When designer Martha Vicas was tasked with selecting finishes for a sprawling, contemporary residence under development by Coba in Northwest DC, part of the job was completing “a spectacular bath to match the amazing primary bedroom,” she recalls. She consulted on the architecture of the space, which ultimately featured a long double vanity and a huge, glassed-in shower with a Calacatta Lincoln marble bench anchoring one end. During the framing stage when the designer was busy specifying what she terms “a middle-of-the-road, white-and-gray stone palette,” the house was sold and Vicas did an about-face.
“The buyers wanted bold color,” recalls the designer, who accommodated their wishes with vivid-blue, glazed ceramic tile in the shower, which is designed to feel like an alcove. She clad the shower floor, walls and ceiling in the same blue tile—a herringbone pattern on the walls and ceiling paired with mosaic squares on the floor. Then, to allay the owners’ fears that there still wouldn’t be enough color in the room, Vicas painted the custom vanity in a matching blue hue—Gentleman’s Gray by Benjamin Moore—and topped it with Calacatta Lincoln marble.
After that, Vicas laughs, “I encouraged them to keep the rest of the palette calm.” Calacatta Chablis marble covers the floor and walls around a sculptural soaking tub with clean, modern lines. Phillip Jeffries vinyl grass cloth in a serene blue-gray color adorns the walls.
Interior & Bath Design: Martha Vicas, M.S. Vicas Interiors, Washington, DC. Architecture: Nahra Design Group, Washington, DC. Developer: Coba, Washington, DC. Builder: Ox Builders, Washington, DC.
THE DETAILS
Sinks, Plumbing Fixtures + Tub Filler: kallista.com. Tub: admbathroom.com. Wall Tile: architessa.com. Shower Tile: annsacks.com. Custom Vanity: okawvalleywoodworking.com. Wallpaper: phillipjeffries.com. Sconces: urbanelectric.com.
