Bath: background check

Residential Architect, March, 2005 by Shelley D. Hutchins

Deceptively simple and serenely understated, the master bath the effort it took to design and build. For example, shunned the usual tile walls because of a strong distaste for grout and joint lines. So, throughout the 8-by-14-foot room, the architects speced hand-troweled plaster with integrated color in earth tones. Monolithic but not dull: Subtle variations in color and trowel marks give the finish movement and vibrancy as it reacts to changes in light. "We minimized the number of materials and used the same details repeatedly to act as a quiet background to views of the trees," says project architect Katherine Grove.

Pale limestone floors, also in a neutral tone, meet the plaster walls with grace and a little bit of cunning. "A recessed base allows the floor plane to slip beneath the walls, leaving the walls floating above." says Grove. The same detail is found in the rest of the house, anywhere planes or materials intersect. Standard half-inch aluminum reveals join wall to ceiling and window to wall. Grove adds, "It gives a real crispness to the planes."

Masking the lesser functions in the room keeps distractions at bay. A trench running the length of the double shower camouflages drains. A light cove measuring 5 by 7 feet conceals most of the room's fixtures and sheds a uniform glow. Vanity lighting and medicine cabinets blend into a mirror that segues seamlessly from the window. "This also allows the outdoors to continue through reflection, so whoever is showering can enjoy the view in privacy," says Grove. Serene and scenic, all at once.