Baths of the Year 2010

Striking Style
Platinum Winner, Less than 150 square feet
Photography by David Kreutz

The Vision:
Dreaming of an elegant bath that would reflect their two favorite places in the world, New York and France, the homeowners called on Schneider Kennedy Design to turn their vision into a reality – all while retaining the room’s original footprint. The goals of the new design included making the room feel larger and enhancing the space with “beauty, sophistication and elegance.”

Winning Details:
Carerra marble and Absolute Black granite anchor the room’s design and create a striking color palette that is woven throughout the space using a variety of textures and materials. Classic chrome faucets and stunning Minka Walt Disney Signature-Kingswell™ Collection sconces complement the demilune vanities and mirrors. A sharp black and white air bath tub completes the bath’s ultra-refined look.

Judges’ Comments:
The space planning of this bathroom is excellent and makes the room look larger than its actual size. The different design elements, such as repeating patterns and jet black accents, work together harmoniously. This bath has a classic, timeless feel, and the graphic flair of the fleurs-de-lis in the Jeffrey Court mosaic tile and art glass windows lend a unique sense of St. Louis nostalgia.

Natural Retreat
Gold Winner, Less than 150 square feet
Photography by Simmone Bolla

The Vision:
Desiring a pool bath with a spa-like ambience, the homeowners imagined a relaxing retreat where their guests would feel comfortable. To transform the unique space, which totals less than 80 square feet, Herzog Kitchen & Bath used creative space-planning techniques, nature-inspired décor and contemporary design, which blends beautifully with the home’s overall aesthetic.

Winning Details:
A functional fusion of attractive angles and smooth curves, this bath’s design is defined by thoughtful details. Contrasting materials, such as the shiny IceStone® countertops and the matte exterior of the Kohler vessel sink, create visual interest. Chromatherapy lighting, a Kohler Rainhead® shower and a frosted exterior door leading to the pool elevate the calming, zen-like feel of the space.

Judges’ Comments:
The use of materials in this custom pool bath is outstanding. By incorporating natural elements – such as smooth river rock, a rain showerhead and a teak shower seat – the space becomes a true extension of the outdoors. A variety of luxurious finishes, in combination with the repetition of several geometric shapes, give this bath a distinctive, artistic quality.

Spa-Like Serenity
Gold Winner, 150-300 square feet
Photography by Alise O’Brien

The Vision:
With a love of contemporary styling, the homeowners wanted to create a master bath that was both spacious and serene. In order to achieve their goals, the home’s existing study and (study) bath were entirely gutted. Directions In Design transformed the space into a remarkably rejuvenating retreat, complete with a soft and soothing color palette, chic cabinetry and fashionable fixtures.

Winning Details:
The sleek, sculptural bathtub is a spectacular focal point in the room. The colorful shower walls are adorned with glass and metal circle tiles, while Icelandic frosted blue glass tiles embellish the shower floor and shampoo wall niches. A polished slate floor ties the space together, and the white gloss floating vanity with sparkling chrome hardware completes the stylish, contemporary look.

Judges’ Comments:
Peaceful, aquatic-inspired blues and greens evoke feelings of serenity and relaxation, while the sleek, freestanding bathtub punctuates the space with touches of drama and sophistication. The frosted glass in the vanity cabinets complements the frosted glass in the pocket door of the water closet, granting a sense of continuity and softness to the room’s design.

Stunning Suite
Platinum Winner, More than 300 square feet
Photography courtesy of Gegg Design & Cabinetry

The Vision:
Charged with designing a lavish master suite as part of a newly constructed estate, Gegg Design & Cabinetry created an extraordinary retreat with unparalleled design and space planning. A large vanity section makes up the heart of the bath, while other notable features – such as a salon, master laundry room, dual-entry shower, fireplace and his-and-her closets – add to the grandeur and blend luxury with function.

Winning Details:
Luxury abounds in this spacious suite. Ornate vanities feature carved legs that make each sink a focal point, and custom beaded inset doors are designed with a heavy egg-and-dart molding. In an adjacent bathing area, mirror-image cabinets provide space for a morning kitchen, complete with a coffee maker, hot water dispenser and a concealed dishwasher, as well as refrigeration and warming drawers.

Judges’ Comments:
Elegant and expansive, this master bath suite demonstrates excellent planning and design from floor to ceiling. The combination of wood, stone and tile is breathtaking, and the beautiful materials are enhanced by formal details, such as the ornate crown molding, coffered ceiling and inlaid floor medallion. The space’s design artistry and architectural accents add to the room’s magnificence.

Polished Perfection
Platinum Winner, Powder Room
Photography by Anne Matheis

The Vision:
The homeowners wanted their gracious powder room to reflect the style and feel of their home – a continental up-country ambience, informal in the way it lives, with elegantly scaled, grandly appointed rooms. To achieve a cohesive design, brooksBerry Kitchens & Baths selected exquisite materials and luxurious surfaces for the space that mirror those found throughout the home.

Winning Details:
Inspired by the glamour and style of Coco Chanel, this powder room is brimming with  sophistication. Broad-striped walls in two-toned silver paint complement the polished nickel fixtures. A custom demilune table features beautiful 2.5-inch-thick marble and an undermount china sink, while a large mirror, 8-foot-tall entry door and oversized baseboard and casings add a stately quality to the space.

Judges’ Comments:
This powder room is simple and elegant. The intricate detail of the turnings on the vanity legs is repeated in the detail of the mirror and faucet, and the hardwood floor from the entryway extends into the powder room, providing gracious continuity between the two spaces. The unique light fixture and subtle stripes on the walls speak to the unique inspiration behind the design.