DREAM BATHROOM Creating an interior in harmony with the views
IN THIS SERENE SPACE, A NEUTRAL PALETTE WITH EARTHY FINISHES DIRECTS ALL EYES TO THE SPECTACULAR RURAL VIEWS OUTSIDE
DESIGNER Lauren Geremia, founder and principal designer, Geremia Design, +1 510 922 8904, geremiadesign.com.
THE PROPERTY A four-bedroom, timber-clad new build in California, USA.
DESIGN BRIEF Built for their retirement, the owners wanted a thoughtful space that supported their new rituals and lifestyle. As with the rest of the house, the design of this master bathroom was led by the natural landscape, materials and colours of the surrounding Napa Valley.
DIMENSIONS 2.8x7.4m [4.4x7.4m including separate WC and shower] LAYOUT
Planned in co-ordination with Wade Design Architects, this bathroom is part of a beautifully configured master suite. From the bedroom, a hall leads you through the dressing room, past entrances to an indoor and outdoor shower, and into this bathroom. The WC is in a private room accessed to the left of the double vanity. ‘The layout was driven by the desire to place the tub where the view was best,’ recalls designer Lauren Geremia. ‘The large windows look out to views of the mountains and horses next door. It is a great spot to clean up and get ready or relaxed.’ SURFACES
A firm believer in efficient material use, Lauren established a restrained palette. The flooring in the master bathroom, and throughout most of the house and decking, is limestone. ‘Continuity was key to creating a soft, clean design,’ says Lauren. ‘Much work was done to line up the grid of these tiles between walls, windows and doors.’ The walls are painted in
Cloud Cover, a fresh off-white by Benjamin Moore. ‘Most of the walls have furniture or fixtures on them so light space was precious and to be preserved,’ she says. ‘We wanted our clients to feel fresh, calm and connected to themselves and their home when experiencing this space.’
FITTINGS
The whole scheme was designed around the perfect placement of the bath, so naturally the choice of tub had to be just as considered. Lauren was attracted to the modern, simple shape of Victoria + Albert’s Barcelona design. ‘This bathtub is really comfortable and sleek, which is a nice combination,’ she says. ‘Its Volcanic Limestone finish was also really matt and soft.’ The brassware has a pewter finish to complement the window frames. ‘Wall-mounting the basin taps was all about simplifying the design and highlighting the pared-back beauty of the cast concrete trough sink below,’ explains Lauren. STYLING
Most of the light fittings are from the Trapeze collection by Us-based Apparatus Studio. ‘I was drawn to the ceramic shades and matched the accessories in the room to that finish,’ explains Lauren. Wade Design Architects specified the separate vanity unit, which is in the same grey-stained oak veneer as the basin unit. ‘The natural light is perfect for reflecting accurate skin tones in the mirror and the view is nice too,’ says Lauren. ‘It’s a pleasant place to sit.’