Time to Retreat

2011 BATH OF THE YEAR: FIT FOR A QUEEN AND HER KING

Design Goals Designer Lane Oliver’s husband-and-wife clients had two very different ideas for their master bathrooms: She wanted a bath and closet reminiscent of a French boudoir, while he wanted a masculine space with strong lines and rich colors. “I needed to create a flow between the two bathrooms,” Oliver says. “These spaces were very different in design, but needed to be equally opulent in style."

Perfect Touches In the wife’s French boudoir, Oliver dove into the details. She ordered moldings from a custom millwork shop and had them faux-finished “to give depth and texture and make them look old.” Crystal beads trim the drapery; jewel-like knobs adorn the cabinets; a Nancy Corzine custom-upholstered chair shows off pearl buttons down its back, reminiscent of a beautifully tailored dress.

And then there’s the sparkle, courtesy of smartly placed lights and mirrors. A birdcage chandelier by Laura Lee hangs above the tub, and sconces in the vanity mirror reflect soft light throughout the room (thanks in part to mirrors inset in the cabinetry). In the dressing room, a Schonbek chandelier gives a regal glow with help from matching sconces.

In his bathroom, Oliver achieved a library-like feel with dark wood tones and deep gray and blue hues. The tile pattern on the floor adds a strong geometric element—“good for a man’s space”—while the Statesville chair is reminiscent of a 19th-century English men’s club. In case anyone doubts wallpaper can be manly, these walls look perfectly masculine in a print from SJW Studios.

Tricks of the Trade  “There are so many hard materials and edges in a bath, it’s nice to soften the space by adding upholstery pieces,” Oliver suggests. “An ottoman or little chair would be lovely, but if those won’t fit, even a sumptuous rug will help.”

Design Details
Interior Design: Lane Oliver, Lane Elisabeth Oliver Interior Design, (303) 722-4288, leointeriordesign.com
Architecture: Todd Remington, (303) 279-8558, toddremington.com

REFLECTIVE STYLE

Design Goals With a site on Boulder’s western edge, the owners wanted a home that would help them turn their backs on the city and connect to the outdoors. And the master bath would be no exception.

Perfect Touches The house itself is half glass—but creating a bathroom with so much transparent material was a unique challenge. Enter architects E.J. Meade, Claire Jordan and Ken Andrews of Arch 11, who found clever ways to maximize the feel of the outdoors while maintaining the owners’ privacy.

A wall of windows to the east stands opposite the recessed mirrors that hang above a floating vanity—“so you always have a view outdoors, even if you’re not looking out the windows,” Meade says. To protect the owners’ privacy, the team applied a thin band of translucent film on the windows at just the right height. Around the tub, large lift-and-slide windows open, giving the feel of bathing outside. There’s even an “unbelievable view from the loo,” Meade laughs.

The palette of materials plays up the room’s connection to nature. The bathing area is set apart by a jarrah wood platform—which allows a kind of celebration of the bathing ritual, Jordan says. The 6-by-12-inch Walker Zanger tiles surround the pièce de résistance, an Agape tub, and continue into the shower. A soapstone vanity tops custom-built jarrah wood cabinetry and is paired with Carrera marble wall tiles from Alfredo Salvatori’s Bamboo Collection. “We made the vanity as quiet and monolithic as possible,” Meade says.

Tricks of the Trade To maximize your space and create a clean-lined look, consider how elements can serve double duty. For example, the bench outside the shower acts as a shaving stand within the shower. “As with any minimalist project, you can’t imagine how much detailing there is to make it look simple,” Meade says.

Design Details
Architecture: Arch II, Inc., (303) 546-6868, arch11.com
Construction: Hammerwell, Inc., (303) 443-3430, hammerwell.com

SWEET AND TIMELESS

Design Goal This Federal-style home in Denver’s Cheesman Park neighborhood has some serious historic charm, which the homeowner wanted to preserve during the whole-house remodel, right down to the master bath.

