Home & Design
Bathroom Cabinet - Bookcase
Bathroom Cabinet - Bookcase

A decorative teak shelf adorns the room.

Tile - Design
Tile - Design

The shower interior is clad entirely in river rock.

Bathroom - Bathroom Home Improvement
Bathroom - Bathroom Home Improvement

Ludwick selected warm teak cabinetry and river rock in her design.

Bathing Beauties: Back to Nature

A bathroom makeover by Lori Ludwick conveys an organic feel

Designer Lori Ludwick was charged with redesigning the cramped, dated master suite of a home on the Potomac River in McLean, Virginia. The ’70s-era house had its quirks—among them, a carpeted bathroom floor and a spiral staircase in the middle of the bedroom, which proved to be the solution to the room’s space problems. “I took out the staircase to make room for a spacious bath,” Ludwick says.

The homeowners wanted what Ludwick refers to as a “spa-like” environment for their new, improved bath. Their wish list included a separate soaking tub and roomy walk-in shower, separate vanities and a closed-off WC. They also sought an organic, natural look that would reflect the home’s special proximity to the river.

Ludwick chose light, earthy tones for the room, and installed a floor of stained concrete inset with stone tiles. Surrounding the shower is a wall that is also made of concrete, stained a shade or two darker than the floor. Ludwick clad the entire shower enclosure save for one wall in river rock; the fourth wall is made of a 3form Varia resin panel encasing strips of bamboo. That wall, which divides the shower from the WC, admits light to the WC without sacrificing privacy. 

In keeping with the era of their house, the owners wanted to maintain a modern aesthetic. Ludwick selected clean-lined teak for the cabinetry, built-in shelving and tub surround, all custom made by Payne’s Woodworking. Corian countertops and a strip of Corian on the tub provide contrast. The basins, toilets and fixtures all come from Kohler; the whirlpool tub is from Americh.

INTERIOR DESIGN: LORI LUDWICK, Allied Member ASID, InDesign, LLC, Alexandria, Virginia. CONTRACTOR: Case Design/Remodeling, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland.  PHOTO STYLIST: KATIE BECKWITH GILLIS.  


See more amazing baths:

- Waterfront Spa

- A Wooded Escape

- Timeless Glamour

- Soothing Retreat

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