A designer with interior decorating in her blood, Sue Thomson, Certified Interior Decorator (C.I.D.) and owner of Decorating Den Interiors in Naples, FL, started her career designing kitchens, bathrooms and closets, and she hasn’t lost her touch. Here, Thomson walks us through the design of this master bathroom in a Naples home.
1. In a bathroom, task lighting is critical for applying makeup and shaving. In this bathroom, both vanities are opposite each other so you’re only seeing one. Each has four-light fixtures with gossamer thin shades that let a lot of light through, but soften what could be harsh lighting. All fixtures are on dimmers to set the perfect mood for a spa-like experience or glamour lighting for applying makeup.
2. The client had already purchased the beautiful fluid-shaped freestanding tub. The builder told her that she would have to install it herself after closing on the home. The corner tub proved to be a danger. It was so big the owner rolled over in it as if it were a swimming pool — you can imagine if she had put little kids in it! Foreseeing the replacement after the closing, we purchased extra floor tile for the client during the construction phase to avoid any color matching issues. This allowed a seamless transition without visual disruption in flooring finish or color. We all know that marble is organic with natural veins and can never really be re-matched so it’s best to have more than needed on hand.
3. The wall covering behind the tub is a marble trapezoid tile with large crystals at each corner. This tile was used in the kitchen, and everyone loved how the crystals sparkle with lighting, so we decided to repeat it in the master bathroom too. At first, we hadn’t thought of using it in the bathroom, but after six months of sticking wallpaper swatches on the wall, my project manager turned around one day and said, “Why don’t we use the same tile?” And that’s what we did. Always have an open ear for your project managers and staff!
