Master Bath Designed With Decluttering In Mind

To create the ultimate at-home retreat with a luxe master bathroom, a particular balance of art and science is required. And this elegant space is the perfect illustration. When it came time to upgrade this bathroom into something more luxurious, homeowner Dana DiSalvo turned to Aptitude to carry out the upscale transformation. Aptitude President Matt Mierek approached the project strategically, to maximize space without maxing out the client’s budget. His key insight: avoid moving the water lines, and instead focus on other ways to open up the layout. “When you're working in bathrooms, there are two things I think of: First is redesign—how can we make the most efficient use of the space? And then, how can we do that without rearranging all of the plumbing?” Mierek says.

In this case, the answer was by implementing a unique solution that retains the same overall footprint, but makes better use of every square foot and lends an air of luxury to the space. “The [previous] shower was actually in the same spot, but was a lot smaller than what [we added],” explains Mierek. “There was a door that goes into the toilet room, and we moved that wall, shifting the door down so we could get a bigger shower area, but still keep their tub in the same spot.” By reconfiguring the floorplan, the Aptitude team unlocked new possibilities for the homeowners. “That allowed us to give them a deeper and wider shower,” according to Mierek. It also allowed for a clever solution that makes the most of both the shower and bath: “The homeowners wanted a bench seat, so we utilized part of the tub deck as the bench seat in the shower,” he explains.

With the new layout locked in, Mierek turned his attention to details that would make any morning routine a little more seamless. “We added more efficient storage space in the vanity by installing drawers—and we hid outlets in those drawers where hairdryers and curling irons could plug in and stay concealed.” While it’s a small upgrade, it’s one that can make a huge difference in a homeowner’s everyday. “You've got a cleaner space, without much effort,” Mierek notes.

For the finishes, Aptitude embraced the luxury element with natural marble sourced from Champagne, France. “Natural marble on the walls and around the tub just gives a richer feel,” Mierek describes. But the crown jewel of the space is undoubtedly the shower inlay. “The back wall of the shower is such a big space, we decided to do a glass and marble mosaic, just to break it up and give a little bit of pizazz to the shower.” Functional niches add further visual interest and keep in the overall theme of giving everything its place in this redesigned retreat. “This was really designed with looks in mind—but also, to be efficient with storage. Everything has its spot—so it always will look like it does in these pictures,” Mierek says.