A newly retired couple believed their master bath and dressing room were too small and disconnected from each other. They challenged Jennifer Duncan of Custom Kitchens to take the room from frumpy to fabulous by unifying the spaces and doing away with the 1980s vaulted popcorn ceiling, wallpaper and stained glass.
The Custom Kitchens crew increased buildable space in the bathroom by removing an underutilized linen closet and old vanity. A luxurious corner shower with multiple heads and bench seating took the closet’s space, and a stand-alone tub was centered under a window. “The shower became more of a spa experience,” Duncan says. The addition of chromatherapy — using different colors of light to evoke specific psychological responses — “make bathing a more pleasing experience,” she says. The ceiling was lowered to 10 feet, increasing the intimacy of the room but retaining the spacious feel. A new entry was designed to separate the bathroom and dressing room from the rest of the master suite; previously, they were accessible through separate entrances off the hall.
Crystal hardware, a floral chandelier and sconces were chosen to enhance the bathroom’s glamour factor.
Merit Award: Leo Lantz Construction Inc. with trade partner RVA / Virginia Shower Door
Finalist: DesignLine Home Transformations with trade partner Thos. Somerville Co.