Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2018 - 35

In addition to the tub, the clients wanted the
wet room to have a traditional bench and a bathing area. Instead of the seated shower used in Japan, they requested a standing American-style
shower. All of this is contained behind a two-door,
clear glass-enclosure. A separate toilet area, which
contains built-in cabinetry for extra storage, lies
just off the main bath area.
CHALLENGE #3:
ACCOMMODATING DIFFERENT HEIGHTS

One of the main difficulties in designing this bath
was the discrepancy in the clients' heights. The
husband is more than six feet tall, while his wife
is much shorter.
"We got the largest wood tub we could to
accommodate the husband's requirement to
straighten out his legs,"said the designer, explaining that a bench suiting the wife's shorter seated
height was installed perpendicular to the tub.
The standing shower was also installed with
a sliding handheld, which allows for adjustment of height. In the other room, the vanity
cabinets are shorter than average, and the lowered
recessed medicine cabinets also work for both
husband and wife. In addition to working with
their heights, the team also had to consider their
clients' tight schedule.
"We completed the project in phases with a
short break between them," said Kellar. "This allowed the clients to keep a family obligation."

ABOVE "The quartzite was

love at first sight," said Kellar,
referring to the natural stone
countertops. "They wanted an
organic feel to the room."

RIGHT "Our clients take such
joy in using the remodeled
space, especially the soaking
tub," said Kellar.

SOURCES
DESIGNER TEAM: J. Byron

Kellar (design builder) &
Jennifer Renninger (design
associate), Neil Kelly Co.
PHOTOGRAPHY: KuDa
Photography
BENCH & HANDHELD
SHOWERHEAD: Hansgrohe;
COUNTERTOP & TILE:

Oregon Tile and Marble;

LAVATORY: Icera; MEDICINE
CABINET: Glass Crafters;
SHOWER FIXTURES:
KOHLER; TOILET: TOTO;
TUB: Zen Bathworks; TUB
FILLER: Brizo; VANITY: Neil
Kelly Cabinets; VANITY
FAUCET: Hansgrohe

CHALLENGE #4: MATCHING THE JAPANESE STYLE

Today, the most popular style of wood-look tile is the rustic, farmhouse look,
but this easily available style would not complement the smooth lines of the
cedar tub. The team instead needed a clear-grained wood tile that blended
with the tub's rich, red color.
"We looked at more than 50 tiles before finding the right one in grain and
color," said Renninger. "To get the best clear-grained tiles, we ordered twice
as much so we could hand select each one."
The clients also wanted a rich stain for their vanity cabinets, but the color
needed to blend with the rest of the space. African ribbon mahogany cabinets
with a medium stain were chosen for their deep and varied tones. Complete
with quartzite countertops, the bathroom boasts an organic and natural
design rather than the conventional look of the rest of the home.
"We simply drew a line at the entrance to the bathroom," said Kellar, who
explained that the homeowners had no desire to incorporate the home's
more traditional American qualities in the new bath. "While the doors and
trim throughout the house are raised panel and white painted, we went with
a more Craftsman-style stained wood door in the bathroom."
The team built a custom door into the bath, where it matches all the
doors in the house on the bedroom side and the stained wood doors on the
bathroom side.
"It's like walking through a portal into Japan," added Kellar.


Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2018

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