SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
Some would say the ultimate luxury is enjoying a steam room and sauna in the privacy of your own home. Even better is when these amenities are tucked into a space as tranquil and soothing as a world-class spa.
Such is the case in a new Bethesda home designed by Marci Brand of Marci Brand Interiors with colleagues Christina Dutton and Sara Magovern Leahy. The team set out to create a spa bath with a cool, relaxing vibe, located next to the home’s gym. They started out by selecting glass tiles for the steam shower in the client’s favorite palette of pale blue, green and orange.
The curved seat in the shower was molded to match the contours of the homeowner’s body. A powder room and sauna flank the steam shower while a floor of river rock soothes bare feet. A glass vessel sink “floats” above a custom vanity and window seats on either side provide extra storage.
The “feel-good” look is enhanced with walls, ceiling and furniture painted in a lemon chiffon lacquer. “It took a lot of trial and error to get that finish looking nice,” says Brand. “I wanted the color, the richness and the sheen to be right.”
The room’s elegance lies in its simplicity. “It’s one of the simpler rooms in the home, but a lot of thought went into it. “Not all the elements are unique, but it’s about how they were put together,” says Brand. “It really feels like a place you want to be in and relax—so peaceful and pretty.”
INTERIOR DESIGN: MARCI BRAND, CHRISTINA DUTTON AND SARAH MAGOVERN LEAHY, Marci Brand Interiors, Bethesda, Maryland. ARCHITECTURE: THEODORE L. OLDHAM, principal, Theodore Oldham Architect, Portland, Maine. JAMES LYONS, AIA, consulting architect, Lyons Architecture, Silver Spring, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: GRIFF GOSNELL and JEFF HANES, superintendent, Monroe Development, Vienna, Virginia.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas to life.
