Bathroom of the Week: Open and Airy Suite in a Turret
An addition gives a couple a spa bathroom bathed in natural light with warm walnut and luxurious marble
You might recall seeing a turret projecting off the side of a medieval castle in a storybook or during a European vacation. For builder Stefan Rumancik and his wife, Heather, their interest in these tower structures went beyond fantasy or sightseeing. They wanted one for their 1934 Dutch Colonial home. “Heather had always dreamed of turrets and was fascinated with that architectural component,” Stefan says. “I also was always a fan of circular and round shapes. The turret really checked a number of boxes.”
The turret became part of a three-level addition and expansion to the back of the home that included areas in the basement, second-level kitchen and top-floor primary bathroom suite. For help with the addition, the couple turned to designer Bethany Adams. In the top of the turret, Adams and the couple located a light and airy circular curbless shower worthy of royalty. Elsewhere, the expansion includes two vanity areas, a water closet and a spacious walk-in closet. Generous amounts of warm walnut cabinetry and accents, along with heated Bardiglio marble floor tiles in different sizes, elevate the space to a happily-ever-after ending.
The turret became part of a three-level addition and expansion to the back of the home that included areas in the basement, second-level kitchen and top-floor primary bathroom suite. For help with the addition, the couple turned to designer Bethany Adams. In the top of the turret, Adams and the couple located a light and airy circular curbless shower worthy of royalty. Elsewhere, the expansion includes two vanity areas, a water closet and a spacious walk-in closet. Generous amounts of warm walnut cabinetry and accents, along with heated Bardiglio marble floor tiles in different sizes, elevate the space to a happily-ever-after ending.
The radiant-heat shower floor is Bardiglio marble penny round tiles. The shower also includes a built-in bench and, in addition to the rain shower head, a wall-mounted shower head and handheld sprayer. A bank of five operable windows floods the space with natural light, and plants give it an outdoor vibe. “We were in Mexico City on vacation while we were building this,” Stefan says. “My wife and I were sitting at a cafe that had plants incorporated into a terra-cotta-type wall and decided we wanted to add plants into this space.” The sills and frames are Carrara marble.
A curbless entry enhances the open and airy feel. “We went back and forth in the planning stages about what kind of door to have and made the decision to go without one,” Adams says. “If they decided it was too chilly, we would address it later. But it turned out fine. That dome keeps most of the heat inside there even in the middle of winter. Also, the water hasn’t escaped.”
Shower fixtures: Litze in chrome, Brizo; shower floor tile: Bardiglio marble penny rounds, Tile Bar
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A curbless entry enhances the open and airy feel. “We went back and forth in the planning stages about what kind of door to have and made the decision to go without one,” Adams says. “If they decided it was too chilly, we would address it later. But it turned out fine. That dome keeps most of the heat inside there even in the middle of winter. Also, the water hasn’t escaped.”
Shower fixtures: Litze in chrome, Brizo; shower floor tile: Bardiglio marble penny rounds, Tile Bar
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A custom LED light strip illuminates the dome at night and adds drama. “The lighting in general in that space posed a big hurdle,” Stefan says. “We didn’t want to ruin the white finish with light fixtures. It was her — Adams’ — idea to do a linear strip there. We had to bend and fabricate the track to fit that radius. It’s a moisture-rated lighting element with an opaque diffuser.”
The walls and bench are linear glazed ceramic tiles in an off-white color in a stacked pattern. “The edges are glazed in a blue color,” Adams says. “I think it gives the tiles a little extra dimension.” The bench top is honed Imperial Danby marble, which coordinates with the vanity countertops.
Shower wall tile: Savoy classic large stack mosaic in Ricepaper, Ann Sacks
Shower wall tile: Savoy classic large stack mosaic in Ricepaper, Ann Sacks
The main control for the shower sits on a side wall so the homeowners can turn on the shower features without getting wet.
Custom walnut floating vanities coordinate with the water closet and the entry to the new primary closet, which contains a built-in walnut dresser. “Stefan and Heather said they would never close a door if it was there so it would just be in the way,” Adams says. “We decided to leave it open but didn’t want just a drywall opening to the next room. The portal allows us to go from the bathroom to the closet without seeing the nuts and bolts of the closet. It’s just a cleaner look.”
The vanities have 4-inch solid brass bin pulls with a matte black finish and a curved shape. Tall sconces with round backplates and a dark bronze finish flank 28-inch black-framed round mirrors that tie in with the shape of the turret. A modern circular black LED pendant light in the closet is another nod to the turret, and it matches the pendant in the bathroom. The bathroom also has recessed LED ceiling lights on dimmers.
