The Design Process – One Step at a Time

Space-planning a moderate sized bathroom…what’s this? You want wheels on that car?? You must pick and choose your priorities…I have said that more than once in the design process…First and foremost, make a list of priorities and whittle from there – one step at a time.
To squeegee or not to squeegee – that was the query at the start of our design project. To have frameless glass panels bisecting the space with transparent planes…clean, crisp – creating and openness that expanded the small space exponentially, yet they require daily maintenance to insure their clarity. Versus tiled walls that require NO maintenance – a plus in the owner’s mind. Taken a step further, without a door – the opening, far enough away from the shower head to avoid flooding the area was a design solution that we know to be very appealing.
I had to agree – but that tug between the striking clarity, depth and modern look of the glass versus selecting solid walls that required no daily spritzes or swipes was certainly a tough call. So, to take the practical path,  let’s call it monolithic – and let’s make another compromise…
Lower the walls – rather than taking them up to the ceiling or close, let’s examine a comfortable height behind which one can run for cover in a compromising circumstance…not so low that an intruder will catch you in an encapsulated, while fully exposed, planter box of a shower, but where the subject in the shower can tuck up against say, a 5’ high wall for privacy if needed.
Whew – we have decided to construct fully tiled walls inside the shower and out to suggest a “built” element inside the overall space of the bathroom, an architectural element constructed of the finish material – in this case, nut-toned travertine.
Travertine, as is true with other stones, can convey a sense of structural integrity. Therefore, to face the walls in their entirety, with stone (albeit surface only) can suggest that the structural element IS the stone…which is far more handsome and substantial than mere surface installations that have exposed end pieces indicating that their application is strictly for superficial decorative purposes.
So pick your priorities and go forth with your design – one step at a time.