When it comes to a bathroom remodel, most homeowners are faced with the dilemma of how to make a small space feel more open and less cramped. This Fox Chapel couple had the opposite challenge: how to transform a large bathroom area into an intimate and cozy space.
The original blueprints of the 30-year-old home revealed that the first owners had intended the current bathroom to be the master bedroom. Somewhere along the way, though, the rooms were switched around, and this tweak in the plans accounts for the spacious bathroom.
To create that inviting feeling in such a colossal space, the couple hired interior designer Amy Speranza of Interior Advisors at Murrysville Design Center. To soften things up a bit, Speranza added an open weave drapery panel, artwork on the walls and accent furniture in the nature of a mahogany bench. But perhaps nothing was as essential as the floor piece in order to achieve that cozy environment.
The limestone medallion, the focal point of the room, was used as an alternative to an area rug. “I selected that as an architectural element for the floor. The medallion really brought out the colors of the wall and blends the color of the walls and the cabinetry,” says the designer.
The medallion is perfectly centered below the hanging chandelier. “I didn’t want you to walk in and see this big empty space in the middle of the bathroom; I wanted a visual focal point on the floor and corresponding to the ceiling fixture above,” she says.
The homeowner’s major issue, and what prompted the renovation, had been the lack of cabinetry and storage space, a problem solved by putting stacked cabinetry on either side of the bathroom, for “his” and “hers” zones. The top shelves of the cabinets feature some of the homeowner’s collectible porcelains and ceramics. “It added a balance in height and proportion in stacking those cabinets; it maximized the ceiling space and maximized the scale of the bathroom,” says Speranza.
The cabinetry is an antique white with espresso glaze, while the island table for the wife’s vanity is knotty alder. A hidden make-up mirror plugs into the interior of the cabinet. “Nothing is sitting out; everything is concealed behind the custom cabinetry,” says Speranza.
The homeowners decided to put in both a rain shower as well as a regular showerhead in their curbless entry shower. The glass doorways were replaced and are now on hinges, with the ability to swing out in either direction.
The fixtures display champagne bronze finishes, adding that touch of understated elegance, while the countertops are Brazilian granite from Vangura.
The homeowners who have lived in their home for eight years, couldn’t be more thrilled with the bathroom remodel. “This is a much more relaxing bathroom than the old one,” says one homeowner. “Plus, it is so much more efficient.”
“When they walk in, they say, ‘Wow.’ It functions beautifully for each of them individually,” says Speranza. “Their goal was open, airy and elegant. We accomplished that.”