That didn’t mean she had to live with the room’s footprint, though, which was a bit too small to accomplish her design goals. So architect Steve Barsch expanded the space to accommodate a large steam shower, and interior designer Beth Armijo set to work choosing classic materials that feel sophisticated and appropriate for the home’s historic roots.

Armijo opted for classic Calcutta marble for the shower and floors—“because it’s timeless”—and kept the cast-iron tub that was original to the home. Simple Kohler pedestal vanities flank the custom-built storage, and pretty glass knobs add sparkle.

Perfect Touches Bathroom lighting is important. Here, Armijo paired overhead can lighting with wall sconces above the mirrors. “You want light from above as well as closer to your face,” she recommends. Armijo opted for a soft blue for the walls. “We wanted the white to stand out,” she says, “but you can have contrast without a big, bold color.” Plus, using blues in a bathroom can change the look of your skin tone, Armijo points out, so selecting a subtle hue is best.

Tricks of the Trade For an elegant way to make your bathroom more interesting, use the same material in different areas but change the size, shape or layout—the way Armijo used varying sizes of Calcutta marble on the floors and in the shower.

That kind of restraint gives this bath its serene vibe. “I love the overall mood of this room,” Armijo says. “The elements come together to create a cohesive whole. It’s definitely a sanctuary.”

Design Details
Interior Design: Beth Armijo, Armijo Design Group, (303) 877-3343, armijodesigngroup.com
Architecture: Steve Barsch, (303) 534-1121
Construction: Larraz Building Excellence, (303) 393-1950, larrazbuildingexcellence.com

 “FIT FOR A QUEEN AND HER KING”: INTERIOR DESIGN Lane Elisabeth Oliver, Lane Elisabeth Oliver Interior Design, Denver, (303) 722-4288, leointeriordesign.com ARCHITECTURE Todd Remington, Golden, (303) 279-8558, toddremington.com HIS BATH LIGHT FIXTURE Visual Comfort, available at JJ&S Lighting, Denver Design District, (303) 777-1007, jjslighting.com VALANCE FABRIC Myung Jin, available at John Brooks, Denver Design District, (303) 698-9977, johnbrooksinc.com WINDOW SHADES Hunter Douglas, available at Wesco Fabrics, Denver Design District, (303) 777-5524, hunterdouglas.com WALLCOVERING SJW Studios, available at Shanahan Collection, Denver Design District, (303) 778-7088, shanahancollection.com CHAIR Statesville Chair, available at Moda Antica, Denver Design District, (303) 733-9003, statesvillechair.com CHAIR FABRIC Myung Jin, available at John Brooks, Denver Design District, (303) 698-9977, johnbrooksinc.com CHAIR TAPE TRIM Samuel & Sons, Kneedler-Fauchere, Denver Design District, (303) 744-7474, samuelandsons.com CHAIR WELT Kravet, Denver Design District, (303) 733-1891, kravet.com TABLE ALONGSIDE CHAIR Objets, Ltd., Denver Design District, (303) 777-6830, objetsltd.com TILE Decorative Materials, Denver Design District, (303) 722-1333, decorativematerials.com HER BATH VANITY SCONCES 20th Century Lighting, JJ&S Lighting, Denver Design District, (303) 777-1007, jjslighting.com BIRDCAGE CHANDELIER Laura Lee, JJ&S Lighting, Denver Design District City, (303) 777-1007, jjslighting.com DESK AND VANITY CHAIRS Nancy Corzine, Egg & Dart, Denver Design District, (303) 744-1676, egg-and-dart.com; upholstered in Pindler & Pindler fabric, available at Hoff Miller, Ltd.,  Denver Design District, (303) 698-0800, pindler.com; trim in Samuel & Sons fabric, available at Kneedler-Fauchere, Denver Design District, (303) 744-7474, samuelandsons.com DRAPERY FABRIC & TRIM Samuel & Sons fabric, available at Kneedler-Fauchere, Denver Design District, (303) 744-7474, samuelandsons.com DRAPERY TIEBACKS Bergamo, available at John Brooks, Denver Design District, (303) 698-9977, johnbrooksinc.com SHEER FABRIC Kravet, available at Kravet/Lee Jofa, Denver Design District, (303) 733-1891, kravet.com VANITY MIRROR Labarge Inc., available at Whitney Evans, Ltd., Denver Design District, (303) 777-1886, whitneyevansltd.com BEAD SIDE TABLE Baker, available at Town, LLC, Denver Design District, (303) 282-0125, townstudio.com CABINETRY FABRIC Lee Jofa, available at Kravet/Lee Jofa, Denver Design District, (303) 733-3470, leejofa.com BATH ACCESSORIES Tray, vases, lotion dispenser, canister, bottle and soap dish, available at Objets, Ltd., Denver Design District, (303) 777-6830, objetsltd.com TILE Decorative Materials, Denver Design District, (303) 722-1333, decorativematerials.com HER DRESSING CLOSET CHANDELIER & SCONCES Schonbek, available at JJ&S Lighting, Denver Design District, (303) 777-1007, jjslighting.com SETTEE Grange, available at Grange, Denver Design District, (303) 777-1866, grange.fr; upholstered in Kravet fabric, available at Kravet/Lee Jofa, Denver Design District, (303) 733-1891, kravet.com; trim in fabric by Samuel & Sons, available at Kneedler-Fauchere, Denver Design District, (303) 744-7474, samuelandsons.com CARPET Stark, available at The Carpet Studio, Denver Design District, (303) 777-1716, starkcarpet.com SOFA PILLOW FABRIC Jane Shelton, available at Kneedler-Fauchere,  Denver Design District, (303) 744-7474, janeshelton.com; trim by Kravet, available at Kravet/Lee Jofa, Denver Design District, (303) 733-1891, kravet.com WALLCOVERING Maya Romanoff, available at John Brooks Inc., Denver Design District, (303) 698-9977, mayaromanoff.com MIRROR John-Richard, available at CAI Designs,  Denver Design District, (303) 282-8100, johnrichard.com  

