Building Your Dream Bath
By PJ Bremier
the Marin Independent Journal Special Section - Home & Garden

Technology pairs with luxury, space

BATHROOMS ARE becoming the newest place for technical gadgets and toys," Says designer Alia Meyer of Jessica Hall Associates in San Francisco. "We are past the days of showers with just one showerhead. Redesigned bathrooms seem to assert the personality of their owner and are customized to fit their lifestyles. Mostly they are just a lot more fun."

The fun lies not just in the gadgetry, though, but in the sense of luxury and enlarged space. No longer are homeowners willing to splurge in beauty and function in the rest of the house only to skimp on comfort and style in the bathroom.

Fortunately, a large bathroom doesn't necessarily equate to a large bankroll. "Budget plays to the size of the bathroom," says Mill Valley designer Janine Peck, "but not as much as you might think. The plumber sees it as a toilet, lavatory, tub or whirlpool and shower. If there is five more square feet, it does not matter to her. Even to the tile setter, five more square feet is not that much in labor, so it is only the cost of the tile itself."

The most important thing to consider as a homeowner when thinking about redesigning a bathroom is to plan ahead. Get a good contractor and work with a designer, good plumbing showroom or both. You may pay a little bit more for the product, but they will work with you on any changes you need to make on-site with your contractor and they will specify the exact components you need to do the job right and the way you want.

Here's an insider's look at what a local designer did to create one of the Bay Area's most fabulous bathrooms.

Chic City Bath

Designer: Arthur McLaughlin, principal of Arthur McLaughlin & Associates, San Francisco
Budget: Not available
Dimensions: 240 square feet

Directive: This master bath is in the San Francisco weekend home of a professional couple from Southern California who, according to McLaughlin, wanted "something unique and unusual with a high-end, sophisticated flair. The look is a modern interpretation of a neoclassical pattern that we designed."

Details: A refined high style sets off this posh pied-a-terre. McLaughlin chose Créma Marfil marble floors and walls that he inset with black granite marble surrounded by a detail of stainless steel. To offset the chill of the marble floor, he had it radiant-heated and thermostatically controlled. The floor nearly presented a challenge to the designer who had "to take into account the weight of the stone slabs during installation. If the building is not strong enough to hold such weight you may have to beef up the structure, which can be costly or difficult during installation."

The hydrotherapy tub, a whirlpool system of forced air instead of water, is under-mounted for a contemporary, sleek look and all faucetry is wall-mounted with an elegant nickel finish. A special faucet, the Ribbon Water Filter System, "makes a luxuriously beautiful waterfall sound, he says. Frameless glass encloses the shower.

Because this bathroom is in a condominium, McLaughlin had to mitigate the vibrations and sound from the tub and stereo systems by using extensive sound insulation. "We needed to limit the sound between this bathroom and adjoining ones in the building," he explains, "so that our clients could enjoy a nice long bath and neighbors would not be disturbed.

To conveniently accommodate the height of his clients, McLaughlin custom designed glass countertops and placed clear glass sinks on them, mounted on a metal base. For ultimate convenience, he installed a remote-controlled, high-end sound system, "so that it can be operated while relaxing in a warm bubble bath," says the designer, "and two lighting schemes - romantic and calm, low lighting for long bubble baths and one for putting on makeup, grooming and dressing.

Excerpts from the Marin Independent Journal.