Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2018 - 81

The final result was an 88-sq.-ft. space, complete
with a sleek soaking tub, a curbless shower, a vanity
illuminated with LED lighting and a shower bench,
along with a water closet and plentiful storage.
"I would call their aesthetic Craftsman modern," said Conroy, adding that it had a warm feel,
leaning toward the modern side.
Although the clients did not set out to create a modern, Asian-inspired bathroom, the
design naturally evolved in that direction, such
as the folded planes origami approach to the
quartz and millwork. The quartz countertops
also have the look and feel of rice paper, another Asian element, along with LED fixtures
over the vanity.

Balanced Budget

SPLURGES AND SAVINGS

To keep within the budget, Conroy made economical choices that still had the look and feel of
something more expensive but spent a little more
on smaller, specific elements.
To give the space a larger feel, he made a composition of larger and smaller tiles. The 1-ft.
by 2-ft. porcelain tile has a light creamy stone
effect and came in at what Conroy says was
extraordinarily priced under $3 a square foot,
particularly because it has the look of a much
more expensive tile. However, they did splurge
on the onyx mosaic accent tile, which furthered
the Asian theme, but even that tile was just under $30 a square foot.
"We have bathrooms that can go as high as $75
a square foot for tile, so that is still within a reasonable price point," said the designer.
Because he had a longstanding working relationship with an area cabinet dealer, they were able
to customize standard cabinetry without the fullblown custom pricing: cherry cabinets with a rosewood stain, which picks up on the Asian theme
and provides ample storage space. Although the
cabinets were reasonably priced, they splurged a
bit on the detailing.
"We made sure we had all the returns in the
shelving and the wraparounds fabricated as
45-degree miter joints so it looks like one piece of
solid wood," said Conroy.
As the master bath is directly over the garage,
one expense on which they did not compromise
was the insulation package; they needed to create an environment that would be warm in winter and cool in the summer. The team installed
closed-cell foam insulation, which provides a high
thermal barrier.
Conroy often uses Grohe fixtures and faucets,
which he said are reasonably priced for the quality.
He used standard chrome, which is less expensive
than many other finishes. Keeping all the fixtures

SOURCES
DESIGNER: John
Conroy, Princeton
Design Collaborative;
CONTRACTOR: Kaiser
Building and Remodeling;
PHOTOGRAPHER: Jeffrey
E. Tryon, Art Director
at Princeton Design
Collaborative
COUNTERTOPS & BENCH:

DuPont; HARDWARE: Häfele;
LIGHTING: Sonneman;
MEDICINE CABINETS:

Robern; MILLWORK: Tucker
Distinctive Kitchens;
PAINT: Sherwin-Williams;
PLUMBING FIXTURES:

in the same general location saved on plumbing,
as did reusing a recently purchased water closet.
Sustainable elements include non-VOC paints;
low-flow water fixtures; LED lights; and certified
wood, quartz and large-format tile. While more
expensive up front, these sustainable efforts are not
only in line with the clients'lifestyle but will result
in cost savings over time.
COLLABORATION

ABOVE Chrome fixtures and a

well-priced, large-format tile
helped keep the costs down
without sacrificing style.

The rosewood linen cabinet on
the continuous bench provides
generous storage space.

Conroy feels that the key to keeping a project from going over budget is establishing initial expectations, working out any price differentials at the outset and
making sure the entire project is a collaborative effort among all parties involved.
"In the end, I would say we achieved the greatest bang for our buck by
pushing more common materials for a not-so-common space," he said.
"With the help of the client picking from our schemes and staying in the
medium range, we were able to stay right on target, with no surprises; they
weren't shocked as to what they spent.They were very happy with the job - so
happy that they have hired us again to do more work in their home." 

Grohe & Kohler; SHOWER
WALL & FLOOR SYSTEM:

Schluter Systems; TILE:
Daltile; VENTILATION FAN:
Panasonic

Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2018

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