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Going for Glam
Simplicity reigns supreme in this 1920s Regency remodel by architect D. Stanley Dixon and designer Beth Webb.
Part of an exquisite remodel of best-selling author Emily Giffin and husband Buddy Blaha’s iconic 1920s Philip Trammell Shutze–designed home, this bath is a fresh take on timeless style, thanks to architect D. Stanley Dixon and interior designer Beth Webb. “We wanted to bring some of the glamour back into the house,” says Dixon. Previous renovations featuring stained wood and other heavy elements left the bath feeling dark, so the space was gutted to make way for a fresh, Regency-inspired aesthetic that reflects the couple’s youthful style.
This was achieved with mirrored, black-lacquered cabinetry that serves as a striking counterpoint to the crisp, white marble. “There’s nothing more dramatic than black and white,” says Webb. “It makes such a powerful statement, and to me, it’s the ultimate in glamour and elegance.” Other reflective surfaces, such as the custom nickel-framed shower door and sparkling plumbing fixtures, add an additional dose of glam.
However, the room’s strength lies in its clean lines and edited architecture, a trademark of Regency-style design. While simple inset mirrors grace the vanities, a high-gloss fluted wall provides texture around a sculptural Waterworks tub. The fluting is repeated on the shower seat for a subtle statement. “Stan cared deeply about the details, which is why the bath is so bespoke. It’s very couture,” says Webb.
In lieu of tiling the floor, Webb and Dixon opted for book-matched marble fabricated by Marmi Natural Stone, which required great technical precision. “The slabs meet in the center to create a diamond pattern, from which everything radiates,” says Dixon. “The room was actually designed in a very symmetrical fashion. The tub is centered on the diamond, as are the two vanities and shower door.
This bath feels more architectural than decorated, and that was our goal,” he adds. “It was almost an exercise in restraint, making sure there were just a few big strokes that made an impact, as opposed to a lot of little details.”
ARCHITECTURE Stan Dixon, D. Stanley Dixon Architect, Inc. interior dESIGN Beth Webb, Beth Webb Interiors BUILDER YM Derazi Custom Homes CABINETRY Morgan Creek Cabinet Company TUB & PLUMBING Waterworks MARBLE Marmi Natural Stone STOOL R Hughes SCONCES Barbara Barry for Visual Comfort at Ma Maison.
Classical Charm
Barbara Westbrook reimagines traditional design with a youthful verve.
Making traditional design elements feel young and fresh is no easy task, but designer Barbara Westbrook rose to the challenge with this master bath remodel for clients Jon and Farrah Lester. The first order of business was to bring the bath down to its studs, eliminating a cramped layout that had awkwardly divided the space in two. With a more open floor plan in place, Westbrook filled the room with her signature classical touches.
She began with the bath’s most eye-catching feature: an elegant checkerboard floor from Paris Ceramics. “The checkerboard is a tried-and-true motif,” Westbrook says. “This particular one, with its charcoal coloring, isn’t as harsh and heavy as a black-and-white check, though, which keeps the floor feeling warm and fresh.” For a complementary accent, the underside of the claw-foot tub was painted in a similar shade of gray.
In the shower, Westbrook mixed clean-lined marble with glossy white tile for a dazzling effect. “An all-white marble bathroom—even though it can be very beautiful—can register as cold,” says the designer. “But when you start to mix finishes and materials, that’s when things start to warm up.” The bath’s greatest sense of warmth comes from the towering French oak cabinetry, which has a hand-waxed finish by Carolyn Shedd that gives a sense of dimension and depth.
Thoughtful but subtle details complete this bath’s refined appeal. Westbrook selected black porcelain plumbing fixtures and hardware to provide a hint of contrasting detail. At Farrah’s makeup vanity, she placed a graceful low-back chair with delicate pleating, while a quirky Andre Petterson painting above the tub adds a dose of whimsy. “If you’re trying to make a statement, I think it’s important not to clutter the space,” says Westbrook of her pared-down approach. “If you’re careful about the details, it’ll give you that newer, fresher feel, even if you’re working with more traditional materials.”
INTERIOR DESIGN Barbara Westbrook, Westbrook Interiors. CONTRACTOR Greg Cooley, Cooley Contracting CABINETRY FABRICATION Vintage Lumber CABINETRY FINISHING Carolyn Shedd FLOORING Paris Ceramics TILE Renaissance Tile & Bath TUB Waterworks SCONCES & MIRRORS Paul Ferrante at Ainsworth-Noah PLUMBING AND HARDWARE Lefroy Brooks at Renaissance Tile & Bath LIGHT FIXTURE Formations at Jerry Pair ARTWORK Andre Petterson, represented by Pryor Fine Art.
Organic Blend
Builder Roger Horner and designer Jeff Thomas seamlessly marry opposing styles in this new bath for first-time homeowners.
During the construction of their home, newlyweds Chris Sorlie and Stacy Arens faced a design dilemma: He wanted earthy and organic, while she favored a more polished aesthetic. Their builder, Roger Horner, recommended turning to designer Jeff Thomas to help guide the first-time owners in balancing their dissimilar styles.
“The beauty of this bath is that it seamlessly incorporates elements that represent both of them,” says Thomas. “It’s got this rustic cypress wood on the ceiling for him and all that gorgeous clean, crisp Calacatta marble for her, which creates this wonderfully unique contrast of earthiness and formality.”
Given the home’s Tudor architecture, Thomas and Horner were conscious about introducing period-specific architectural details, such as the modified ceiling. “The plan originally called for a 9-foot ceiling,” recalls Horner. “But we added the high, skinny peak to create a steep, gable-style look.” A series of rectangular grid windows also hearken to Tudor design but remain fresh thanks to their marble trim, a detail repeated on the mirror and shower door.
“I wanted to make sure that we did not overuse the marble, but it really serves as this bath’s punctuation,” says Thomas. “It’s almost specimen-like. It has that running-water kind of appeal to it, which is very Zen, and that’s why we let it be free-flowing throughout the space.” Indeed, the graphic accent extends from the flooring to the shower walls and up behind the tub, where it finishes in a sleek niche.
Beyond the aesthetics, well-appointed technological touches were also top of mind for the couple. As a concert producer, Sorlie frequently stays at luxury hotels and was seeking a similar experience. Now, details such as thermostatic shower controls and a rain showerhead provide the niceties of a five-star hotel bath from the comfort of home.
BUILDER Roger Horner, John Willis Custom Homes ARCHITECTURE Linda MacArthur, Linda MacArthur Architect, LLC DESIGN Jeff Thomas CABINETRY Cabinet Resources MARBLE Marmi Natural Stone PLUMBING Loure Collection by Kohler TUB Waterworks LIGHT FIXTURE Masterpiece Lighting