Mount Pleasant, DC - Master Bathroom

Brief Explanation of the Scope of Work

These homeowners came to us after a failed attempt at a do-it-themselves master bathroom. Before realizing that they were in over their head, they had purchased thousands of dollars of materials based upon an incomplete sketch and had gutted their bathroom. We redesigned and built their master bathroom.

Unusual Constraints/Challenges and Creative Solutions

The homeowners had a few requirements for this project. They wanted us to work with the materials they had on hand. They wanted a convenient laundry closet so they wouldn’t have to travel far from their bedroom to do laundry. Generally, they wanted a comfortable, contemporary and unique bathroom.

We utilized their materials in a novel and thoughtful manner. The design flowed out of an organic consideration of the supplied materials. These included a whirlpool tub, ½” and 6” limestone tiles, steam shower and shower plumbing equipment as well as a custom double vanity, sinks and faucets. The curve of the whirlpool tub became a design cornerstone of sorts. We built a tub deck/apron with a curve to match the tub’s shape and carefully finished them with ½” mosaic limestone tiles. The wall tile curve progresses in a regular wave around the room from the curved ceiling of the steam shower to far end of the vanity. Other corresponding design elements include the shower seat and two curving bumps in the stone counters of the vanity.

The existing bulkhead above the new vanity location couldn’t easily be moved because it housed ducting. To solve this problem we extended it around over and across the vanity and whirlpool and used it to house recessed lights (See picture below). These two-level curves, accented by lights, create a complex elevation that met the customers’ desire for a unique and contemporary bathroom sanctuary.

The homeowners had a particular bathroom entry door in mind so we it in with a transom with casing to match. The plumbing was particularly challenging, not only because we had to install a massive amount of plumbing in the small space of the shower wall, but also because the homeowners were re-plumbing the rest of the house with their plumber and we fell into managing this plumber’s work to ensure it wouldn’t adversely affect ours. The curving tile was an obvious challenge. Painting is a faux finish, though this was contracted directly by the homeowner.

Overall Results

These clients were so pleased with the end results that a couple of years later, they hired us again to re-build an old, crumbling, and structurally unsafe two-story screened porch in the back of their house, needless to say..., it was again, a complete success. To read and view images of that project, click here.