A Warm, Elegant and Highly Functional Master Bath
A designer fits dual sinks, a dressing table, a washer-dryer and scads of storage into a couple’s New York bathroom
Becky Harris
November 21, 2017
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
Photos by Frank Rampulla
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A married couple
Location: Upper West Side of New York City
Size: 140 square feet (13 square meters)
Designer: Nicholas Kaess of NYKB
Backstory: This couple had a master bathroom that was relatively generous in size for New York City, but it was lacking in style and function. The new layout shows appreciation for that square footage by not squandering 1 inch of it. The renovated space now includes a laundry closet, linen closet storage and a dressing table area within its original footprint.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A married couple
Location: Upper West Side of New York City
Size: 140 square feet (13 square meters)
Designer: Nicholas Kaess of NYKB
Backstory: This couple had a master bathroom that was relatively generous in size for New York City, but it was lacking in style and function. The new layout shows appreciation for that square footage by not squandering 1 inch of it. The renovated space now includes a laundry closet, linen closet storage and a dressing table area within its original footprint.
Before Photo
Before: At 10 by 14 feet, the bathroom was luxuriously large, especially for a Manhattan apartment. But the owners thought the style was ho-hum, and the space wasn’t well used. And note that eyesore of a radiator under the window.
There was a large column behind the old toilet, which made space around it challenging. Luckily during the demo phase they discovered that they could get rid of the column.
There was a large column behind the old toilet, which made space around it challenging. Luckily during the demo phase they discovered that they could get rid of the column.
Before Photo
Before: Also, the shower stall was pretty confining. And they needed more storage space, as you can see from the jumble of products here.
After: With custom cabinetry, interior designer Nicholas Kaess was able to carve space not only for a storage area but also for a makeup table. He replaced the bathtub with a combined tub-shower, freeing up room where the shower stall had been for a stackable washer-dryer. “Having laundry in the apartment added a lot to its value,” he says.
Style: The clients were drawn to antique brass finishes, Carrara marble and elegant transitional style.
Must-haves: “She wanted a sitting area for makeup and storage away from the vanity,” Kaess says, as well as antique brass finishes. “It was a challenge to find brass elements that matched.”
Must-haves: “She wanted a sitting area for makeup and storage away from the vanity,” Kaess says, as well as antique brass finishes. “It was a challenge to find brass elements that matched.”
Storage: A combination of doors and drawers gave the couple plenty of room for their toiletries, cleaning supplies and linens. Glass doors on the upper cabinets maintain an open feeling in the room.
Cabinets: Ultracraft custom cabinetry in Vintage Mineral Gray; cabinet hardware: Lowe’s
Cabinets: Ultracraft custom cabinetry in Vintage Mineral Gray; cabinet hardware: Lowe’s
Shower: The tub-shower now sits where the tub had been. A glass surround keeps the area open and light. Framing at the top and bottom brings more of the gold finish the homeowner loved to this area, which is otherwise mostly white.
A large niche provides plenty of room for shampoos and soaps. There is a shower head and a handheld sprayer.
Subway tile: Roca
Subway tile: Roca
Flooring: The floor is composed of 18-by-18-inch white Carrara marble tiles. Note the way Kaess extended the same tile to serve as the tub surround and as a baseboard around the room. A small Oriental rug brings in warmth, color and pattern.
Lighting: In addition to the sconces around the mirrors, they installed ultra-thin low-voltage LEDs in the dropped ceiling.
Lighting: In addition to the sconces around the mirrors, they installed ultra-thin low-voltage LEDs in the dropped ceiling.
Counters: Both the vanity countertop and dressing table countertop are honed white Carrara marble, a detail Kaess repeated around the tub surround.
Sinks: Kohler; faucets: Newport Brass
Sinks: Kohler; faucets: Newport Brass
Mirrors: Twin Moroccan mirrors throw a few curves into the room.
Sconces: Thomas O’Brien for Visual Comfort
Sconces: Thomas O’Brien for Visual Comfort
Radiator cover: Kaess gave the radiator a beautiful custom golden grille and topped the cover off with coordinating Carrara marble.
Takeaways
More
How to Remodel Your Bathroom
See other bathroom makeovers
Find white marble tiles
Takeaways
- Consider an Oriental rug to add pattern and color to a bathroom. The tight weave can handle water.
- Using clear glass wherever you can helps a room feel more open and light.
- Floor-to-ceiling tile extended out from a shower stall maintains a nice consistent look in a bath.
- If your room has a lot of angles and straight lines, you can throw in a few curves via elements like mirrors, light fixtures and faucets.
- You can create a baseboard out of your floor tile.
- Warm metallic finishes like gold and brass work beautifully with gray cabinetry.
- You can turn something like a bulky radiator into a design asset with a thoughtful cover design.
More
How to Remodel Your Bathroom
See other bathroom makeovers
Find white marble tiles
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What a beautiful transformation. The vanity though, with the double sinks looks really crowded to me. Looks like they'd be bumping into each other.
You had me at warm. Rather than a sterile climate, it’s bright and cozy. Well use of space. When will we change from adding towel bars over the toilet to attaching them to the face of the vanity. I always have to juggle to prevent dropping the towel into the toilet. I agree with another comment that the double sink maybe a little crowded but perhaps closeness will keep the hearts warm.