Albeit serene, this master bath overflows with interesting detail. The walls are monolithic in response to the owners’ distaste for grout lines, so architect Katherine Grove speced hand-troweled plaster in an earth-tone color. The finish is ubiquitous throughout the 8-by-14-foot room, but color variances and trowel marks give it movement in reaction to light changes. “We minimized the number of materials and used the same details repeatedly to act as a quiet background to views of the trees,” she says. When pale limestone floors meet the plaster walls, they introduce another subtle twist. “A recessed base allows the floor plane to slip beneath the walls, leaving the walls floating above,” says Grove. The same detail is found in the rest of the house. Standard 1/2-inch aluminum reveals join wall to ceiling and window to wall. Adds Grove, “It gives a real crispness to the planes.”
Masking the mechanics of the room fosters even more calm. A trench running the length of a double shower camouflages drains. Vanity lighting and medicine cabinets blend into a mirror that continues on seamlessly where the window ends. “This also allows the outdoors to continue through reflection, so whoever is showering can enjoy the view in privacy,” says Grove.
Builder: Philip R. Thomas Construction, Charlotte, N.C.; Architect: Allison Ewing, AIA, principal-in-charge, Katherine Grove, AIA, project architect, William McDonough + Partners, Charlottesville, Va.; Photographer: Philip Beaurline
Resources: Fixtures: Dornbracht, Duravit, and Kohler; Windows: Hope’s.
