For clients who wanted “something fresh and modern, but also liked the Arts and Crafts feel,” architect Heather McKinney distilled traditional aesthetics into a sleeker look in this Dallas master bath. The material palette of white tile, marble, and painted wood brings in a touch of tradition while clean detailing blends with the more contemporary touches such as galvanized steel pipe towel racks. In addition to adding an industrial edge to the design, the custom steel piping reinforces the room’s connection to the outdoors. “We developed a vocabulary on the outside of the house that uses the same pipe,” says McKinney, “and we took it inside to give the room a more exterior feel.” McKinney worked closely with builder Doug Travis to find galvanized fittings with interesting shapes. The steel racks visually delineate wet and dry areas within the 180-square-foot bath, and one helps support a marble shower seat. “We wanted to leave the floor space open so that nothing would be underfoot and the room would feel bigger,” says McKinney of the swing-like seat. Also to that end, the shower is enclosure-free and the cabinetry has recessed toekicks. The space enjoys three exposures with mature trees outside every window, the same trees around which the house was built. McKinney explains that the owners wanted the master bath to be situated on this scenic spot because “they spent most of their waking hours in the bath.”
Builder: Travis & Travis, Dallas; Architect: McKinney Architects, Austin, Texas; Light fixture manufacturer: Texas Lightsmith, Austin; Photographer: Michael Lyon
Resources: Bathtub: Kohler; Tile: Daltile.
