Lovely Bathroom Products

What a few weeks it's been! Between all the rain that California has received and my laptop that has crashed, I'm ready to move forward into a fun, happy, problem-free Spring! :)


I’m reorganizing all of my resource binders as well and as I came to the bathroom resource binder, I ran across the most lovely products and photographs. I want to share them with you here. If you need inspiration for your bathroom, there are some very unique products for you to consider.



The Water Monopoly Copper Bath with Thick Roll

This original French double-ended copper bath is so romantic and such a statement in this bathroom. Did I just say bathroom? Does anyone have a bathroom like this in their house? This is more the size of my living room!


The Water Monopoly's Bateau Bath


A reproduction of a late 19th century French double-ended bath, individually cast in iron from recycled brake discs. I love this even more than the copper bath above. All that is missing are some French Fauteuil chairs, a glass of red wine and 100 votive candles.



Sherle Wagner's Marble Tub with Claw Feet

This tub is amazing!! I thought I loved marble countertops, but this is over the top, don’t you think? How luxurious, how grand, how incredibly ostentatious! I want one!



THG Paris' Papillon Lav Set

As part of their Lalique line, these beautiful butterfly faucet handles are more like delicate perfume bottle toppers than what they are really are. Not for the little boys room!



Ann Sack's Poly Stone Mosaic

This white and pearl stone mosaic is so beautiful. It would make a beautiful floor or backsplash tile. It would be beautiful in a shower or framing a mirror. Check out Ann Sack’s entire stone mosaic line. They are all incredible.

Short and sweet for this one folks! I’ll be back soon with more goodies now that I’ve got my computer back! (yea!)
Have an incredible week!

Directions

My life is like a sailing ship
depending on the winds
to take me where I want to go,
sometimes the winds
are in my favor.
Other times they're not.
And when the gales
of adversity blow
the winds I can't control,
but the set of the sails I can –
for that, and not the
direction of the wind,
is what takes me where
I dream and plan to go.

– Dick Innes

Tia Zoldan Interiors - Sophisticated Del Mar Home

Los Angeles-based interior designer, Tia Zoldan was tasked with the challenge of transforming a traditional home into a sophisticated space that remained beach-casual and kid-friendly. And, boy did she succeed. The single-story 4,000 square foot three bedroom, four bath home located in Del Mar, California had an existing semi-open floor plan. To ensure visual flow and connectivity, Zoldan used a common color scheme of gray, white and black as a base with hints of bright color throughout the home.

In the living room, Zoldan lines the room with custom sofas by Holly Hunt in a durable, brushed white velvet (she swears it's a kid-friendly fabric and even tested it by spilling coffee on it!). The symmetrical sofa arrangement forces our attention the the gorgeous limestone fireplace. Zoldan infuses vivid color by adding charcoal gray and bright pink throw pillows to the sofas and an avocado green tufted bench in front of the fireplace. The unifying hand-knotted wool and silk rug is Tibetan and is gorgeous over the dark walnut floors.

The dining room is a bit eclectic with modern, traditional and vintage elements, but Zoldan pulls it together brilliantly. I love the upholstered white chairs with with backs in a bold, textured orange fabric. The light fixture from Foscarini and the zig-zag rug by Jonathan Adler add more whimsical elements.

Natural light floods the simple, yet stunning white kitchen. The counter-high table with wooden top serves multiple purposes - it adds visual warmth, a place for family members to gather and of course, an additional food prep area. The white backless stools are from Design Within Reach.

The media room features a large, inviting sectional sofa covered in a gray vintage velvet. Again, Zoldan adds vibrant pops of color with a collection of solid and geometric throw pillows. I am curious to know what color gray paint she used on the walls and cabinets.

The sweet, yet sophisticated girl's room in purple, pearl and beige is certainly one that any age would love. The beautifully designed headboard is brilliant with the pearlescent wallpaper, mirrored chest and chenille rug by Madeline Weinrib. I should have featured this room in a previous post,
Interior Design Color Trends for 2010 - Purple.

The tranquil, airy master bedroom features beautiful windows with ocean views. Zoldan uses the perfect mix of colors throughout the room. The dark gray custom bench and tufted headboard contrast beautifully with milky bed linens.

The serene master bathroom is perfection. The beautiful floor-to-ceiling Calcutta marble tile was vertically set. The raspberry bench with lucite X legs and glass light fixture are fabulous!

I am loving Zoldan's design and the down-to-earth feeling this home communicates. How about you?

*images from Luxe Magazine

Parlor Design - Exquisite Transitional NYC Townhouse

Founded in 2007, New York-based and internationally acclaimed design firm, Parlor Design strives to create designs that fuse "formal technicality and aesthetic sensitivity." Focused on exceeding expectations and staying within budget, the firm develops a thoughtful collaboration between the design team and client.

