Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2016 - 64

TOP RIGHT The designer noted

such highlights as the shampoo
niche that goes all the way
across the shower wall, which
she says is a visually clean space
where the homeowners can put
as much or little as needed.

FAMILY OF FIVE had been sharing one and
a half baths for too long in their brown
shingle-style home near the University
of California's Berkeley campus. This became readily apparent during the weekday
morning rush to get ready and leave the
house for school and work.
Alisa Hofmann, a designer with Oakland, Calif.-based Design Set Match, had
already worked with the design team to
renovate the rest of the house and knew
there was an unused kitchen space that
would work well for the addition of a master bathroom suite.
"This space actually used to be a kitchen for a tenant, which
happens often in the area near the university so that homeowners
can gain additional income," she explained.

Aims and Aspirations

RIGHT.The custom medicine

cabinets feature casing trim, as
well as an electrical outlet inside
for charging small appliances.

A YEAR AFTER the rest of the house was renovated,

the homeowners were ready to get started on the
master suite, which includes a walk-in closet.The
main goal was to maximize the space while also
adding some privacy elements so that parents and
children could share it comfortably. While the
kids have access to a hall bathroom, it is shared
among four bedrooms.
"The master suite allows for some separation
without everyone on top of one another," said
Hofmann, who explained that the homeowners
realized it would not be realistic to assume the kids
would never use it. "This gives them the ability to
share if they need to with a level of privacy."
Privacy was achieved through the use of transom windows in the main bathroom that are high
enough so that no one can see inside. The toilet
room features a pocket door in frosted glass that
lets someone know if another is inside but also
provides concealment.
Another goal was to incorporate a double
shower so the homeowners could efficiently
shower at the same time.
"The challenge with a double shower is California's water-efficiency regulations, which are intended to deter the abuse of water, especially while
we are in a long-term drought," said Hofmann.
To solve this dilemma, the team decided on
a thermostatic control at each showerhead and
a water volume control next to the bench and
shower door "so that each can be controlled
individually as well as turned on without the
user getting a blast of cold water before the
hot water has had an opportunity to reach the
showerhead from the water heater," according
to the designer.
The third goal with the new master suite was all
about aesthetics.

BELOW Transom windows and

a frosted-glass pocket door
provide the toilet room with
much-needed privacy.

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Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2016

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