From skylights to illuminating floor tiles, the options for transforming a boring and outdated bathroom into a serene oasis are seemingly endless, but one local architect melds creativity and craftsmanship for dramatic results.
Drawing upon its natural, wooded surroundings, Kai Tong, a senior architect at Hopkins & Porter Construction, Inc. in Potomac, created a luxury master bathroom that is both contemporary and timeless.
The nature-loving homeowners wanted a space that took advantage of their foliage-filled property. “There is a circular tub that sits under skylights so the owners can look up and see tree branches,” said Tong. “Next to the tub is an all-glass shower that evokes the feeling of taking a shower outdoors at summer camp.”
Tong says the day-lit master bathroom includes radiant heated flooring and wall tile by Architectural Ceramics. Carrera marble steps lead to the circular tub by Kohler, which overlooks a two-way gas fireplace.
The bathroom was added as part of a four-story addition to the rear of the home. “While sitting in the tub, the homeowners can see a fireplace in their master bedroom," said Tong.
Tong’s penchant for maximizing a space’s potential and disdain for clutter also led to the creation of a powder room that pops. He added the powder room as part of the home’s renovation, which was designed to get rid of unnecessary walls and create more usable space.
“One thing that we cleared out was a stairwell which became a new powder room,” said Tong. “The powder room renovation created a central core element for the rest of the renovation of the house.”
The bold blue room includes an Aquavit lavatory bowl and faucet with an undulating Silestone countertop. Tong also added a Toro water closet. The flooring is a mixture of ceramic Betco translucent floor tile, which is illuminated from below.