Photography By Donovan Roberts Witmer
Much care and consideration is essential to create these blissful spaces. From sinks to showers and finishes to floors, many decisions must be made to design the ideal washroom. Join us as we dissect two fabulous, functional bathrooms from the Greater Harrisburg region and discover how they made the cut.
European Aesthetic
A frequent world traveler, homeowner Lindsay Ward is drawn toward simplicity in design.
Inspired by design trends in upscale contemporary hotels, his recently renovated master bath is clad in well-appointed amenities and clean lines. With its masculine, tailored design aesthetic, the bath stands as a testament to the idea that luxury isn’t always synonymous with decadence.
The British-born executive’s vision was carried out by Darren Trautman of Inspirations Bath & Kitchen Studio by Hajoca (inspirationsharrisburg.com), along with Hummelstown contractor Barclay Baird of A+ Home Work. Trautman and Ward met at the Harrisburg showroom where Ward sought a contemporary line of cabinets from Bertch®. Trautman was intrigued by the project, which allowed him to experiment with a more masculine, “bachelor pad” aesthetic.
“It was a chance to go more Euro with the design – a clean, uncluttered look that incorporates more engineered elements over natural ones,” says Trautman. “We looked toward finer, smaller-scale products.”
The Hummelstown contemporary home worked on many levels for Ward, but the bath’s outdated style and angular design called for a complete renovation. The redesign aimed for a more “lineal and logical” layout, making room for an oversized shower and adding walls on either side of the toilet to convey a sense of privacy.
From the onset, Ward was sold on the idea of a spacious shower with a rain shower feature. Forgoing a bathtub made sense to Ward, “I don’t recall taking a bath in years. It’s not like the days that I can remember my dad soaking in the tub, reading the newspaper.”
The shower features a traditional showerhead for everyday use. On the opposite wall, a rain shower and body sprays were installed for more experiential usage. The walls are lined with striking, taupe-toned, oversized porcelain tiles that introduce texture to the space. Easily the most unique feature: the shower’s thick glass doors are suspended from a stainless steel bar with rollers, an idea Ward sourced from a kitchen and bath magazine.
“It gives the room a more man-made, mechanical look,” Trautman says. “The stainless steel supports the glass, which helps open up the space and make the room feel bigger.”
Glass also makes a statement at the vanity, where a green-toned glass vessel from Kohler’s Nature’s Chemistry line sits atop slate gray quartz. Ward was immediately drawn to the piece at the Inspirations showroom, and while he calls it the room’s “most indulgent expenditure,” he also considers it a showpiece.
Picking up on the room’s seamless lines, Trautman incorporated floating cherry cabinets in a brindle stain from Bertch. A contemporary wood mirror with a matte charcoal and silver finish from Elizabethtown’s Lynden Gallery is flanked by Kohler sconces that convey an almost “clinical look,” according to Trautman. The sconces’ polished nickel is also found in hardware and on a shaving mirror for a crisp, clean appearance. Trautman opted to forego a traditional towel bar for hooks that offer hang-and-go convenience, hinting at a “locker-room” aesthetic consistent with the room’s masculine design style.
Trautman went with oversized slate gray ceramic tiles with a brushed linen finish and matching grout for the room’s floors and the same material in 2”x 2” tiles for the shower. Trautman says he gravitates toward dark flooring for its ability to create a “strong foundation that allows you to appreciate the definition” of the rest of the space.
Finishing the space, Ward selected a gray-green wall color that complements the green undertones in the glass doors and sink vessel. Rich, yet subdued, Ward's color choices “aren’t everyone’s colors, and that’s deliberate.” Indeed, it is Ward’s intentional departure from the expected that puts this unique master bath in a class all its own.
Project Team: Design: Darren Trautman, Inspirations Bath & Kitchen Studio by Hajoca, Harrisburg Contractor: Barclay Baird, A+ Home Work Tile and Flooring Install: Martin’s Flooring
Products:
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From Inspirations Bath and Kitchen Studio by Hajoca, Harrisburg:
Lights: Kohler Purist® Sconces in vibrant
polished nickel
Mirror: Adaptations in polished nickel
Faucets and Accessories:
Kohler Loure Collection
Sink: Kohler Nature’s Chemistry Antilia Wading Pool Glass Countertop in ice
Cabinet: Bertch® cherry cabinets with a brindle stain and Oxford door style
Hardware: Atlas Homewares Successi Collection in polished nickel
Toilet: Kohler Persuade® in honed white
Shower Door:
RODA Rolaire
Countertop:
Cambria quartz
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Floor: Ceramica Magica Bloom Collection in night nero with raven grout color, Martin’s Flooring
Tile: Anatolia Zera Collection in olive with sterling silver grout color, Martin’s Flooring
Mirror: Custom contemporary wood with matte charcoal and silver finish, Lynden Gallery, Elizabethtown
Graceful Retreat
From floor to near ceiling, the bath is donned with dramatic Carrera marble. It isn’t marble’s recent resurgence that inspired such opulent use of the stone, but a men’s fitness club and spa in Philadelphia where the homeowner had worked in his early 20s. There, Carrera marble enveloped the traditional spa, evoking a certain classic luxury that stuck with the homeowner for decades.
