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Bath Mixes Kid-Friendly With Elegant
When interior designer Laura Green purchased her urban townhouse in Atlanta, Ga., she was determined to put her own stamp on its less-than-stellar master bathroom. The inefficient layout, crumbling contractor-grade tiles and overall 1980s appearance was in desperate need of an upgrade.
With a timeline of 12 weeks, the formally trained interior designer and mother of one planned to change everything about it in a full master bathroom remodel, from the floors to the ceiling, the plumbing to the electric.
Elegant, European Bath Retreat
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For inspiration she turned to her favorite place in the world to travel, Europe. “Every space I design abides by the principles of classic European design: simple, sophisticated and timeless,” Green says. “In fact, a trip to Venice as a teenager is what led me to study design in the first place; the rich patinas inspire me the most.” Mindful that her elegant, stateside retreat needed to be kid-friendly for her daughter, Tove, the designer mom chose sturdy materials including cream-toned ceramic subway tile and a white cast-iron Parisian soaking tub.
Green was most adamant about incorporating what she refers to as her "Fab Four" design elements: a high-end soaking tub, a glass-enclosed shower, Calcutta Gold marble surfaces and gold accents. To achieve her goal of installing a glass-enclosed shower and a Parisian soaking tub, an extra 47 square feet was added to the bathroom, borrowing from the master bedroom.
Keeping with her signature design sensibility, Green focused more on the art of tone-on-tone layering by pairing white with cream to keep the overall mood calm and airy. Calcutta Gold marble was strategically used in the bath area to create this effect. The initial plan called for using the Italian marble, chair-rail style, on the walls, but a similar look was achieved for about one-fourth the price by using cream subway tile capped off by Calcutta Gold bullnose trim.
Many Roman palaces are known for gilded gold ceilings, which evoke a sense of classic European luxury. This idea was incorporated into the look of the new bathroom with gold accents throughout, and a big portion of the remodeling budget was splurged on the gold-gilded mirrors and sconces imported from Italy.
In the end the mother and daughter duo were ecstatic with the result. Now that Tove has claimed the bath retreat as her dress-up area, it seems obvious which room will spark the next European-inspired renovation in the Green household: Tove's room.
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