Perfect Fit
HammerSmith overcomes space constraints in a 1930s Craftsman bungalow with a gentle modern touch in this 2017 Bath of the Year award winning master bath
Warner McConaughey embraced a low, sloped space with a design that gave the upstairs master bathroom the feel of a “little cocoon.”
A tiled niche frames the new acrylic slipper tub beneath the low ceiling. “The whole space was designed around that tub,” he says. “You’re able to tuck a tub in a place like that and not take up too much room.”
The master suite was carved out of attic space, but when McConaughey’s firm, HammerSmith, embarked on a whole-house renovation, they learned they couldn’t raise the roof or add dormers. The windows were original to the historically protected 1930s Druid Hills home.
The marble tub niche and curved marble shower wall were careful decisions intended to make the bathroom more comfortable. “By giving it a curved feel, it takes advantage of the fact that it’s tucked up in the attic,” says McConaughey.
To better connect the bedroom with the bath, HammerSmith added French doors for a dramatic entry directly into the bathroom. “They’re more like a piece of art there,” he says. HammerSmith also redesigned the suite to create better flow and more useful spaces, including expanded closets.
Soft Carrara marble tile, used for the tub niche, shower and floors, and dark stained wood trim continue the theme of Craftsman elegance that runs throughout home. Instead of a stark white box, it’s a gentle space with clean and simple lines, says McConaughey. An espresso finish also sets off the medicine cabinet niche and vanities, which have satin-nickel hardware and handwoven fronts reminiscent of a pie safe.
Lately, McConaughey has seen more homeowners opt for smaller bathrooms, but they don’t want to sacrifice beauty, luxury and craftsmanship. “This bathroom is what this house needs. It’s there forever,” he says. “It’s a really timeless project.”
RESOURCES ARCHITECT, BUILDER, INTERIOR DESIGNER AND CONTRACTOR HammerSmith; hammersmith.net TUB Signature Hardware DOORS Carolina Lumber & Supply Company TUB FILLER, HAND SHOWER/SHOWERHEAD AND SINK FAUCET Elizabethan Classics HARDWARE Schaub & Company TILE Walker Zanger PAINT Black Fox by Sherwin-Williams COMMODE American Standard
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