Home Magazine: Special Kitchen and Bath Issue (April 1995) 

“Bright White Baths” 

Two studies in white, these adaptable bathrooms take on new dimensions of style with each accessory and color introduced. In the wainscoting-wrapped bath shown here, green marble provides the principal contrast. 

Architect Peter Cook describes this white-on-white bath, in a waterside home in eastern Long Island, New York, as a “his and hers place.” The owners didn’t want separate bathrooms, but they did want to be able to use their master bath independently. To comply with their wishes, the architect created a combination space. “His” area, which is ten feet square, has its own toilet, vanity, and separate stall shower. “Her” area, which measures 10 by 16 feet, has a whirlpool bath, in addition to a toilet, vanity, and separate stall shower. A disappearing pocket door divides one space from the other, should the owners wish.

            White-painted wainscoting manages to give this bath a traditional feeling, despite its contemporary crispness, and that marries well with the rest of the house, according to the architect. Cook describes his design for the residence as “very formal, with columns and cornices, a Shingle Style house built in the Dutch Colonial tradition.” The house, erected on three acres of what had once been farmland is scenically situated, overlooking a pond that flows into the Atlantic Ocean. And the architect made certain to take full advantage of the wonderful view.

            Taking into consideration the master suite’s location on the side of the house, Cook designed a pair of bays that extend out beyond the roof line so that “from the sitting area in the bedroom and from the back of the tub, it’s possible to look out and see beyond the trees to the water.” The mirrors reflect some of the view and also capture natural light that, even on a cloudy day, fills the white room with brightness. “I do all my bathrooms in white,” Cook insists. “Any other color tends to become outdated. If a homeowner wants color in a bath, it can be achieved with towels or a window treatment. The only color I can see building into a bath would be used horizontally- on the floor, the counter, or a tub deck.”

            Expanding and brightening this master bath was part of an overall renovation of a 1930s Westport, Connecticut, house that architects R.M. Kliment and Francis Halsband call “pseudo Colonial.” They appropriated space from a vast second-floor stair landing, which created room to add a steam shower and sauna to a master bath measuring 12 by 16 feet. A step-up oval tub once stood approximately where the new tub is now positioned, but it was set at an angle instead of on the perpendicular, and in a dark corner. The old bath had only one sash window; previous owners considered the room a quiet cocoon. Less concerned with privacy and more interested in making the most of the room’s inviting natural light and the water view, the house’s new owners wanted tall casement windows on two sides of the bath. They chose a monochromatic color scheme-stark white- to create the most light-reflective ambiance for the room.

            The new windows are standard throughout the house, making it look more Victorian and less Colonial. “We weren’t intent on imposing any particular style,” say the architects. “The old house was not particularly distinguished.” To create a true master suite, they made sure the bedroom and bath neatly flowed together. Beside the double vanity, there is a door leading directly to the bedroom, and to the private deck beyond it. The mirrored wall above the vanity reflects some of the view, creating an illusion of even grander space and heightening the impact of this super-white setting. 

Published by Hachette Filipacchi USA, Inc. and managed by Hachette Filipacchi Magazines, Inc.