Mark English’s clients requested pure luxury for their renovated master bath. The renewed room’s grand gesture is a marble-encased corner bathtub. “They see bathing as a heightened function,” says the architect, “so we raised the tub to give it that sacred prominence.” A ceiling-mounted tub filler and a marble plinth add to the tub’s ceremonial aura. In the shower, a 2-inch step-down in the platform prevents water from spilling over onto pillowed oak floors. Sandblasted glass encloses the shower and adjacent toilet. The obscured glass gives owners privacy where they need it without cutting off light. The bathroom backs up to the garage and light only comes in from two walls, English explains. Given that limitation on glazing along with the area’s famously foggy mornings, shiny bright surfaces were a must, especially the mirrored wall above the vanity, which amplifies daylight and reflects views of San Francisco Bay into the space.
Builder: Landmark Builders, Novato, Calif.; Architect: Mark English Architects, San Francisco; Cabinetmaker: Mueller Nicholls, Oakland, Calif.; Photographer: Claudio Santini.
Resources: Plumbing fittings/fixtures: Kohler.
