Room of the Day: Graphic Style for a Zen Master Bathroom

Designer Susan Thiel has been helping Mary and Jim Gerson remodel their Spanish-style house in Orange County, California, room by room over the past five years, and she says the master bathroom is the final piece of the puzzle. Taking its style cues from the contemporary white walls, beamed ceilings and gray stone floors throughout the home, the master bath dials up the Zen and brings in the light.

Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Mary and Jim Gerson
Location: San Clemente, California
Size: About 120 square feet (11.1 square meters)
Designer: Susan Thiel Design

Bringing light into the bathroom was one of the main objectives of the remodel. The original bathroom’s only source of natural light was a single vinyl window at the top of the back shower wall. Adding nine smaller windows drew much more light in. The lower two rows of windows are frosted for privacy, but the top row is clear and provides a view of the Pacific Ocean.


BEFORE: The previous rendition was done in the late 1980s and included beige tile for the shower and tub surround.


AFTER: The inspiration for the geometric black concrete walls came from a design magazine featuring a similar wall of black tiles. “Mary loved the tiles, but they were only made in Australia and very expensive,” Thiel says.

During a brainstorming session with the homeowners, the idea of re-creating the tiles in concrete came up. Thiel had a local craftsman submerge a few Styrofoam molds in concrete and paint them black. They were happy with the results, and the process was repeated more than a hundred times.

The river stones that line the floor around the tub and shower bring a sense of nature to the space and also collect water overflow, thanks to the drains underneath.

Sheba slipper tub: Signature Hardware; tub faucet: Kohler


The porcelain tile used for the floor and shower surround mimics the look of Calacatta marble. The porcelain is more durable than marble and less likely to stain. “Because porcelain is manufactured, we could align the veins in a zigzag pattern that would’ve been nearly impossible to create with real marble,” Thiel says.

Shower and floor tile: Pietra Calacatta, M S International; sconces: Bluffton, Feiss


BEFORE: The previous master bathroom had a half wall to screen the toilet and granite for the vanity top and the top of the tub surround.

15 tips to know before remodeling your bathroom


AFTER: To bring in more light, the designer added a transom window above the door leading to the master bedroom. She created a sliding door with three milk glass panels to conceal a walk-in closet. The vanity is made from stained alder wood and topped with white quartz.

Vanity countertop: white quartz, Caesarstone

More:
See great examples of sliding doors
Explore other Rooms of the Day

URL: Room of the Day: Graphic Style for a Zen Master Bathroom http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-26441.html