The Water Front

If there is a theme in this year’s collection of master bathrooms, we might phrase it this way: Who knew? Who knew that a north-facing bath could become a virtual temple of light, that a master bedroom suite could be successfully turned inside out, with sleeping quarters tucked within a larger bathing and dressing space? Who knew that a radical simplification of forms and materials could so deepen the experience of an otherwise modest space, that Bauhaus and farmhouse styles could harmonize like old friends, that Art Nouveau still can be new, or that somewhere in Manhattan there is a bathtub carved from a single block of Mexican limestone? A bathroom can be as prosaic as a crate full of plumbing, and many are. But at the other end of the spectrum, in baths that can make your jaw drop, the bar keeps moving higher. Who knew?

The sandy, watery landscape of a nearby beach inspired the minimalist palette of this urban bath remodel. Photo: John Sutton Glass Act The San Francisco home that houses this bath dates from the teens of the last century, but the inspiration for its current remodel is older still: Ocean Beach, which is within walking distance. Architect Dan Phipps chose the limestone floor for its similarity in color and texture to beach sand, green glass for its suggestion of both sea-water and sand-tumbled beach glass. With the exception of the figured sycamore cabinets, Phipps says, “Everything from the floor up is glass.” The walls are covered with glass tiles; the countertops, tub deck, and tub facing are sheets of frosted glass. Two glass panels form a toilet alcove. Another delineates a minimalist shower enclosure. (To shed water in the right direction, Phipps says, the room’s entire floor is sloped toward the drain.)

The room’s single window is also frosted glass—for privacy—as are lighting strips at the tops of both mirrors.

Photo: John Sutton “The back side [of each mirror] was sandblasted to take the silver off,” Phipps says. “Inside the medicine cabinet, you change the bulb.” The detail is deceptively simple, and entirely in keeping with Phipps’s intent, which he describes as “Just seeing what you can do with the minimum amount of materials to get the maximum bang for your buck.” Project Credits:
Builder: Stroub Construction, Sausalito, Calif.; Architect: Dan Phipps, San Francisco; Project size: 103 square feet; Construction cost: Withheld; Photographer: John Sutton.

Resources:
Bathtub: Waterworks; Cabinets: Architectural Forest Enterprises; Fittings/fixtures: American Standard and Kroin; Floor: Stone Selection; Glass tiles: Ann Sacks; Hardware: Doug Mockett Co..

Details The glass tiles that cover the walls of this bath came out of a box. Getting glass counters, screens, and tub-deck surfaces in the same watery green, though, took some doing. The final color of the frosted glass panels is in part a function of glass thickness, architect Dan Phipps explains, and it shows only after sandblasting. “The thicker it is, the more green it is.” Getting the perfect shade, he says, “took a little bit of experimentation. We went through three samples to get the right match.”