Four profiles of luxurious bathroom designs

Sweet suite: These master bathrooms at an exclusive, nine-unit glass condominium in Manhattan, developed by Madison Equities and designed by Audrey Matlock, offer the ultimate master bathroom suite. The bathrooms feature a spa shower for two, separate elliptical soaking tub, a private-doored steam room and a balcony. The steam room is 8-by-5-feet, with river-washed bluestone on the floor, Vermont Imperial Danby book-matched marble on the wall, slate tiles on the ceiling and a teak bench. The bathroom is finished with bamboo walls, “floating” marble countertops, custom glass tile walls and fixtures from Dornbracht, Kohler and Duravit. A perfect combination of space, light and privacy, the master suite offers the luxury of a private balcony with entrances off the bedroom and bath, a pair of walk-in closets, a spectacular five-fixture master bath featuring honed bluestone flooring with radiant heating system; white back-painted custom glass tile walls; marble countertop with Duravit Vero wash basins; freestanding Victoria & Albert Napoli elliptical tub; spa shower for two with Kohler Watertile overhead rain showers; and chrome Dornbracht Mem fixtures.

Custom elegance: Looking for the conveniences of an urban setting, without sacrificing the beauty and comfort of tree-lined streets and a neighborhood feel, owner and designer Gwen Seidlitz sought out an opportunity in Vienna, VA—and soon found it. Partnering with builder Tommy Staats, they built a bungalow that blended perfectly with the charming neighborhood where they purchased a lot. From the outside in, the warm, inviting home reflects Seidlitz’s design tastes and talents. The master bathroom blends Habersham’s hand-finished, custom cabinetry with the hickory plank floor, elegant lighting and other design elements. Seidlitz has created a quiet oasis for her master bath design. Each of the custom cabinetry designs, including the mirror designs over the vanities, is by Habersham Cabinetry and was customized to the space. Shown is Habersham’s Muslin Connoisseur Finish, a hand-styled finish offering a soft, antiqued pearl tone. The countertops are a double laminate marble, the bathtub is a BainUltra spa tub; all of the faucets are from Rohl, in a Tuscan brass finish, with sinks by Kohler.

Green meets design: According to designers, this home is the first type “that combines the Home Performance with Energy Star program with environmentally responsible design and construction to create a zero energy, healthy, whole house remodel.” Design-wise, it has all the bells and whistles: The master bathroom features a dual-flush toilet and sinks by Caroma; engineered showerhead and faucets by Sustainable Solutions International; vanity countertops by Enviroglas; vanities by Kirei Bamboo and Earth Plaster natural clay by American Clay. The hallway bathroom also features much of the same materials and products.

Outside, in: Los Angeles-based interior designer Michelle Workman recently designed two bathrooms in a Malibu minimalist home. Workman says she wanted to create the feeling of being outside via an entire wall of windows that overlooks the ocean, ultimately bringing the natural beauty in as much as possible. She chose natural material—slate—for the tile and put it on a 90-degree angle-on-wall so as the sun set, shadows coming in from the window would line up with the lines on the wall. She made sure the shower was all glass so the homeowner could see the view at all times. The cabinetry is all floating and made out of wenge; countertops are black limestone. Rolled pebble stone from Ann Sacks (Ann Sacks Bali) was used for the floor, while mirrors cover the entire wall above the sink, so the homeowner can see the outside in the refection.