Pendant light: Cerchio, Kuzco Lighting; sconces: Dylan, Mitzi by Hudson Valley; round mirrors: Eternity, Elegant Furniture & Lighting; vanity pulls: Bin in matte black, CB2
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The vanities have 4-inch solid brass bin pulls with a matte black finish and a curved shape. Tall sconces with round backplates and a dark bronze finish flank 28-inch black-framed round mirrors that tie in with the shape of the turret. A modern circular black LED pendant light in the closet is another nod to the turret, and it matches the pendant in the bathroom. The bathroom also has recessed LED ceiling lights on dimmers.
Pendant light: Cerchio, Kuzco Lighting; sconces: Dylan, Mitzi by Hudson Valley; round mirrors: Eternity, Elegant Furniture & Lighting; vanity pulls: Bin in matte black, CB2
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Each floating vanity has a white undermount rectangular sink with a modern industrial-style widespread lavatory faucet finished in polished chrome and teak. “The teak look is so special,” Adams says.
Sink: Ladena, Kohler; faucets: Litze in polished chrome and teak, Brizo
Sink: Ladena, Kohler; faucets: Litze in polished chrome and teak, Brizo
The turret inspired the circular mosaic inset with three different types of marble and a light gray grout. Bardiglio marble field tiles create a border. The main bathroom floor also has radiant heat.
10 Bathroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
10 Bathroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
The water closet has the same circular inset design on the floor. A built-in walnut linen cabinet has mirrored doors on top that help bounce light around. “When we remodeled the hall bath on that floor a couple years prior, I had designed a cabinet system in place of an old linen closet that was in that bathroom,” Stefan says. “This was a way to have continuity going on with everything on that floor and in the house.”
The linen cabinet provides storage for towels, toilet paper and other bathroom essentials. “We thought it was a cleaner look for the bathroom to have the linen cabinet in the water closet,” Adams says. “It also offers more function in that location.”
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
The linen cabinet provides storage for towels, toilet paper and other bathroom essentials. “We thought it was a cleaner look for the bathroom to have the linen cabinet in the water closet,” Adams says. “It also offers more function in that location.”
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Here’s a look at the rear exterior of the home with the added turret. The exterior, which was designed by Foxworth Architecture, features cedar shakes and Kentucky limestone. The Juliet balcony on the second floor next to the turret connects to the main bathroom area. The turret contains the bathroom shower on top, a circular banquette in the kitchen area on the first floor and a cocktail tasting room in the basement.
“I have a couple of amazing carpenters on staff, so we engineered this thing from the foundation up,” Stefan says. “I even put the copper roof on with my lead carpenter. We really wanted to challenge ourselves and also have fun with it. By putting it in the back, it wasn’t obtrusive to the neighborhood. But when you step into the backyard, it makes a huge impact.”
“I have a couple of amazing carpenters on staff, so we engineered this thing from the foundation up,” Stefan says. “I even put the copper roof on with my lead carpenter. We really wanted to challenge ourselves and also have fun with it. By putting it in the back, it wasn’t obtrusive to the neighborhood. But when you step into the backyard, it makes a huge impact.”
This floor plan by architect Mark Foxworth shows the primary bathroom suite. The turret shower is in the circular area at the top right, the water closet is on the lower right. The vanities sit in the main area in the center and the spacious walk-in closet is on the left. “The space is just a really nice retreat,” Stefan says. “We feel like we’re in an amazing hotel. We enjoy it each day, and there’s not one regret about the space.”
See and read about the kitchen inside this updated home
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See and read about the kitchen inside this updated home
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Stefan Rumancik of Designer Builders; his wife, Heather; and their daughter Adrienne
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Size: 200 square feet (19 square meters)
Designers: Bethany Adams of Bethany Adams Interiors (interior design) and Mark Foxworth of Foxworth Architecture (architecture)
The 50-square-foot circular shower sits in the top of the new turret and features a domed plaster ceiling with a rain shower head. The couple chose not to include a bathtub. “When we redid our hallway bathroom a few years ago, we added a tub there,” Stefan says. “It seemed cleaner and nicer for this bathroom not to do a tub.”
A glass door on the left opens to a Juliet balcony, a small nod to Shakespeare’s medieval-set play Romeo and Juliet. “It’s nice to open up in the morning while you’re brushing your teeth, to get some fresh air,” Stefan says.
Adams had the idea to add walnut paneling around the water closet on the right. A reeded glass door closes off the space while allowing light through. “It’s an enormous space, but in order to get a water closet in that bathroom we needed to put up some walls,” Adams says. “To sort of hide it in plain sight, we used the same walnut paneling we used on the vanities to make it stand out in a good way.”
Wall paint: Pure White, Benjamin Moore
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