One of Parlor's recent projects was this pre-war six story NYC townhouse. It's truly a gem. The firm's husband and wife design team, Dylan and Nicolette Farrell focused on the history and aesthetic of the home. Even though most of the townhouse's guts were removed, the soul remained. The design team approached the project with exquisite ornamentation and panel and ceiling detail consistent with neo-classicism to assure the space did not feel unjustly manipulated and to allow the soul to shine through.

In addition to the home's history and architecture, the interior designers were influenced by two things; First was Austrian design legend Dagobert Peche (1887-1923) and the Weiner Werkstätte (est. 1903, Vienna Workshops for a community of visual artists) and the quirkier aspects of Viennese turn of the century design. Second was the of-the-day styles coming out of Belgium - specifically the clean lines and high contrast architectural finishes. Farrell says, "These design influences worked well with our clients, considering the husband's preference for adapted modernism and the wife's love of traditional ornamentation. So we set off to truly and honestly explore the term "transitional." We did not want to make the common mistake... jamming a Louis XV leg onto a case resembling a creation by Corbusier. Instead, we wanted to attempt to create a seamless melding of time - an interior that is just as fresh and comfortable while it reminisces on the days past as it is stepping into the days to come."

On the townhouse's parlour floor, the focus of the formal living room is the custom mantle by Chesney's. It's beautifully framed by original portraits by various artists from auction. The furnishings are exquisite. I particularly like the klismos inspired contoured legs supporting the mahogany coffee table by Troscan. The sweet nesting tables by Emile Galle are antique. The calming blue and white custom wall, ceiling and trim paint by Benjamin Moore contrasts beautifully with the masculine dark wood furniture and flooring. Adding feminine touches, the elegant multi-armed chandelier was purchased at Remains Lighting. The Farrells struck a perfect balance and created a room that both genders would feel comfortable in.

Rich custom millwork shelving with sliding doors in ebonized mahogany and antiqued mirrors set the perfect stage for an intimate sitting area just off the formal living room. The curves of the Emma Lounge Chairs by Madeline Stuart and walnut Osterly side tables by Dessin Fournir soften the space that is dominated by strong lines in the display unit, flooring and crown molding.

A flooring detail in a custom dark stained French-cut Peruvian walnut and a tufted navy blue chair by Baker welcomes guests into the formal the dining room.

A round mirrored table from Neirman Weeks surrounded by chairs from Baker take center stage in the dining atrium, which is also on the parlour floor. A gorgeous Murano glass chandelier in white from La Murrina is shear elegance.

The ceiling tracery details in the dining atrium are worth a closer look. The craftsmanship and attention to detail is extraordinary. Who would guess this is new construction!

Then the soft white and blue color palette continues in the home's kitchen. The custom millwork cabinetry is painted in Benjamin Moore. The professional grade range is by Viking and the stunning back-splash in hand-cast glass tiles is by Ann Sachs.

The breakfast alcove is the sweetest room and the natural light is inviting. The homeowners have several children and this is the perfect space to casually bring the family together for a meal. I particularly like the juxtaposition between the colorful large upholstered wing chairs and the smaller painted carved wooden chairs. The chandelier from Summer Hill and leaf and floral motif wallpaper from Osborne & Little give the room a more feminine feeling that balances the masculinity of the table and chairs.

The custom vanity topped with calacatta marble in the powder room is a standout and surrounds a gorgeous nickel undermounted sink and faucet from Waterworks. The fabulous mirror is by Baker.

The master bath is really a work of art. Here is a view of the vanity and shower. The mosaic floor with blue accent tiles is my favorite design detail.

The master bath is also a peaceful retreat with the sunken Jacuzzi tub surrounded by a calacatta marble slab and hand-cast white glass tiles from Ann Sachs. The three vertical marble insets add visual interest and mossy plants bring hints of the outside in.

Here's a closer view of the faucet by Kallista, hand-cast white glass tiles from Ann Sachs and calacatta marble.



For more beautiful pictures of this home and others in their portfolio, please visit Parlor Design.



Do you have a favorite room in this lovely NYC Townhouse?

*images from Parlor Design and Erik Goldstein Photography

Simply Stunning - Luxurious Master Bathroom Design

This summer I had the pleasure of meeting Debbie Grewal, a very talented San Francisco Peninsula-based interior designer. She recently completed this luxurious master bath in a Woodside, California home (pictured above). Before designing residential homes, Grewal worked for 17 years on the commercial side of interior design. Some of her many projects included corporate offices, private banks, senior living facilities and a dining yacht. During this time she occasionally designed for high-end residential clients and realized her passion for personal design and detail. In more recent years she has shifted to all types of residential design including new construction and specification/consulting on custom homes.

