Janis’ Spa Bathroom Retreat
I’ve completed a full bathroom remodel that I call Janis’ Spa Bathroom. Janis and I have worked together for several years on various projects, so I’m excited to see this dream come to life for her. She and her husband built the house in 1989 before they raised their six children. In her words, “The house was kind of tired and needed a face lift.”
Their lower-level had a workout room, a sauna, and a bathroom that was supposed to be an oasis of peace for her, but “with raising six kids, it never really turned out that way.” The bathroom was a nice size, but everything was outdated. We wanted to turn it into a relaxing spa experience that they would use more and give her the warm and inviting feeling that she was looking for. So, we gutted it.
We came up with the design and we worked from there. In my concept drawing, shown in the photo here, you can see the flush ceiling. We weren’t sure we could remove all the soffits from the ceiling until we started construction. Thankfully, we could, and it opened everything up and changed the entire room. To fit the contemporary theme, we put a walk-in doorless shower, a soaking tub, a floating vanity, and used all Kohler contemporary products. Keeping it simple, we went with a large, round mirror with lights and a countertop in white flowing Corian and a built-in sink.
By intentionally minimizing the contrast in colors and designs of the walls and floors and shower in a space, you can create a calming energy effect. The beautiful porcelain floor in the shower was laid to look like bamboo, to match the larger bathroom floor planks and accent the shower. We chose a soft blue wall paint and fun graphic design to create a calm atmosphere. The artwork integrates nature elements with a three-panel triptych of colorful birch trees above the soaking tub and a metal sculpture of birds perched on branches, to inspire Janice’s love of birds. On the wall above the toilet is a set of three naturally spalted tamarind wood sculptures finished in a soft blue-green.
“The bathroom remodel really maximizes the space well and changed it for the better. It’s just beautiful. It’s really nice, because I trust Julie Ann enough, and she knows me well enough that she can present options, and I can be honest and tell her what I really think. She only needs to pull a couple of tiles, and I pick between them. She’s intuitive that way. She has a broader vision of it that just makes the process so much easier, because I don’t have to bear all the decision making. It saved a lot of time and headache for me, because it’s just not my skill set. I’m a dentist and I can choose the shade of a tooth color, but I can’t choose a paint color. I can work in really small spaces, but I can’t figure out if that item would fit on that wall. So, she can see the big picture and guide the decisions along the way and make the process less arduous.”
“The other things Julie Ann and I have done, and the decluttering of things that just aren’t useful to us anymore have made our home more peaceful and added the cohesiveness for us to stay here. That’s the value of working with Julie Ann over the years. She has a style about her that has helped create continuity. My living room kind of goes with my front sitting room, which sort of blends into the kitchen. Our workout room area used to be a fiery red, but I think now it’s going to be a pale blue, more of an oasis of peace.”
Janis’ Spa Bathroom Retreat beautifully transformed the space into a tranquil oasis. After raising six children, Janis longed for a peaceful haven. This remodel turned an outdated bathroom into a serene spa experience. The design featured a ceiling revamp, a walk-in doorless shower, a modern soaking tub, and a floating vanity. With subtle color harmony between the walls, floors, and shower created a calming energy, complemented by porcelain floor tiles resembling bamboo. The addition of nature-inspired artwork, like birch trees and bird sculptures, reflected Janis’ personal interests. Julie Ann’s intuitive design approach streamlined decision-making, turning the process into a delightful transformation for Janis.
