Ottawa Citizen

Orchids in moonlight: An elegant home spa solution by Westend Bath and Kitchen

- BRIAN McCULLOUGH

Sometimes a room makeover results in something so special all you want to do is stand there and drink it in with your eyes. By the time Westend Bath and Kitchen was done renovating the master ensuite in Susan and Basil’s Westboro home, the vision entrusted to one of Ottawa’s most experience­d renovation and design companies to create a beautiful home spa in a traditiona­l style home was a reality.

“They came to us looking for a company that could help them bring their dream to life,” said Westend creative design expert Sarah Stott. “They wanted a spa-style bathroom that would push the limits of design, and we gave them that extra ‘wow’ factor.”

The couple wanted to get rid of an outdated Jacuzzi, and replace a regular corner shower with a walk-in shower large enough to save their elbows from further abuse. Their vision came together when they fell in love with a design concept they saw when they were out looking at tiles one day.

“We’d been thinking about just a traditiona­l renovation,” Susan said, “but then we saw this tiled concept we liked. We chose Westend to do the work because we’d heard about their reliabilit­y and workmanshi­p from friends in the neighbourh­ood. We went to the showroom and met Sarah, and that was it. There wasn’t any further decision to make. We didn’t go to anybody else.”

Stott and her Westend colleagues enjoy a well-earned reputation for translatin­g customers’ requiremen­ts into attractive, functional and affordable designs. After 30 years in business the company’s one-stop design and installati­on service, top-rated installati­on teams and two-year labour warranty continue to offer customers incredible peace of mind.

“The most important feature of their new bathroom space is the large, threshold-free shower,” Stott said. “Susan and Basil wanted a sleek, clean, finished look, so we created a doorless entry shower that gives them accessibil­ity with style. If you close your eyes, the shower’s rain head fixture and cascading water chute feature will make you think you’re in an outdoor spa with a waterfall above you.”

The couple had nothing but praise for the quality of the workmanshi­p from veteran Westend installer Rick Cleroux and his crew, who also installed the heated floor and towel warmer, a linen tower and the wall-hung floating vanity with distinctiv­e Cambria quartz countertop and solid limestone vessel sink.

For Basil, a retired electrical engineer, installing colour-control LED strip lights underneath the floating vanity and inside the long horizontal shower niche would create a much-desired sense of depth and Zen-like serenity to the space.

“Indirect lighting is the best,” he said. “The recessed ceiling LEDs dim from a cool blue to a warm white to create mood, but when you don’t want to have the overheads in your eyes, the indirect lighting coats everything to create that spa feeling.”

Add a bit of moonlight filtering down through the bathroom’s skylight, and the ambience is magical.

“We really connected with Sarah,” Susan said. “Her profession­alism and flexibilit­y – she was just so easy to have a design discussion with. We would recommend Westend Bath and Kitchen to anyone.”

The Westend Bath & Kitchen showroom, located at 1660 Woodward Dr., is open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also visit www.westendbat­handkitche­n.com, or call 613-226-7701 to schedule a free estimate.

Westend Bath & Kitchen is seeking experience­d designers and installers. Please send applicatio­ns by email to jessica@westendbat­handkitche­n.com.

 ?? MELISSA LEROUX PHOTOGRAPH­Y ?? Where once this bathroom was dominated by the large Jacuzzi (below), the new fully accessible shower creates a wonderful sense of spaciousne­ss. The distinctiv­e solid limestone sink atop the floating vanity was a key design element from the outset.
MELISSA LEROUX PHOTOGRAPH­Y Where once this bathroom was dominated by the large Jacuzzi (below), the new fully accessible shower creates a wonderful sense of spaciousne­ss. The distinctiv­e solid limestone sink atop the floating vanity was a key design element from the outset.
 ?? WESTEND BATH AND KITCHEN ??
WESTEND BATH AND KITCHEN

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