Dysfunctional to Fabulous Master Bath Spa

Design, Text and Photography by Tammy Franklin

The design challenge in this Palm Desert, California master bath was the unlikely combination of being too large with too much light. Two walls of mirrors, an eight foot mirrored skylight, two large windows, and a glass exterior door reflected daylight and bounced glare all over the room. Honey where are my sunglasses? I have to go to the bathroom.

The inconvenience of an oversize, water wasting tub, and only one sink set five feet away from the mirror made shaving difficult and getting ready for work in the morning a real hassle for this energetic couple. To top it off every thing was pink with ornate golden fixtures.

To create a functional spa like space for this active, high stress job couple, I started with the floor plan. I angled a new air bath in the corner and designed a custom under tub storage area for easy access to towels and bath accessories, keeping them within easy reach. I reflected the angle onto the dressing table in the opposite corner, more custom shelves for display and a flat panel tv shelf with cable and electrical access above it. The result is improved traffic flow that softens the corners of the room. Then I arranged a double sink vanity along the other side and added a wing wall for privacy, light switches and a medicine cabinet. A tower added to the countertop between the sinks for easy access to everyday items, glass shelves above provide a beautiful display area for her collectible bottles.

Dark peppercorn finish on the oak cabinetry adds a quiet sophistication. The luxury of rich jade-green hued Costa Smeralda granite counter top is a calming counterpoint to the busy multi color pink slate floor that is throughout the home.

Glass vessel sinks and wall mounted chrome fixtures keep it light and bright with easy maintenance.

Layers of lighting have different uses throughout the day. Dimmable, energy efficient, halogen, down lights are used for general lighting and to highlight the display shelves and art. Back lit mirrors at the dressing table and sinks focus light just where it is needed. The oval pendant lamp above the tub adds interest and can be dimmed to a soft glow. The under cabinet rope lights illuminate the eight inch high copper toe kicks that lead the way through the dark like a sunset.

Dim the lights, dissolve the bath salts, light the candles and relax.