Ellis Residence Master Bath

This house has views that stretch from Puget Sound to the Seattle skyline. The contrast between natural and man-made environments was especially striking to architect Matthew Coates, so he designed a master bath that would embrace the experience of both. While the shower has a floor-to-ceiling window that opens onto a garden, the bathtub offers city views.

The home, which was certified LEED Platinum, is built within a small footprint, so the master bath needed to multitask, serving as dressing room, master closet, and even laundry room. Built-ins help accomplish this with sleekness, down to the bathroom mirror, which conceals ample storage and is mounted flush with the wall cabinetry.

The room is small but plenty luxurious. The floors have radiant heat. So does the 4-foot-deep tub, inspired by the Japanese-style soaking tub known as an ofuro. Coates’ version is made of concrete cast in place, and it’s specially designed to fit the owners—Coates measured their shoulders and legs to create a tub in which they could sit comfortably, building a plywood prototype to make sure he got it right. Water can be reused for multiple soakings, and the tub has a cover. On the bathroom floor, a linear drain catches overflow.

As with any project that requires painstaking attention to detail, finding the right builder and subs is a key to success. Here, the result is a hard-working room that feels calm, clean, and fulfills Coates’ mission to make a master bath that “lifts the spirit every day.”