Grewal created a serene spa-like bath that started with the fireplace - a “must” for the homeowner who envisioned a tranquil retreat. The stately, dark mahogany stained fireplace is surrounded in gorgeous Walker Zanger Tuscany tiles in Driftwood. The trellis patterned fireplace screen by Restoration Hardware is the perfect finishing touch. The fireplace focal point is wonderfully flanked by the shower and sunken tub.

Bathroom design has become a favorite of Grewal. She loves tile and stone, and I know why after seeing this bathroom. The tub is surrounded by a gorgeous slab of Calacatta Gold marble from Da Vinci Marble and nicely positioned under double hung windows that provide lots of natural light and beautiful views of the garden. The satin nickel hardware is by the Rohl Country Bath Collection and pulls out the lovely gray in the marble.

Here’s a close-up of two glass vases filled with beautiful bath soaps and sponges – love how they vary in height and are finished off with silky dark brown ropes and tassels.

The handsome double sink vanity by Xylem in espresso finish houses Kohler Devonshire white undercounter sinks and is topped with Calacatta Gold marble. Again the plumbing fixtures are by Rohl Country Bath Collection in satin nickel. I love the stunning mirror Grewal selected from Aaron Brothers.

OK, isn't this simply the most beautiful shower you've seen? Look closely at the wall; Grewal has Calacatta Manhattan 12"x18" marble tiles for the lower half and 6"x9" cut tiles in the upper half. The wall border and showerbox inset are in Dark Travertine, Opus Anticato mosaic tiles by Walker Zanger.

Here is a view of the amazing shower floor. The inset is tile in Calacatta long offset brick and beautifully trimmed in Dark Travertine.

The simple frameless double shower doors and panels are in a heavy Starphire glass and adorned with satin nickel hardware by Portals. Look, a second showerhead; This one is a rainhead - divine!

Grewal is quite the color expert too. She always tells her clients that paint is their most inexpensive source of decorating. For the walls she selected Northhampton Putty (HC-89) by Benjamin Moore; for the ceiling Latte by Restoration Hardware, and for the trim, doors and wainscoting, Mayonnaise (OC-85) also by Benjamin Moore. The bathroom's two lovely chandeliers are by Restoration Hardware.

The woodwork throughout the bath is exceptional. The gorgeous reclaimed pine wood flooring was hand scraped. And the wainscoting was masterfully installed by Bay Area Molding. Look how it wraps around near the glass shower doors – the attention to detail is beautiful and doesn’t go unnoticed.

The Kohler Memoirs toilet is tucked away for privacy - love this! Grewal definitely has a knack of blending design elements such as color, texture, lighting, finishes and scale of furnishings. Even the smallest accessory isn't ignored - don't you just love the taupe and chocolate monogram towels she had made by Restoration Hardware?

Grewal best describes her design style as transitional, eclectic and casual elegance. She strives for well balanced rooms with impact and definitely succeeds with this stunning master bath - wouldn't you agree?

Debbie Grewal Designs ~ 650-342-8299 ~ grewaldebbie@hotmail.com

"The best accolade is knowing the interiors perfectly reflect the style and attitude of the people who live there." ~ Debbie Grewal Designs

*images from Debbie Grewal Designs

Layer it - Bathroom Lighting Design

Lighting is a critical element when designing a bathroom. Good lighting plans are layered to ensure adequate amount of light while also being aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Above, designer Phoebe Howard uses a combination of pendants, recessed cans and natrual light from the windows in this lovely white and green bathroom.

There are typically four layers in lighting design - ambient, task, decorative and focal. The focal layer provides focused light to displays such as artwork, signage and architectural features. Normally, this layer is not used in bathroom lighting designs.

The ambient layer provides the overall lighting in a room, but does not illuminate specific tasks. Recessed or can lighting is great for this purpose and works well above the shower, tub and toilet areas. In this bathroom - again by Phoebe Howard - the ambient lighting is from a ceiling fixture.

The task layer provides light to specific locations. In the bathroom task lighting is usually required at the mirror and referred to as vanity lighting. The best vanity lighting will illuminate the face evenly and minimize shadows.The bathroom above by designer Amanda Nisbet is an example of great vanity lighting - and so stylish too.

Vertical fixtures and wall sconces on either side of a mirror are best for casting even light for grooming. A typical rule of thumb for fixtures is to be approximately 66” above the finished floor and 36” – 40” apart. Here's another bathroom by Phoebe Howard with sinks flanking the tub. The wall sconces are perfectly placed to allow for excellent vanity lighting.

Due to the size or position of some mirrors like the one designed by Tobi Fairley above, sidelights are not an option and a fixture needs to go over the mirror. The fixture should be at least 24” long and mounted 75” to 80” above the finished floor. For whole wall mirrors, certain fixtures can be mounted directly onto the mirror. This is typically more expensive and requires more planning. Also, the vanity fixture(s) selected should provide color quality that is flattering to skin tones – lamps at 3,000 Kelvin (color temperature), 150+ watts and 80+ CRI (color rendering index) are recommended.

