Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/146934
live at home The separation of commode, spa shower and soaking tub make the bathroom luxurious yet incredibly practical. The architectural aspects—grand masses, circles and squares—are bold yet seem understated as one shape introduces another, where the sharpness of rectangles leads to curving softness. That juxtaposition also lends notice to the material elements, says Elizabeth Kemp, the project's interior designer. The warmth of natural organic materials— Mike Webster, Designer & Owner (608) 225-3585 mike@websterbath.com 20 BRAVA Magazine August 2013 tumbled stone, concrete forms and cherry cabinetry—contrast the cool engineered elements, such as polished tiles, mirrors, and translucent glass, which creates curiosity against the need for privacy. And elements of lightness, such as the wall and stone palettes, glass and windows, play off the heavier darkness of the rectangular tiles and concrete. "We both like very sleek design, but we both wanted something that was warm enough without being cold," say the homeowners, whose keen interest in unique materials and design references their home's bright space and clean, modern lines. And then there is the intentional rhythm and flow of the space, which Speer and Kemp deliberately designed to lead the eye in a sweep of the room, without allowing it to linger on any individual element. The cool, dark, rectangular floor tiles pull the eye straight back to and up the warm custom cherry cabinets, sweep the counters to the spa shower's walls and up and across its dropped ceiling. The eye soars to the circular ceiling and skylight, then filters down with the natural light to the soaking tub— the room's axis. Following the concrete surround to the hearth tiles, it's back up and around the coffer over to the tumbled stone vanity, then down and around again. In that continuous visual rhythm is a relaxing calm, and the sense that this serene spa-like space, has exactly what the homeowners ultimately desired—breathing room.