Kitchen & Bath Business - October 2016 - 56

P ro b l e m S o l v i n g

Including all of the client's requirements in the
existing floor plan was the number one challenge
in this long and narrow master bath. McClain also
explained that because of property setbacks, the
space was further reduced after construction began.
He and his team solved the space issues using a
symmetrical layout, as well as a sink wall to accommodate a sizable window with a view of the river.
"Instead of attempting to place a focal point directly ahead as you walk in to the bathroom, we
placed it to the left as you enter," said McClain.
"This allowed us to place the shower and toilet room
symmetrically within the space and provided a long
wall to accommodate the large double-sink vanity."
The other master bath challenges centered
around the steam shower - specifically it's functionality.McClain wanted to include a shower with
the maximum recommended height of nine feet,
which necessitated a unit with additional power
to work within the space. Because the designer's
preference is a curbless shower, he had to slope the
floor front to back, use a linear drain and make a
tight seal around the door.
"The shower ended up slightly smaller than
originally planned because of the shrinking square
footage of the entire room,so we chose folding teak
benches instead of a permanent bench inside the
shower," said McClain.
The final shower challenge was that the client
wanted a window in the space, which the designer
explained would pose privacy and steam/water
retention issues.
"By working with the builder, we utilized an allvinyl window, took extra precautions to seal it and
placed it at the correct height for semi-privacy," he
explained. "Luckily, my client lives at the end of a
long road, so the privacy issue was lessened a bit."
Cooking in the Kitchen

According to McClain, his client owns a restaurant and understands top-quality appliances, so he
wanted those in his own kitchen - choosing all commercial-grade options down to the range hood. He
also wanted a place to entertain friends and family,
as well as an eye-catching view of the river outside.
The home's living area, which includes the entry, stairway, dining and living rooms and kitchen,
is a large, open floor plan that faces the river and
is accessed by a 30-ft. wall of folding doors. For
entertaining and prep, the kitchen offers a sizable
island with seating for six that runs the entire
length of the room. Various traffic patterns were
created to lead in and out of the space.
"The kitchen is positioned to showcase the water
view, but by doing so, it is also within a busy traffic

ABOVE The oversized island

features two 14-ft. by 14-ft.
slabs of bookmatched
Calacatta Premium marble and
offers seating for six or more.
It houses the dishwasher and
microwave drawer and is highlighted above by four industrial
pendants. A commercial-grade
range, hood and glass-door refrigerator round out the space.

FAR RIGHT The backsplash is

hand-glazed ceramic subway
tiles in metallic gray, and the
open shelving is made from
reclaimed walnut barnwood
slabs. The bottom shakerstyle cabinets are a muted
stone-gray color and feature
soft-close doors.

pattern that leads directly to the back porch," explained McClain. "To have the
various traffic patterns flow from the entry to the living areas,and depending on
the route taken, we designed a galley-style kitchen that allows passageways on
both sides of the kitchen island that lead directly to the star of the show - the river."
Storage Solutions

To preserve the view, his client wanted as many open walls as possible in the
kitchen with no upper cabinetry. He uses the rear pantry for most of his storage, but he needed an additional solution above the cooking and prep areas.
"We devised a small soffit that extends from the refrigerator cabinetry to the
end of the opposite side of the kitchen and joins a side wall made of the same
cabinetry," explained McClain. "This creates the feeling of a more intimate
space and separates the kitchen a bit from the passageway to the pantry. The
soffit also allowed us to install small puck lighting to spotlight the countertops
and cooking area below."
Marble Madness

Despite the fact that marble is not the most hardworking material for countertops, the client loved the look of it and insisted on including it in his kitchen.
"We reviewed the pros and cons of real marble versus a synthetic material,
and he was determined to only use nature-made materials as much as possible
throughout the home,"said McClain."He is now acutely aware of how regular
use will affect marble and has decided to embrace the fact that it will eventually
start to look a bit worn and possibly stained. To him, this is a sign of a warm
and welcoming kitchen."
The other challenge with the marble was finding slabs large enough to fabricate for the island.The designer and his client spent a lot of time trying to find
the right piece and were lucky enough to come across two Calacatta Premium
slabs that could be bookmatched to cover the entire island.

Kitchen & Bath Business / OCTOBER 2016 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)

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Kitchen & Bath Business - October 2016

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