The bath remodel is part of extensive renovations to the elegant Georgian situated on a picturesque hill in Mechanicsburg. A more timeless look, updated amenities and accessibility features were among the owners’ top goals. Most importantly, design and product choices were made to create a peaceful retreat for the home’s owner, who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia several years ago.
Guided by this vision, Tegan Livelsberger of Harrisburg-based Heritage Builders (heritageblds.com) brought experience and talent to execute the details. A modified floor plan was selected, with the shower positioned closer to the entry for visual interest. A bench situated between the shower and tub offers views of serene countryside.
“As much as you could utilize the space, we used it,” says Livelsberger. “We scrutinized every inch.”
Radius archways at the entrances and water closet echo the home’s architectural details. A tray ceiling with light rail boosts the room’s ambient lighting while lending character to the space. To ensure the thick 8-inch crown moldings could stand up against the humidity and temperature changes of the vaulted space over time, Livelsberger used an extruded foam/plaster product called TrimRoc™.
Marble-topped vanities with brushed nickel pulls were purchased online, setting the course for finding complementary floor and wall tiles. Livelsberger’s extensive search resulted in marble flooring that the owner calls “Perfect. It has just the right density of color to match the vanities and not a lot of shadows.”
With abundant use of marble, the challenge was creating enough variation in the tile applications to prevent the space from becoming too slick or monotonous. The polished walls and vertical surfaces are offset by honed 18 by 18-inch tile flooring throughout the room. In the shower, 1 by 1-inch honed tiles with grouting increase slip resistance and introduce pattern into the space. A picture frame accent utilizes a marble mold railing and baseboard over the tub for visual interest.
The spacious, walk-in shower features a solid bench with nearby hand showers to allow the owner greater control over her area. A rain shower at the opposite end features Kohler DTV® electronic control, enabling the owners to create custom settings for different users. A trusted, long-time resource to the couple, Darrell Brosius of R.F. Fager (rffager.com) in Camp Hill helped them make smart product choices for their unique needs.
Brosius also helped the couple select the MAAX™ Aerofeel tub, touted as a gentler, more hygienic alternative to the traditional whirlpool. Its perimeter air system provides a relaxing hydro-therapeutic massage. After each use, an automated drying cycle expels water and prevents its backflow for better purity.
“It’s quieter than most tubs and provides a great massage without the intensity of a whirlpool tub,” Brosius said.
With accessibility in mind, under-mounting the tub promotes easy access. “You can sit on the edge and swing your legs over the side. I’m really looking forward to relaxing in that tub,” says the owner.
Finishing the space with warm bronze walls helped offset the coolness of the Carrera marble. The rich color, Benjamin Moore’s Potter’s Clay, was chosen by the owner as a departure from the home’s original off-white walls.
With the bath ready for use, it’s clear that it was the entire process—not just the results—that was a success. “We’re tremendously satisfied. Everything was done with such care, and communication was the highest it could have been,” says the owner.
Project Team: Design & Carpentry: Heritage Builders Plumbing Fixtures: R.F. Fager Company Painter: Dale L. Howard Painting Tile Install: Mechanicsburg Flooring Company Plumber: Guardian Plumbing
Products:
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From R.F. Fager Company:
Tub: MAAX™ Aerofeel
Tub for undermount in white with Thermazone Heated Back Rest
Toilet: Kohler Devonshire Comfort® in white
Digital Valve: Kohler DTV Prompt Digital Thermostatic Valve and Shower Interface
Shower: Kohler Hydrorail
in brushed nickel
Rain Shower Head:
Moen Velocity Collection
in brushed nickel
Handshower: Kohler Forte Collection in brushed nickel
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Lighting: Quorum International Hemisphere Collection in satin nickel
with faux alabaster glass
Trim: Heister House Millworks
Paint: Potter’s Clay
by Benjamin Moore,
Aumen’s Paint Store
Vanities: Virtu USA Huntshire Collection in dark walnut finish with Italian Carrera marble countertop and backsplash
Shower Seat and Tub/Shower Connectors: Carrera marble, Down East Fabrication
Floor and Wall Tile: Arabescato Carrera marble (in various sizes), M S International, Inc.
Shower Door: Semi-frameless glass by H&M Diversified Enterprises