The decorative layer provides the room with “architectural jewelry”. Depending on how much light is emitted the decorative layer sometimes doesn’t serve a purpose other than catching one’s eye. Chandeliers, sconces, pendants and lamps can fall into this category. Because the quality of decorative lighting is always improving, I like to use decorative fixtures for task and ambient lighting. The lovely tranquil bath above designed by Steven Gambrel is a wonderful example of how decorative light fixtures provide the ambient and task layers of light.

A current trend in bathroom lighting is adding a chandelier {although for safety should be simply decorative over a tub like this}. I found this beautiful cottage bathroom in blue-green with a gorgeous chandelier at Erin's House of Turquoise. Keep in mind the overall style and size of the space when selecting a chandelier. This helps ensure the fixture is in proportion to the room. Place the chandelier on a dimmer for more control over the ambience of the room. Also, note that all lighting fixtures placed near a tub or shower {usually 6 feet – check your local codes} must be "wet" or "shower-location" rated.

Another important consideration in bathroom lighting design is to add windows and skylights to increase natural lighting and reduce energy consumption. Windows above tubs can create a lovely backdrop and bring the outside in. Above, the windows provide beautiful natural light in this tranquil bath with clawfoot tub - simply gorgeous and also found at House of Turquoise.

Keep in mind your lighting layers the next time you design a bathroom. Let there be light!

* images from S.R. Gambrel, Phoebe Howard, Amanda Nisbet, Tobi Fairley and House of Turquoise

Eco-Friendly Green Design - Nandi Yoga

Recently I've had the pleasure of taking beginning yoga classes at Nandi Yoga in the heart of downtown San Mateo, California - just 30 minutes south of San Francisco. It was a little intimidating at first, but now I am really enjoying it. Of course, I have a lot more poses and terminology to learn, but here are some of my current favorites - Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward-facing dog), Utthita Trikonasana (extended triangle pose) and Balasana (child's pose). In case you were wondering, this is not me above, yet.

Not only are the classes fantastic at Nandi, but so is the incredible eco-friendly studio space. In fact, the studio, which just opened last year is one of the greenest in the country. Whenever possible, recycled and sustainable materials as well as state-of-the-art fixtures that minimize consumption of natural resources were used in the 4,000 square-foot space renovation. Nandi Yoga was certified by San Mateo County's Green Business Program in March 2009 and they work closely with the Green Yoga Association to promote their efforts to "practice lightly on the Earth."

The open and airy studio comprises of three yoga practice rooms with the tranquil "blue" room being the largest at over 1,200 square feet. My favorite element in the room is the flood of natural light from the skylights - five in all. This is typically where I take my classes and I love the fact that not one light is turned on during the session. Compact fluorescent light (CFL) fixtures are used as needed and minimize consumption. In addition, roof-top solar panels generate the studio’s electricity and hot water.

The building materials are primarily bamboo and cork. The "green" room has a beautiful cork floor shown above.

The bathroom fixtures keep water usage low, the paint both inside and outside is low VOC (volatile organic compound), and their cleaning supplies are toxic-free. The simple cabinetry is bamboo.

Here is a complete list of suppliers and materials used in this green design. Most products and services are from companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area. This conscious strategy was twofold - support the local economy while reducing the company's carbon footprint:

General Contractor: D.A. Pope: www.dapope.com

Lighting Consultant: Hawtoff Associates, San Anselmo, CA 94960; Tel: 415-458-5444

Fixtures: Iris, Litecontrol, Lithonia Lighting and Alkco

Cabinet Maker: Rick Hogan, Designs Unlimited; 50 S Linden Ave Ste 6, So. San Francisco, CA 94080, 650-583-7075

Material: Plyboo: www.plyboo.com

Flooring: Advantage Flooring; 3330 Arden Rd, Hayward, CA 94545, 510- 856-0505

WE Cork: www.wecork.com

Bamboo: Golden State Flooring - www.goldenstateflooring.com

Bathroom Fixtures: Flushometer - www.sloanvalve.com

Motion Sensor Faucets - www.sloanvalve.com

Toilet Partitions: Sierra Series from Bobrick - www.bobrick.com

Paint: Eco Spec by Benjamin Moore

Solar Panels & Solar Hot Water: PDSolar, 7980 Enterprise Drive, Newark, CA 94560; 510-494-9982 - http://www.pdsolar.com/

Here's an image of my witty, composed and very patient instructor, Clive, in the breathtaking Grand Canyon. If you're interested in yoga, be sure to drop by his website or class at Nandi Yoga.

Namaste - "The light within me honors the light within you."

309 8th Avenue, San Mateo, California
Phone: 650-343-YOGA (9642)

*images from Nandi Yoga, Simplified Bee and Old Moon Yoga