John Edward Linden/Arcaid
This bath may sit on a Malibu, Calif., hilltop, but many of the ideas in it come straight from Japan. The client took architect Stephen Kanner on a tour of high-end Japanese hotels, hoping to translate Asian design concepts into his own house. Many of the features Kanner noticed on the trip, such as vertical-grain Douglas fir wall paneling, a raised bathtub, and a foot-washing spigot in the shower, made it into the Malibu project. But he also incorporated more general aspects of Japanese architecture, such as a strong relationship to the outdoor landscape and a sense of simplicity and calm. He placed the tub directly across the patio from the pool’s hot tub, separating indoors from out with floor-to-ceiling glass pocket doors. When the doors are fully open, bathing becomes an outdoor experience replete with chirping birds and sun-warmed breezes.
Kanner further merged inside and outside with a disappearing glass corner in the open shower area. A heated, non-fogging shaving mirror (another idea borrowed from Japanese hotels) adds to the shower’s appeal. The entire room exudes a minimalist sense of order, from the way the wall panels and black granite floor tiles line up with one another to the uncomplicated look of the floating vanity and faucets. While the shower is not enclosed (its slightly sloped floor allows water to drain between ungrouted tiles), the toilet is concealed within its own private room, a step that simplifies the overall space even more.
Project Credits
Builder: Shakman Construction, Los Angeles
Architect/Interior designer: Kanner Architects, Santa Monica, Calif.
Project size: 200 square feet
Construction cost: $450 a square foot
Photographer: John Edward Linden/Arcaid
Resources: Paint: Benjamin Moore; Patio doors/windows: MQ Windows; Plumbing fittings/fixtures: Boffi and Waterworks; Tile flooring: Walker Zanger.
