Mediterranean Escape
Husband-and-wife duo Cynthia and Kevin Porche channel modern Tuscan luxury in this bath renovation
Inspired by a romantic villa they’d stayed in during a trip to Tuscany, a pair of Atlanta homeowners knew they wanted to capture the same sense of European luxury in the redesign of their primary bath.
To bring their vision to life, they tapped their longtime design team: husband-and-wife duo Cynthia Porche of Porche Home and Kevin Porche of Elegant Properties. Having worked with their clients for nearly a decade, the duo knew exactly how to strip away dated materials and create a space that fit their clients’ desires.
To resurrect its potential, walls and doors were removed to provide space for sensible storage elements. Bleached white oak ceiling beams, cabinetry and casings tune in to the European aesthetic and provide a calming contrast to the bath’s focal point: mosaic Carrara marble tiles, which continue from the shower onto the wall behind the floating Toto tub. “Every project begins with a ‘love’ element that sets the tone,” says Cynthia. “To us, the tile was that element.”
To avoid competing with the tile while creating a jewel-box feel, the design team chose Calacatta gold quartz countertops and chrome hardware for a chic yet subtle effect. “You feel as if you’ve been swept away to an exotic resort,” says Cynthia. “And that’s how a home should always feel—as if it were designed exactly for what you love.”
Completing the ambience are modern luxuries tailored to the clients, including a built-in refrigeration unit for water bottles and cosmetics, a towel-warming drawer, heated floors and a fog-free mirror in the shower, which the husband uses for shaving.
“Cynthia and I bounce ideas back and forth and work to implement them without compromising function and luxury,” says Kevin. “We’re always in sync, and that’s what sets us apart.”
INTERIOR DESIGN Cynthia Porche, Porche Home, (770) 837-0185; porchehome.com BUILDER Kevin Porche, Elegant Properties, (770) 231-4592; kevinporchehomes.com CABINETRY FABRICATION Kitchen & Bath Design Group MOSAIC TILE Artistic Tile SCONCES Visual Comfort FLOATING TUB Toto CHROME CABINET PULLS Top Knobs PLUMBING Hansgrohe UNDERMOUNT SINK Kohler MIRRORS John-Richard CHANDELIER Currey & Company WALLCOVERING Ronald Redding COUNTERTOPS Levantina HEATED FLOORS DeVore & Johnson BUILT-IN REFRIGERATOR Sewell Appliance