beverleyallisonhinds's ideas
9. Garden statuary. Sometimes one stunning piece is enough to inspire an entirely new scheme. Case in point: this stunning custom sink, which was designed after an 18th-century birdbath. The garden mood is further enhanced by tiles handmade by an artist in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which look as if they could grace the floor of a courtyard in the Southwest.
Designer secret: “Although the bathroom is not a large space, the illusion of something more spacious was created by using large-format tiles, 30 by 15 inches,” Shelhamer says. “For this reason, and to achieve a more harmonious flow, the same large-format tile was used in the shower area on the floor instead of tiny mosaic tiles that are often installed. In addition, time was taken to find and arrange the tiles so that their patterns fit together like a giant puzzle. You’ll notice how the grains and pattern in the cement-reminiscent tiles flow from the walls onto the floor.” Tile: Plane honed porcelain in silver, 15 by 30 inches, Bedrosians; stone wall: black river stacked stone, Eldorado Stone;
Color cure: Philips Hue LED lightbulbs and light strips that can create 16 million colors. “It is amazing how the characteristic of the room can be so dramatically changed with these lights,” Shelhamer says. “This is one of the biggest compliments I get on the bathroom.” Special features: Lights controlled by smartphone or wall switch. Black river rock. Stone accent wall. Skylight. Wooden slat ceiling. Recessed medicine cabinets. Smart Tint windows (“With the tint powered off, it is opaque and provides privacy,” Shelhamer says. “When powered on with the flip of a wall switch, the tint instantly becomes transparent.”)
Decorative screens. This extraordinarily innovative screen system is the epitome of an artfully dressed window. An intricate design was cut by a water jet into aluminum to create an operable window covering that also provides additional hurricane protection according to its creator, Aamodt/Plumb Architects.
The options now available with LED lighting offer great opportunities for layering your light. For instance, miniature 1W LED fittings can be used to create low-level accent lighting in niches, on ledges and in the floor. Building your lighting up in layers will give you a richer scheme as well as offering the option of different lighting scenes, including late-night dim settings ideal for a relaxing soak.
Designer secret: “The secret to this space was building a countertop over the washer and dryer,” designer Phoebe Howard says. “By doing this, we were able to triple the amount of counter space.”
Q