Renee Alexander

This Australian-inspired new construction was a successful collaboration between homeowner, architect, designer and builder. The home features a Henrybuilt kitchen, butler's pantry, private home office, guest suite, master suite, entry foyer with concealed entrances to the powder bathroom and coat closet, hidden play loft, and full front and back landscaping with swimming pool and pool house/ADU.

The Tranquility Residence is a mid-century modern home perched amongst the trees in the hills of Suffern, New York. After the homeowners purchased the home in the Spring of 2021, they engaged TEROTTI to reimagine the primary and tertiary bathrooms. The peaceful and subtle material textures of the primary bathroom are rich with depth and balance, providing a calming and tranquil space for daily routines. The terra cotta floor tile in the tertiary bathroom is a nod to the history of the home while the shower walls provide a refined yet playful texture to the room.

Custom master bath renovation designed for spa-like experience. Contemporary custom floating washed oak vanity with Virginia Soapstone top, tambour wall storage, brushed gold wall-mounted faucets. Concealed light tape illuminating volume ceiling, tiled shower with privacy glass window to exterior; matte pedestal tub. Niches throughout for organized storage.

Builder: Michels Homes Architecture: Alexander Design Group Photography: Scott Amundson Photography

View of the expansive walk in, open shower of the Master Bathroom. Shower pan is Emser Riviera pebble tile, in a four color blend. Shower walls are Bedrosians Barrel 8x48" tile in Harvest, installed in a vertical offset pattern. The exterior wall of the open shower is custom patchwork wood cladding, enclosed by exposed beams. Robe hooks on the back wall of the shower are Delta Dryden double hooks in brilliance stainless. Master bathroom flooring and floor base is 12x24" Bedrosians, from the Simply collection in Modern Coffee, flooring is installed in an offset pattern. Bathroom vanity is circular sawn rustic alder from Big Horn Cabinetry, finished in dark walnut. Doors are shaker style. The textured cast iron square knobs are from Signature Hardware. Vanity countertop and backsplash is engineered quartz from Pental in "Coastal Gray". Dual sinks are undermounted and from the Kohler Ladena collection. Towel ring is from the Kohler Stately collection in brushed nickel. Bathrooms walls and ceiling are painted in Sherwin Williams "Kilim Beige."

Shower and vanity in master suite. Frameless mirrors side clips, light wood floating vanity with flat-panel drawers and matte black hardware. Double undermount sinks with stone counter. Spacious shower with glass enclosure, rain shower head, hand shower. Floor to ceiling mosaic tiles and mosaic tile floor.

This project was completed for clients who wanted a comfortable, accessible 1ST floor bathroom for their grown daughter to use during visits to their home as well as a nicely-appointed space for any guest. Their daughter has some accessibility challenges so the bathroom was also designed with that in mind. The original space worked fairly well in some ways, but we were able to tweak a few features to make the space even easier to maneuver through. We started by making the entry to the shower flush so that there is no curb to step over. In addition, although there was an existing oversized seat in the shower, it was way too deep and not comfortable to sit on and just wasted space. We made the shower a little smaller and then provided a fold down teak seat that is slip resistant, warm and comfortable to sit on and can flip down only when needed. Thus we were able to create some additional storage by way of open shelving to the left of the shower area. The open shelving matches the wood vanity and allows a spot for the homeowners to display heirlooms as well as practical storage for things like towels and other bath necessities. We carefully measured all the existing heights and locations of countertops, toilet seat, and grab bars to make sure that we did not undo the things that were already working well. We added some additional hidden grab bars or “grabcessories” at the toilet paper holder and shower shelf for an extra layer of assurance. Large format, slip-resistant floor tile was added eliminating as many grout lines as possible making the surface less prone to tripping. We used a wood look tile as an accent on the walls, and open storage in the vanity allowing for easy access for clean towels. Bronze fixtures and frameless glass shower doors add an elegant yet homey feel that was important for the homeowner. A pivot mirror allows adjustability for different users. If you are interested in designing a bathroom featuring “Living In Place” or accessibility features, give us a call to find out more. Susan Klimala, CKBD, is a Certified Aging In Place Specialist (CAPS) and particularly enjoys helping her clients with unique needs in the context of beautifully designed spaces. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel