For urban families with kids who are starting to outgrow their living spaces, it’s the million dollar question: Stay in the city or move to the burbs? Pravir and Leena Bhatia spent weeks house-hunting in a more suburban area, only to realize that they loved their convenient, family-friendly neighborhood and river views too much to leave. So they jumped at the chance to buy the 5,000 sq ft townhouse next to theirs, gaining 1,600 additional square feet. Then they launched into renovation mode, hiring Jared Sherman Epps of JSE Interior Design to help with the design and details, including a striking master bath. “Our goal was to make it a space we could live in a long time and customize it for our lifestyle.”
With the master bath, one of the first decisions involved the tub — or lack of one. “We had the typical marital-bliss battle of ‘Do we do it or not?’” says Pravir, who adds that neither of them takes baths but that Leena was reluctant to design a bathroom without one. Ultimately, they nixed the tub and chose a very spacious shower, which became the focal point of the room. Their style is rustic-modern: “They wanted a clean space with a touch of nature,” explains Epps, who brought in elements of the outdoors with a wood vanity, wood-look floor tiles, and a dramatic geode wall behind the shower.
This standout wall appears to be a giant cut of stone, but, in fact, it’s an artist’s creation, a massive photo panel that’s painted on and sealed in resin. A single piece of Starfire glass encloses the shower, which keeps the focus on the art and also has practical benefits: It’s easier to clean than glass shower doors and allows for better ventilation, says Epps. The shower wall is so eye-catching that several guests at the Bhatias’ house-warming party wound up congregating in the bathroom (who says the kitchen is the party magnet?).
The custom, dual-sink vanity affords plenty of storage for the couple; its wood grain warms the space, while the seamless, no-hardware drawers lend a modern line to the piece. Hammered-metal vessel sinks sit on the sleek white Caesarstone countertop. A Brooklyn metalworker crafted the custom mirrors that hang above the vanity; they have grooved details that mimic a Cartier love bracelet.
To ensure that the couple would be happy with all of the design elements, Epps frequently showed them computerized renderings, says Pravir. “It gave us a lot better chance of knowing whether we’d like it.” In the end, the subtle details work together to match the couple’s vision for a blend of style and function. “What I love is that we customized so much and that it provides enough storage space and enough homeyness,” says Leena. “It has that edge where it’s trendy but hopefully will also stand the test of time.”
Get the Look
Shop this list to get a similar look in your own bathroom.
Floor Tile Porcelanosa Parker Porcelain Wood-Look Tiles in Canada Whitewash; Bosco White Tile Is Similar, $12/sq ft - Partner Content -
Artistic Tile |
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Sinks Ecosinks Vessel Hammered-Metal Sink; Thompson Traders 2RP-BRN Alder Handcrafted Round Basin in Hammered |
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Faucets - Advertisement -
Glacier Bay Single-Hole, Single-Handle Vessel Bathroom Faucet, $108 |
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Countertop Caesarstone Pure White 1141; Classic Thassos Slab Is Similar, $113.50/sq ft Artistic Tile |
Vanity Custom Millwork; Martens Double Vanity in Aged Brown Elm Is Similar, $4,050 www.restorationhardware.com |
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Wall Panel Custom Geode Panel by Artist Alex Turco |