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RETAILOBSERVER.COM MAY 2022 38 Small But Mighty The goal was to create luxury and function in a small basement bathroom that serves as the master bathroom in a house built in 1924, while honoring the history of the house and adding some modern touches. Design solutions included: raising ceiling height by 4" — all we could get based on the HVAC system in the ceiling — ending up making a huge difference in the feel of the space; making the adjacent laundry room 24" smaller, enabling us to add that space to the master bath, creating room for a larger vanity with more storage; removing the bathtub and adding a steam shower with a bench; adding brick to the back wall that is very similar to the brick on the exterior of the house to bring some of the history of the house to the master bathroom; installing contemporary black faucets and lighting to bring a bit of modern style into this traditional space; adding a barn door on the exterior of the bathroom to leave space inside the bathroom for a towel bar. Because the basement is a private area, the homeowner was not concerned with having a barn door in this location. FIRST PLACE / SMALL TRADITIONAL BATH (under 55 sq. ft.) Christine Spillar, CMKBD, CLIPP Christine Spillar Interior Design, LLC Photo: Libbie Martin SECOND PLACE / SMALL TRADITIONAL BATH Michelle Youell, Principal Natural Domain Interiors Photo: Lydia Cutter Guest Bath Design solutions included: removing an interior wall, door and bathtub to create a spacious walk-in curb-less shower complete with a shampoo niche for storage; replacing the existing double-bowl oak vanity with a nautical blue custom vanity with deep drawers for towel storage and a 36" high quartz countertop with a waterfall edge; changing the vanity location and adding a new above-counter sink made room for more storage in the vanity; installing vibrant Alhambra encaustic floor tile and the non-slip textured blue hexagon shower floor tile, paired with the white 3-D shower wall tile, brightening the room with a modern aesthetic; adding layers of lighting with a new bath bar, LED vanity mirror and new 2700 Kelvin color LED can lights (one wet-location) that can also be dimmed; adding new ventilation fan/ heater and light; installing a motion-activated occupancy sensor at the bathroom entry for guests unfamiliar with the switch location; installing a Kohler ® DTV ® Prompt digital shower interface allows guests to turn on the shower and adjust the temperature prior to entering; installing a sturdy half-inch glass frameless shower door and fixed panel; incorporating a towel bar into the shower door handle and adding a hook on the back of the room door; selecting a denim blue linen-like vinyl that will hold up well in a bathroom environment.

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