It's what's missing in this master bath that gives it an award-winning look. “We tried to eliminate the appearance of storage,” says designer Jonas Carnemark. “The lack of cabinetry contributes to the feeling of calm.” Even the tidiest homeowners need their toothbrushes and towels, however, so there are discreet yet convenient places to put things. Twin shoji screens flank the double vanity. Behind door No. 1 is the master bedroom, while pocket screen No. 2 reveals a large linen closet. Carved wooden boxes beneath the vanity top keep essentials attractively at hand. Carnemark says, “We were going for the feel of some hut in Bali where you don't need a lot of stuff.” In addition to the tropically themed cubbies, other organic materials, like bamboo flooring and a hefty concrete counter, add texture to the minimal design and prevent it from being impersonal. Sending the ceiling to the roofline created space for a row of remote-controlled clerestory windows. The windows help ventilate steam generated by a shower for two. Sheets of frameless glass are all that separate the open shower from the rest of the space. A curbless entry slopes to a gutter drain, so the only breaks in the flamed granite tile are a couple of shampoo niches and a playfully similar square window.
Project Credits
Entrant/Builder/Designer: Carnemark Systems & Design, Bethesda, Md.
Project size: 180 square feet
Construction cost: Withheld
Photographer: Maxwell MacKenzie
Resources: Bathroom plumbing fittings/fixtures: Kohler 413 and Vola 415; Lighting fixtures: CSL 550; Windows: Andersen 435.
