KBB - September 2015 - 39

Honorable Mention
Bathroom

Axis Points
A freestanding tub anchors two vanities
in a timeless marble bathroom

Carrara marble covers the bathroom floor, as
well as the walls and ceiling of the steam shower.

By Erinn Waldo

Setting the vanities back-to-back provides more independence at
each vanity, and the placement of mirrors above the vanities helps increase the perception of space. The water closet and steam shower are
tucked behind the closets, creating a secondary axis along the southern
end of the bathroom.

Fittings and Finishes

The focal point of the bathroom is the
freestanding tub, complete with thermo-air
massage, chromotherapy and aromatherapy.

n a tight Chicago city house, designing a luxurious, new-build master bathroom required master space planning.Three distinct areas - mapped out
around the master suite's walk-in closets - created a long, main area and
an overall T-shaped design that flared along the outer wall of the house.
"We were successfully able to create a strong axis in the main part of
the bathroom with the freestanding tub as the focal point, back-dropped
by the wall of windows," said builder Andrew Bowyer, president of Chicago-based Middlefork Development. "In this space, we were also able to
position two, 50-in.-long vanities on either side of the axis."

The freestanding tub is the centerpiece at the crossing of these two
axes. By placing the light fixture above on its own dedicated ground fault
interrupter (GFI) circuit, it was permissible in code review. A mosaic tile
'rug,' comprised of Statuary, Bardiglio and Carrara marbles, was placed
under the tub to enforce the focal point of the room.
"The rug provided such a design statement and was so beautiful that
the owner wanted to repeat it in the water closet and in the steam shower," said Bowyer.
With generous square footage, the shower provides space for two
people to shower. A rain and deluge ceiling head, permanent showerhead, four body sprays, a bench and a hand-held showerhead combine
with a steam shower for a spa-like environment.
Custom-designed and crafted vanities also provide a sense of luxuriousness. Feet give the vanities a more furniture-like presence, while a
valence behind them prevents dust and dirt from accumulating.
"Overall, the lines of the casework were kept relatively simple and
clean so the cabinet would be at home in either a traditional or more
contemporary space," said Bowyer. ■

sources
Design Team: Andrew Bowyer, Middlefork Development (Builder);
Gary Beyerl, Burns+Beyerl Architects (Architect); Fintan McCarthy, MC
Construction Group (General Contractor); Photographer: Steve Hall,
Hedrich Blessing
Custom Cabinetry: Globe Custom Woodwork; Hardware: Schaub &
Co. (Pulls), Richelieu Hardware (Knobs); Lighting Fixtures: Lightology
(Pendant), Circa Lighting (Sconces); Plumbing Fixtures: Hydrology;
Stone: Urban Archaeology (Tile), Global Stone Inc. (Slabs)

www.kbbonline.com / September 2015

K+BB

http://www.kbbonline.com

KBB - September 2015

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