L
ana Knapp, senior designer at Collins & DuPont Design Group, was charged with completely remodeling a somewhat dated and heavy Tuscan home. Containing the requisite precast Corinthian columns and a stained-glass window focal point, the master bath was especially dark and heavy. Additionally, the space was neither practical nor functional, since bathtub and shower areas were accessible only via steps either ascending or descending what were often wet and slippery surfaces. Lana was eager to start from scratch and create an interior that was more attuned to both the aesthetic and spatial requirements of her clients. The focal point for her design was the sculptural bathtub, and the design paradigm driving her vision was “let the light in.” A harmonious relationship with the builder enabled Lana to strip the entirety of the pastiche and dark surfaces of the original footprint. Since ceiling heights were rather high at 17 feet, she chose to lower the height to 13 feet. “When the walls and columns were removed, the volume of the space was very large,” Lana recalls. She chose to separate bath and shower areas with a curved wall to create a sense of movement in the space. “I wanted to curve and shorten this dividing wall to emphasize the depth of the room and let the natural light penetrate through the entire space,” she explains. The rounded windows that hover in the upper reaches of the room were part of the original design, but the entirety was blocked by walls. Shutters on lower-level windows often remain open since the lot offers ample privacy. The curvature of the wall also gives the bathtub area a decidedly intimate feel. Niches pierce the surface of the wall and are finished with a 12- by 12-inch sheet of polished mini-brick mother-ofpearl. The surface shimmers and glimmers, whether illuminated by the abundance of natural light or by the dropped painted wooden beams that glow in the vanity area. Lana explicitly delineated spaces by incorporating mosaic tile details in the shower area, underneath the bathtub and in the vanity flooring. The ceiling detail’s radius echoes the tile in the floor beneath it. Polished Asian Statuary “Thassos” was chosen to ensure that a clean and bright surface maintained warmth and did not cross over into an aesthetic that registers as sterile. His and hers vanities are painted a pale gray tone to maintain a subdued feel. Sconces from Hudson Valley are embedded in the overhead mirrors to ensure sufficient light for true colors and details. The rounded lines are echoed in the sconces from Hubbardton Forge that flank the bathtub. The overall composition reads more modern than the remainder of the home, which Lana describes as predominantly transitional with modern nods. Little if anything remains of the dark, heavy and overdone aesthetic that prevailed before Lana’s design pierced through the shadows to capture and harness the light. Resources: Interior Design Collins & DuPont Design Group Lana Knapp 8911 Brighton Lane Bonita Springs, FL 34134 239.948.2400 collins-dupont.com Builder BCB Homes 3696 Enterprise Ave #100 Naples, FL 34104 239.643.1004 bcbhomes.com
Design + Decor
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5/16/19 11:01 AM