all that glitters is not gold [!]

just to quell the myth that every room in our house started with a lightbulb - er - light fixture inspiration, i give you....our grey, dark + sparkling master bath.

the first couple of shots were taken before some of the finishing touches had wrapped on our bath: the shower wall was yet to be installed, the front of the tub surround needed to be re-attached....etc. but you get the drift. we were going for calm + luxurious, sleek + elegant. a modern spa, so to speak, that could be a peaceful retreat for years to come.

here you can see the addition of the glass wall done in a floor to ceiling euro style. i love that it adds no bulk to the room and merely provides another reflective surface for the shimmering, glimmering lights in the room. it also means this isn't a shower for the shy!

peeking out from the corner is one of my favorite items in the house - this metallic silver drum [or garden stool, its other alias]. fun fact: while perusing an In Style issue this summer I saw that actress Kristen Bell has two of the very same, in her living room! [which is totally eclectic + gorgeous, by the way]

i was pretty set on the flooring for our bath from the beginning. i had seen similar linen-y tiles a few times and i loved the built-in linear nature as well as the price point....amazingly, these puppies were at the lower end of the food chain. hallelujah!

a color called "gris", meaning grey in french [yes i got special pleasure outta that], the main hue is indeed grey with some lighter and darker linen-like strands running throughout each tile. not only does this make each and every tile unique and eye-catching, but every individual tile then adds to the vertical lines flowing throughout the space.

pardon the dust....the above shot was taken during construction and those doggies do belong to your truly.

the grey tile on the floor was also a must in that i have dark hair and i didn't want to feel like i had to sweep, vacuum + swiffer every time i brushed out my hair. and did you notice we had the tile pattern placed in thirds?? like in the laundry room?

you may be able to see from the photos, but it was kevin's idea [i'd call it genius, but i'm terribly biased] to base the entire floor and shower tiling along one center line so that from the moment you enter our bath, the tiles run literally straight from floor to ceiling....even up the walls....in one corresponding visual line.

when you're in the shower, it gives a subtle effect of rain [or bamboo, if your imagination is really working]....which has a lovely calming effect when you're hanging out in there. and no, don't run to get your eyes checked, we did use a lighter shade of tile in the shower [called "silver"] so as to avoid a dark + cave-like feeling in there, and also to create some variation.

well hello there!
this handsome gent below is a custom-made cabinet built by our gifted trim carpenters, who willingly went along with each of the drawings + pictures we presented them with and did a fantastic job of it. the doors on this armoire and our vanity are all in-set, to add to the sleek, slim look of the cabinetry and to make details like the euro bar pulls, flat crown piece, and the furniture "legs" stand out even more.

our carpenters also built the tub surround - truly something i'd been dreaming about for months during this process. i'm not ashamed to admit that i started bawling [one of many times] when i saw this beaut for the first time in our bath. you'll see more of the finished version in a minute!

i had a vision for this tub in my head from the beginning, and found some pictures online to back up my thoughts for the carpenters. i wanted the slat spaces to be noticeable, about 3/4" wide, and the wood to look like three thick slabs - like something you'd see in a spa.

if you're wondering, i did battle some fierce resistance about encasing the entire tub in wood....but i'm not a huge bath-taker and i really wanted to love the look of this piece every time i walked in the door.

now. last but not least. what is a tub area without mood lighting, i ask you?!

while my thought process for this bathroom didn't START with this fixture, it certainly got its exclamation point through it:

even though this was one of the final touches in this bathroom, it really has made all the difference. if you think you recognize it, it is an ikea pendant that is based on the famous artichoke light by poulsen.

and when i saw IT lit for the first time, i didn't cry. i screamed.

and fell for it, head over 4" heels.















































i love how its fanciful form is captured throughout the room....in our mirrors, which are along an angled wall, and here, on the glass wall....

and here it is in that picture of the finished, stained tub deck that i promised you.

well folks, i could go on + on about this room....my thoughts, ideas, steps along the way....my design inspiration pictures....but i'll save that for another time. time to enjoy a bit of this beautiful summer day!