“REFLECTIVE STYLE”: ARCHITECTURE Arch 11, Inc., Boulder, (303) 546-6868, arch11.comBUILDER Hammerwell Inc., Boulder, (303) 443-3430, hammerwell.com GLASS WALL TILE “Roku Rain” by Walker Zanger, Euro Bath + Tile, Denver, (303) 298-8453 CARRARA WALL TILE “Carrara Bianco” from Bamboo Collection by Alfredo Salvatori, available at Capco Tile & Stone, Boulder, (303) 545-5295, capcotile.com FLOORING Carrara Floor Tile by Arizona Tile, available at Brekhus Tile & Stone, Denver, (303) 494-9255, brekhustile.com COUNTERTOP Soapstone, available at Dorado Soapstone, Denver, (303) 429-1387, doradosoapstone.com CABINETRY Custom Jarrah Wood Cabinetry, manufactured by Michael Brotherton Woodworks, Boulder, (303) 443-1384 BATHTUB Agape Deep, available at Ambiente Design Center, Boulder, (303) 444-7088 UNDERMOUNT SINKS “Twist” by Villeroy & Boch, McGuckin Hardware, Boulder, (303) 449-3779, mcguckin.com FAUCETS “Mem” by Dornbracht, McGuckin Hardware, Boulder, (303) 449-3779, mcguckin.com TOILET “Starck 2” by Duravit, McGuckin Hardware, Boulder, (303) 449-3779, mcguckin.com

“SWEET AND TIMELESS”: INTERIOR DESIGN Beth Armijo, Armijo Design Group, Denver, (303) 877-3343, armijodesigngroup.com ARCHITECTURE Steve Barsch, (303) 534-1121 CONTRACTOR Larraz Building Excellence, Denver, (303) 393-1950, larrazbuildingexcellence.com CUSTOM WINDOW COVERINGS Brunschwig & Fils, Inc., Denver Design District, (303) 733-6484, brunschwig.com BATHTUB Original to the home PLUMBING FIXTURES Kohler, kohler.com