Back To Nature

Have you ever fantasized about a romantic getaway?  Traveling into the mountains to a quiet resort, surrounded by trees, nature everywhere.  A place that’s cozy and feels natural, lots of stone and rich dark wood.  A place where you can relax.  Well, I found it, but it wasn’t deep in the woods, it’s in this great new Master Bath.

Before the remodel, this bathroom was dark and dated.  There was a window, providing natural light, but not enough to make the bathroom inviting.  The shower was large enough but was tiled in 4x4s and had an imposing shower door of metal and textured glass.  Since the bath featured a pedestal sink, a furniture cabinet was the only storage, and it was overflowing.  The room lacked personality.  Our homeowners wanted a big change and we delivered.

We emptied the space and started with a soaking tub/shower combination.  For busy mornings, the shower works perfect with a more natural spray and two niches for toiletries.  The brushed nickel finish on the showerhead and controls give the pieces a bit of age and character.

Instead of a full glass door, we opted for a smaller frameless expanse of glass.  This keeps the water in when showering but doesn’t close off the space when bathing. Sturdy brushed nickel hinges keep the glass stable without the clutter of a metal frame.

The soaking tub is deep, with a gently sloping back and slightly sloping sides for a comfortable fit.

For that more natural feel, an elongated field tile of rich charcoal, taupe, gray and gold was chosen for the walls.  To keep the bath from becoming dark again we balanced this with a larger creamy stone tile on the two side walls.   The colorful brick shaped stone was installed in a staggered  pattern creating beautiful swirls of color that dance across the wall.  To complete the natural look, the large 12x24s were also installed in a brick pattern.

The cream field tile was repeated on the floor but set in a standard straight for a clean look.  The tubs apron received the darker stone for an artistic contrast to the cream floor and white tub and toilet.  An additional layer of contrast was created with the vanity.

Before, the pedestal sink did not function well.  What little space existed around the sink was consumed by the faucet, a cup and a soap dispenser.  We needed more counter and storage space so we went with a vanity.

Our vanity is a rich warm wood tone in a simple shaker style.  The countertop of gray stone features a honed finish, more in keeping with the stone on the shower walls and floor.  A gently sloping square sink was set under the stone and a simple arched brush nickel faucet adorns the countertop.  We added a mirror framed in the rich warm wood and a brushed nickel towel ring too.

A furniture cabinet held all the family’s necessities, from toiletries, towels and so much more.  An outlet high on the wall left trailing cords and the top of the piece held all the overflow.

We installed a tall cabinet to match the vanity.  The cabinet features lots of adjustable shelves for towels and larger pieces behind closed doors, while three lower drawers offer organized storage for littler things.  The vanity and tall cabinet have brushed nickel pulls to compliment the faucet.

We still have a window that brings in natural light but we wanted more.  Two recessed lights shine down into the shower/tub spotlighting the rich colors on the wall.  Over the vanity, we installed a brushed nickel vanity light for decoration and more light at the vanity.  Two towel bars were installed beside the tub and a simple wooden stool holds others close at hand.

Now relax, lean back and imagine a luxurious soak, surrounded by the rich colors of nature, the texture of the stone, the sparkle of sunlight coming in from the window.  Wonderful, isn’t it.  Now call the talented team of RJK Construction, Inc., at 703-218-1809 and make an appointment to create your fantasy bath.

A Pop of Personality

So often we see neutral, clean, and crisp bathrooms that we love- don’t get us wrong! But we also love when a homeowner comes to us wanting to add a bold pop of color in the room. It may be in the wall color, the vanity, or tile. Either way, we love shaking things up a little. This bathroom is a perfect example.

The 12 x 24 Stratos Field Tile is a neutral color, and the cabinetry- a deep chocolate color from Bertch Bath called, “Sable.” But bordering the Brown Lapis Vanity top is a 3/4″ x 3/4 inch glass mosaic. The color, “Seaside Blend” boasts colors of purple, blue, and in some light shades of red and orange.

In the shower, the same mosaic tile is continued tying the space together. It’s found in two decorative rows around the shower surround, and inside the niches where our homeowner will store soaps and shampoos. White subway tile fills the tub, incorporating that fresh feeling, while letting the mosaic speak for itself.

Modern Plumbing Fixtures add another element to this bathroom. All of the plumbing fixtures in this bathroom are from Kohler. The tub above is a very popular bathtub, the Archer. This bathtub is a standard size, but because of it’s depth, allows the user to take deep baths, and feel like they have more space in the shower.

The shower faucet system is Kohler Forte in brushed chrome. This sleek system also has an added handheld shower, to get extra clean!

When you’re ready to start your bathroom remodel, give us a call for a free estimate!  (703) 218-1809

Mastering The Master Bath

This master bath needed help.  Tiles were broken, the fixtures were outdated and the shower had seen better days.  Although our homeowners wanted a tub, the size and location of the existing tub was simply too much.

We decided to keep the shower in its existing location but needed to find a better place for a double vanity.

What a change!  To give this master bath a more open spacious feel, we opened up the shower and set a simple soaking tub beside it.

We gave the tub a great Arabascata marble backsplash with a contrasting marble mosaic in a niche set at easy reach for toiletries.

We created a shower with lots of added features.  First we built less walls and used more glass.  We capped the half wall with custom fabricated stone in Light Emperador to compliment the decorative mosaic and continued it on the bench seat and shower curb.  The mosaic is gorgeous and practical on the shower floor as an added texture underfoot.

Although the niche is for storage of toiletries, the decorative pieces and colors of the mosaic make the niche a design feature too.  We added a decorative border of different marbles around the shower as that final touch.

The now open floor space is a perfect fit for the colors and swirls of the Arabascata marble.

The new vanity is an exquisite piece of furniture!   The rich warm tones and artistic styling of this Bertch Bath Cabinetry in Madison Door Style and “Ginger” finish was the perfect balance to the light marble.  The countertop was fabricated in Arabascata to match the rest of the bath with detailed edging following the line of the cabinet.   We kept the sinks simple in a white undermount.

The cabinet is complete with custom details like the raised diamonds, multiple beadings and furniture feet.  We included his and hers under-sink cabinet storage and enough drawers for each plus one to share.  A large mirror was framed with wood beaded trim to match the cabinetry.

All of the fixtures were chosen from the Kohler Devonshire series.  The shower features a handheld showerhead with simple controls.  A sweeping widespread faucet at each sink adds graceful lines and mimics the bend in the vanity lighting.

The new toilet is simple white but has beading detail to give it an upscale look.

The final touches include beautiful new lighting, decorative towel storage at the bath tub and a rich paint tone to offset the whites.  We chose Benjamin Moore Aura in “Pashmina” to give us a darker hue.

For information on Mastering your Master Bath, call RJK Construction, Inc., at (703) 218-1809 today.