Private Oasis
Architect S. Scott West and designer Willem Stear create a Zen sanctuary, making it a grand prize winner in our 2017 Bath of the Year contest
Bathrooms, by nature, are private respites, but when a client desired a stronger connection to the outdoors, it was Atlanta architect Scott West’s modern design that sought out to strike this delicate balance.
An 11-foot glass wall runs floor-to-ceiling across the majority of the master bathroom, providing views of a dramatic stone wall outside. The wall encapsulates a Zen moss garden and creates an intimate space shielded from neighbors. “The central design goal of this bath was to blur the lines between indoors and out and really give the feeling of bathing in the garden,” says West, owner of West Architecture Studio.
The walled garden and outdoor shower became an extension of the interior bath. The wall even continues into the adjacent dressing area, which also has floor-to-ceiling windows. The stunning gray Cherokee wall created so much interest that it drove designer Willem Stear’s selections. “Because that is such a beautiful feature, running from inside the dressing room all the way out into the outdoor shower, that said to me, everything else needs to be quiet,” says Stear, owner of Tonic Design Studio.
The integration of glass, stone, marble and wood creates a multidimensional yet serene space. A slab of marble installed in a backlit recess beside the freestanding tub acts as a piece of art, West says. Meanwhile, marble around the custom vanity and in the shower and a multipendant chandelier with blown glass add a lustrous glimmer.
West’s firm designed a faceted walnut vanity topped with a long, linear integral sink and minimalist details. The walnut and French oak floors lead to the raised plinth for the tub and shower and offer natural rawness and warmth. “A bathroom, more and more, is seen as a respite from the world and a space to get back to nature,” West says.
RESOURCES ARCHITECT S. Scott West, West Architecture Studio (404) 222-0962; westarchitecture.com BUILDER Neil Johnson, Canonbury Homes Inc. INTERIOR DESIGNER Willem Stear, Tonic Design Studio (404) 281-4003; tonic-designstudio.com VANITY Block & Chisel VANITY PENDANTS Bocci MARBLE TILE Mandalay Crystal from Walker Zanger MARBLE SLAB Walker Zanger FLOORS Burchette & Burchette TUB AND FAUCETS Waterworks TUB PENDANTS Shakuff SHOWER GLASS Echols Glass and Mirror DRESSER AND ARMOIRE Custom by Tonic Design Studio through Block & Chisel CLOSETS Block & Chisel DRAWER AND DOOR FRONTS Bjork Studio, suede by Edelman Leather OTTOMANS Bjork Studio
Check out the other 2017 Bath of the Year winners…
