a crystal chandelier and clean lines give a lavatory in Arlington a feel that is at once grand, tranquil and modern. That was the aesthetic that remodeler Bruce Case of Case Design/Remodeling had in mind when he overhauled his master bathroom during a remodel of his entire home.
“We wanted to incorporate some classic materials that would complement the age of the home, but use them in a more contemporary way,” said Case.
The bathroom features a tankless toilet, a towel warmer and a Schluter-Kerdi shower drain, which eliminates water down the side of the shower floor instead of the middle. “We were drawn to more contemporary elements, but like to soften those with more traditional touches," said Case. “We wanted to create a feeling of serenity while also incorporating beautiful finishes such as the Vermont marble-surround tub and waterfall vanities.”
Case says the honed vein-cut marble on the floor complements the vanity’s rich finish. “The entire space is crowned with an elegant chandelier,” said Case.