Mindful Manner
Designer Karen Ferguson centered mind, body and spirit in this joint bathroom-yoga studio
Mindful was the word that kept coming up when designer Karen Ferguson of Harrison Design was asked to craft a holistic retreat for a Buckhead family. The homeowners, who desired a space that included both a bathroom and a yoga studio, wanted an escape for when they were in need of recentering, both physically and mentally. “They have stressful jobs, so it was really important for this spa to make them feel like they had walked into a whole different world,” says Ferguson.
Starting with a blank slate, Ferguson employed materials that are calm and connected to nature. Floor-to-ceiling Galala honed limestone walls are a smooth backdrop for oil-rubbed bronze finishes and cypress paneling, which is seen both on the ceiling in the bathroom and on the walls in the yoga studio. Special amenities, such as antimicrobial flooring in the yoga studio and a sauna, which sits in the corner of the room by the bathroom entry, elevate the environment. “It was all about the experience and how the space flowed together,” says Ferguson. “The sauna is great for detox after a yoga session, then, a cool steam shower after the sauna is always an absolute luxury.”
Because the homeowners have traveled the world, it was only natural to infuse the holistic retreat with exotic antiques that echo faraway lands. Wooden Egyptian heads sit stately at the top of the legs on an Italian Egyptian Revival-style antique étagère. Above, light from a Persian lantern glimmers against the mother-of-pearl, horn and bead detailing in a Syrian antique mirror. “Elevating a quiet room with antiques is truly a form of escapism,” explains Ferguson. “It’s nurturing, it’s unique. It makes homeowners feel more cared for.”
And thanks to the clever use of those antiques and natural materials, the euphoric sensation the homeowners craved is inevitable when inside the space, according to Ferguson. “Reality truly doesn’t exist once you enter.”
SHOWER SYSTEM and VANITY SINK Kohler VANITY FAUCET and TUB FILLER Delta TUB MTI STONE TILE AND SLABS Marmi Stone SYRIAN MIRROR Travis & Company DECORATIVE LANTERN Vaughan through Ainsworth-Noah SCONCES The Urban Electric Co. ÉTAGÈRE Robuck CARVED ANTIQUE STOOL Interiors Market YOGA ROOM CHANDELIER Currey & Company
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