Kitchen: Social Engineering
Credit: Wes Glenna
Mount Curve Modern’s bathrooms are “another demonstration of changing social values,” says architect Tom Meyer. The original house, upscale enough to include living space for two domestic employees, nevertheless had “very small, functional bathrooms, like you would find in a Ramada Inn from the 1960s.” To expand the existing master bath, Meyer annexed an adjacent guest bath, providing access from both the master bedroom and guest room and creating a contemporary space, all with minimal disruption to the existing plan.
The move also gave the formerly landlocked bath access to an outside wall. Meyer capitalized on that opportunity by pushing beyond the house’s existing footprint with a new bathing alcove. “The shower and tub were the only external addition we made to the house,” he says. With clerestory glazing on three sides, the marble-lined box gathers daylight and reflects it into the larger space.
The architect and owners discussed preserving and matching the original teal mosaic floor tiles, but Meyer says, “we decided to take [finishes] to a kind of calm, neutral place.” An existing wall of white oak cabinets provided the template for an extensive suite of minimalist millwork, which Meyer delineated with a subtly contrasting gray stain. A marble sink counter and marble tile flooring maintain the mellow groove, while a band of random, thin-strip ceramic tile adds a subtle buzz at the backsplash.
Project: Mount Curve Modern, Minneapolis; Builder: Welch Forsman Associates, Minneapolis; Architect: Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Minneapolis; Interior designer: Jodi Gillespie Interior Design, Minneapolis; Photographer: Brandon Stengel. / Resources:Plumbing fittings: Hansgrohe, Sonia; Plumbing fixtures: Cabuchon, Marzi
