A custom built-in armoire stores toiletries.
When Alexandria homeowners called on designer Savena Doychinov to overhaul their master bath, she discovered an inefficient layout, an oversized skylight that made the room feel too hot or too cold and glass-block windows that fell short in the privacy department. As if that weren’t enough, she recalls, “The shower was the smallest size that’s legally possible—only 33 inches square!”
Once Doychinov completed her redesign, every vestige of the original bath—from the disused whirlpool tub to the builder-grade vanities—was gone. In their place, the owners now enjoy custom cabinetry, top-of-the-line plumbing and lighting fixtures and a refined material palette. “We wanted to create timeless elegance without it looking over the top,” says the designer.
To accentuate the room’s cathedral ceiling, she installed a round window above the new soaking tub. Custom maple vanities store toiletries and cosmetics—as does a custom built-in armoire on the adjacent wall. A spacious shower and separate W.C. are enclosed behind glass doors on the wall opposite the vanities.
“Every creature comfort that could be had, we installed,” says the designer, citing the heated floors; the TOTO toilet/bidet with its 43 settings; the steam shower; and the five-piece, brushed-nickel tub filler with hand-held spray.
More than 650 square feet of Turkish limestone—in Champagne and the darker Britannia shade—was painstakingly installed on the walls and on the floors in a diagonal grid. A curved limestone platform even rims the oval-shaped tub.
“It’s a classic bathroom in the sense that the stone goes all the way up to the ceiling,” explains Doychinov. “And when the sun enters through the windows, it glows and emanates warmth.
“There are touches of glamour, such as crystals hanging from the chandelier and sconces,” she adds. “It’s low-key, but the sparkle is there.”
BATH DESIGN & INSTALLATION: Savena Doychinov, CKD, principal; Dimiter Doychinov, project manager, Design Studio International Kitchen & Bath, LLC, Falls Church, Virginia. TEXT: Sharon Jaffe Dan. PHOTOGRAPHY: Bob Narod.
RESOURCES
Bath Design & Installation: customkitchenandbathdesign.com. Custom Cabinetry: adelphikitchens.com. Tub: produitsneptune.com/en. Shower System: grohe.com/us. Faucets & Bath Filler: santecfaucet.com. Limestone Countertops, Flooring & Wall Tiles: marblesystems.com.
For more baths also see: