An Artful Approach to Creating a Bath Sanctuary

Photo: Emily Minton Redfield

Into the Woods

When husband-and-wife team Tom and Kristen Abell set about designing their latest home in Denver, inspiration and researching resources were a labor of love. Tom is a builder, Kristen is in real estate, and for the third time, they enlisted the creative eye of their favorite interior designer, Joanne Brutsch of Casey & Co.

Kristen had a clear vision for several of the primary bath’s key features. “I’d seen the stone slab we used in the bathroom shower and countertop, but I couldn’t remember exactly where,” she recalls. “Joanne and I went on a mission to find the stone I wanted to use to pull off the dramatic look. After striking out at the stone yards in Denver, we ended up discovering a boutique stone yard in Chicago that had a lot of these dramatic marble slabs.”

Photo: Emily Minton Redfield

They ordered several pieces and moved them around to get the look the Abells wanted. “We ended up flip-flopping the slabs chosen for the kitchen and bath, as the one installed for the backdrop for the shower is like a piece of art,” Brutsch says.

Kristen also loved the look of fluted white oak wood walls. “I’d seen them at a hotel we stayed at in South America,” she says. Local carpenters were able to make exactly what they wanted. Butsch notes, “It was such an important feature in the design, and I think it accentuates the tones in the floating vanity from Thurston Kitchen and Bath.”

Mirrors from Williams Sonoma Home hang above the dual sinks, illuminated by wall sconces from Visual Comfort. On the opposite side of the room in a nook by the picture window, a freestanding bathtub by Signature Hardware offers a calm soaking spot after a day in the fast-paced world of real estate.

Design Details

Designer: Casey & Co.
Architect: StudioHOFF
Builder: Abell to Build
Cabinetry: Thurston Kitchen & Bath, Rift White Oak
Shower Wall and Ceiling Tile: Ann Sacks, Canyon Lake
Plumbing Fixtures: Rohl
Lightning: Visual Comfort
Countertop and Shower Accent Wall: Calia Stone Boutique, Arabescato Azul

Bathroom Rescue

Photo: Randy A. Land

A leaky fixture for a built-in whirlpool bath was the unexpected impetus for a full bathroom remodel for a Denver home that had just gone through a partial renovation the year before.

The 20-year-old  property is home to a couple who met later in life, and when she moved in, they wanted to bring her personal touches to the space. Her daughter introduced them to Rachel Ogburn of Rowe Interior Design, who choreographed the makeover, and they didn’t hesitate to call her back when it became clear the bathroom needed help. “Rachel knew what we like, and she really listens to you,” the homeowner says. “For the bathroom we told her we wanted something neutral without the cold spa feel.”

Photo: Randy A. Land

That set the tone. “I knew my task as their designer would be to bring in warm neutrals that gave fresh life to the space, but intentionally finding moments for color and character.” The culprit bath was replaced with a freestanding soaking tub framed by beige-tone Bedrosians Marin tile. The same tile carries through to the vanity wall above existing cabinetry, which was repainted in Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige. The high ceiling meant the pendant lights above the double sinks required additional down rods.

Photo: Randy A. Land

“We wanted to make sure they sat right around eye level for that perfect glow as you look into the mirror—nobody wants shadows from overhead lighting,” Ogburn says with a smile. The green Arizona Tile chosen for the walk-in shower provides color, while a bench and built-in shelves were honed from the same quartzite slab used for the vanity countertop. A favorite painting by local artist Madeleine O’Connell complements the bathroom’s softer hues.

Design Details

Design: Rowe Interior Designs
Construction: Hilton Installations
Countertop: ADN Final Touch, Taj Mahal Quartzite Slab
Vanity Tile Backsplash and Tub Surround: Bedrosians Marin collection in Coastal Cliff
Bathroom Floor: Daltile, Haddonstone collection in Dawn Textured
Plumbing Fixtures: Delta, Trinsic collection
Tub: Signature Hardware, Renlo soaking tub
Lighting: Innovations Lighting, Beacon collection
Mirrors: Uttermost, Savion

As seen in Colorado Homes & Lifestyles’ January/February 2026 issue