Bathed in Style: 2013 Bath of the Year Contest

The winners of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles’ 2013 Bath of the Year contest are not only high-style, they’re also abounding with innovation. Proving less is more, these baths have been designed as chic retreats, where simplicity reigns supreme, personal style is celebrated and a light and bright foundation is punctuated by a careful mix of modern and classic flourishes.

 

Grand Prize Winner

SIMPLY GRAND

Traditional and modern touches effortlessly converge in this master bath remodel

When a fire nearly destroyed their 1920s Neel Reid-designed home, the homeowners took advantage of a top-to-bottom remodel and transformed their master bathroom from a cramped Jack and Jill to a spa-like retreat. The couple tapped Atlanta architects Todd Pritchett and Craig Dixon for the revamp. “We were intentional about respecting the landmark status of the home, so we chose historic details, from wood-paneled walls to intricate marble inlay flooring and wall tile,” says Pritchett, who seamlessly merged traditional and modern details.

First, Pritchett and Dixon maximized space by bringing a back bedroom and an awkward closet into the new floor plan to accommodate his and her dressing rooms, a private rooftop terrace and a luxurious soaking tub. “The new window wall above the bathtub serves as the room’s focal point, while also taking advantage of the Druid Hills views,” he says. Complementing the expansive bay window are sophisticated flourishes, from the turn-of-the-century-inspired shower design to a warm color palette of grays for the custom cabinetry and paneling.

“There are a lot of details, but they don’t overwhelm you and look busy,” says Pritchett of the grand but simple design. Take the patterned Calcutta gold floors, which are also heated: “The marble was special-ordered from Italy and laser-cut into a beautiful pattern. It’s so subtle that you don’t even notice it initially,” he says.

With sparkling mirrored doors, Pritchett and Dixon fashioned the elegant master bathroom to envelope the room in natural light. “The mirrors make the space glamorous, without being bedazzled. Plus, the mirrors reflect the natural views, making it feel like you’re inside the wooded backyard.” The effect is simply serene.

Pritchett + Dixon, Inc., 940 Virginia Ave., Atlanta 30306. (404) 876-1390; pritchettdixon.com  CONTRACTOR Robert Connerley, True Construction, Inc. TUB BainUltra Balneo Naos through Renaissance Tile & Bath SINKS Duravit through Renaissance Tile & Bath SHOWER & FLOORING TILE Renaissance Tile & Bath CABINET HARDWARE Matthew Quinn Collection CABINETRY FABRICATION Krogh Built Cabinetry VANITY TOP FABRICATION Marmi Natural Stone FIXTURES Waterworks LIGHT FIXTURES Circa Lighting


Winner

ARTFUL RETREAT

Artistic elements elevate this bath to sanctuary status

Taking cues from a pair of art-loving homeowners, designer Julia Stainback applied an artful layering of architecture, fixtures and finishes to a master bathroom remodel in Sandy Springs. To echo the artwork throughout the home, Stainback introduced a soft but striking color palette of black, white and soft gray—a major departure from the room’s original tan and orange. “The couple gravitates toward texture and black and white, so we chose a wall-to-wall hexagon mosaic made of Calcutta gold for the floors,” says the Atlanta designer.

She selected honed marble, as opposed to polished, throughout the redesign: “It softens the space and blurs the hard edges, creating an almost watercolor effect,” Stainback says. To offset the matte finish, chandeliers and antique mirrors on the vanity add shimmer to the monochromatic palette.

Stainback imagined the sophisticated space like spokes on a wheel, offering a focal point in every direction. “There’s a museum-like quality to being in this bathroom, because you’re constantly looking at art.” The eye is also drawn to exquisite details like his and her mirrored vanities, replete with hidden televisions and elevated sink ledges to showcase the marble veining, or the sunlit soaking tub, enhanced by dressmaker drapery and a black- and-white original print by fine art photographer Harry Callahan.

The remodel successfully addressed the homeowner’s top requests: To customize and maximize efficiency of space, without expanding the floor plan. One of the solutions was to widen the exterior wall of the shower that boasts his and her zones. “We added 12 inches to accommodate a window with a deep ledge. It softened the space and made room for a plant or sculptural object,” Stainback says. Here, the designer also used marble to mimic the wood paneling and crown molding found throughout the house.

“I’m a believer that symmetry can add balance and relaxation to a space,” says Stainback. Mission beautifully accomplished.

Stainback-Hess Studio, LLC, 48 Park Ln. NE, Atlanta 30309. (404) 317-2367; shsarch.com; CONSTRUCTION MANAGER & MILLWORK SDG Construction MARBLE, FIXTURES, TILE & FITTINGS Renaissance Tile & Bath CABINETRY Custom designed by McFarlane Design, Inc. FURNISHINGS Mrs. Howard VANITY MARBLE Bottega MARBLE FABRICATION James L. Stack, Inc., and Hallowell Brothers GLASS, MIRRORS & SHOWER DOOR Newell Precision Glass ARTWORK Jackson Fine Art


Winner

LIGHT TOUCH

Cool colors and natural light envelop this stylish master bath renovation

When a pair of empty nesters set out to update their 1970s home, interior designer Mark Williams delivered a master bathroom remodel that enhanced space and functionality. “The homeowners wanted a spa-like oasis with room to accommodate his and her vanities,” says the designer, who added a closet into the floor plan and converted a spare bedroom into a master dressing area.

With the bathroom’s footprint maximized, Williams set out to magnify the natural light suddenly streaming in. “There was a window in the former closet, but instead of treating it as a window, we covered the entire wall with a light sheer to offer a light, fresh feeling to the room,” he says. The designer and his team repeated the ribbon-like silhouette of the drapery to the eye-catching light fixture overhead and above the vanities.

To further a sense of serenity, the designer merged contemporary and traditional details, so that the room would come across as neither cold nor sterile. “We applied a palette of warm whites and grays—with a hint of taupe and beige—that are all very soothing,” Williams says. Striking a modern note was one of the project’s splurges: the recessed ceiling. “We covered the ceiling in warm grey mosaic tile. The sparkle it adds to the space gives the room a unique touch.” Underfoot, Williams selected classic terrazzo tile flooring in a sandy grey.

“I don’t like a stylistic one-note room, because the spaces tend to age less gracefully,” says Williams. “The mix we achieved here creates a more modern space that will stand the test of time.”

Mark Williams Design Associates, 695 Auburn Ave., Studio G-9, Atlanta 30312. (678) 539-6886; markwilliams-design.comLIGHTING Artemide VANITY SCONCES Circa Lighting WALLCOVERING National Wallcovering MIRRORS Antonio Raimo Galleries CABINETRY FABRICATION Karpaty Cabinets CABINET HARDWARE Restoration Hardware VANITY CHAIR Restoration Hardware VANITY & SHOWER ACCESSORIES Waterworks VANITY FABRICATION Caesarstone CEILING TILE Ann Sacks FLOORING TILE Wausau Tile FAUCET, SINKS & SHOWER HARDWARE Kohler WINDOW TREATMENTS Bazzurro Designs SHOWER WALL TILE American Olean