After 16 years of living with a circa-1970s master bath in her Potomac, Maryland, home, Deborah Kalkstein—owner of Contemporaria in DC’s Cady’s Alley—was ready for a fresh, modern overhaul that would turn the dated room into an inviting, functional space.
The original bath was spacious at 12 by 18 feet; Kalkstein further opened it up by removing a wall that separated the shower stall from the rest of the room. She replaced it with a sleek, glass shower enclosure. “We also took out drop ceilings above the sinks to allow the mirrors to go all the way to the ceiling,” the designer explains.
Kalkstein’s material selections emphasized functionality and a spare, contemporary look. “I wanted everything to be easy to live with,” she says. Choices include gray-tinted, poured-concrete counters and custom vessel sinks made of crisp, white Corian with tk fixtures installed in the walls to keep the surfaces uncluttered. The custom, wrap-around vanity is dark-stained oak with plenty of carefully considered, customized storage; for example, a series of deep drawers holds toiletry bottles standing up.
Floors and walls are clad in the same porcelain tile, but the floor tiles are large format and smooth while the wall tiles are smaller and textured. The shower surround is marble and the luxurious sunken tub is made of white Corian.
The lighting plan was important to the design. “We used warm LED lights with different switches for lighting different areas of the room,” Kalkstein says. Simple, roll-up shades provide privacy while admitting natural light.
INTERIOR & BATH DESIGN: DEBORAH KALKSTEIN, Contemporaria, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: Patagonia Enterprises, LLC, Point of Rocks, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG.
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