The White Album

13 bathrooms that offer spiritual respite from the day, as well as a parade of white tubs

Photo by Shawn O'Connor Photography

“The homeowner was set on using the pink onyx countertop she found at Brekhus Tile & Stone,” says designer Pamela Chelle, who used the stone as the master-bath inspiration for this Denver Polo Club home. Flooring in two marbles—Carrara and Nero Marquina—ground the room in a classic pattern. Plumbing fixtures and sconces from Waterworks, a Neiman Marcus chandelier, and custom cabinetry by EKD give the space upscale sparkle. Chelle layered on dressmaker touches with taffeta London shades and a custom ottoman in pink velvet. “Finding the perfect wallpaper from Schumacher was the icing on the cake!” she says. “I love the sophistication—and unexpected color—of this bathroom. It is formal and elegant without being fussy.” 

Designer: Pamela Chelle
Architect: Patrick Cashen
Builder: Old Greenwich Builders
Custom cabinetry: EKD

PRO TIP: “Lighting design and light layering can make or break a room and should never be an afterthought.” — Designer Pamela Chelle

Photo by Kimberly Gavin

What was a dark, rustic, Western-style master bath now, thanks to designer Olivia Grayson, is an airy, bright space, mostly devoid of color but teeming with texture. Oversized hexagonal floor tiles and ceramic subway tile alongside Venetian plaster walls create a clean backdrop for the MTI Elena free-standing tub. “We eliminated the built-in tub deck,” Grayson says, “which gives the space a more open and luxurious quality, and the tub brings a modern feel to a mountain house.” Modern touches include a sleek, polished nickel tub filler by Grohe, art by Heidi Jung and an absence of window covering. “To keep things bright and let light in while maintaining privacy, we added a frosted vinyl film to the lower windows.” 

Designer: Grayson + Christie Interior Design
Builder: Sarah Wyscarver & Steve Elicker of SRE Building Associates

PRO TIP: “It’s important to think about how to finish and transition materials—for example, continuing the subway tile outside the glass shower enclosure to cover the whole wall.” — Builder Sarah Wyscarver

Photo by Emily Minton Redfield

Clean, bright and sophisticated were designer Carolyn Morris’ watch words for this beguiling master bath in Denver’s Hilltop neighborhood. Unlacquered brass fixtures—from Waterworks plumbing to Restoration Hardware sconces to a Kelly Wearstler for Visual Comfort chandelier—feel at once softly feminine and sleekly modern. A custom painted-oak vanity has integrated channel pulls rather than decorative hardware. “I just wanted the light fixtures and plumbing to pop and not overdo the metals,” Morris says. The designer created the floor pattern using cut 12-by-12-inch Waterworks marble tiles in Thassos white, Venato and Bardiglio dark. A pair of almost-6-feet-tall mirrors hang above the honed statuary marble countertop. “This room has high ceilings, so I wanted to reflect and bounce as much light as possible from the window.”

Designer: Carolyn Morris and Lauren Perry, Alvarez Morris
Architect: Carlos Alvarez, Alvarez Morris
Custom Cabinetry: Aspen Leaf Kitchens, Ltd.

PRO TIP: “I love patterned floors for interest in baths. They seem masculine and balance the light fixtures and jewelry in the rooms.” — Designer Carolyn Morris

Photo by Tim Murphy, Tim Murphy Foto Imagery

Inspired by Porcelanosa’s Modul free-standing tub, made of Krion with a steel frame and black exterior finish, designer Cecilia Tanoni worked to infuse this 133-square-foot master bath in Denver’s Cory-Merrill neighborhood with light and function. Textural Laia Blanco tiles from Porcelanosa reflect natural light as they wrap the walls and act as backsplash above the vanity—a 90-inch custom cabinet crafted from walnut with an ebony stain. “I selected a floor tile—Oxford Acero from Porcelanosa—that looks like wood planks to keep the same aesthetic from the rest of the house running into this room, also for warmth in a room with so much white tile,” says Tanoni. “The minimalist color palette allows the art and the accessories to provide color and texture.” 

Designer: Cecilia Tanoni Interiors  
Builder: J.S. Remodeling LLC, (303) 829-4873 
Custom Cabinetry: Fine Wood Furniture

PRO TIP: “My go-to white paint color is Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17. I mostly use this color for interior trim work, but it is also a great white for cabinetry.” — Designer Cecilia Tanoni 

Photo by Sara Yoder

On a tree-lined street in the heart of Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood, the unthinkable was happening: A family of five was sharing a single bathroom. “They desperately needed another one, and this space was the logical takeover,” designer Laura Medicus says of the long, narrow room that was being used as a home office. Materials such as hexagonal floor tile in a classic black-and-white color scheme and a created-by-Medicus pattern and black cove molding echo the turn-of-the-century era of the home. An antique buffet converted into a double vanity and Victorian-inspired plumbing fixtures by Rohl continue the historic theme. “We wanted to honor the spirit of the home, but also wanted to keep it light and fresh,” she says. 

Designer: Laura Medicus Interiors
Builder: Michael Ode, West Elevations

PRO TIP: “Keep things simple, use consistent materials, and then go big with one or two things—not seven or eight. Pare it down, and then add something spectacular.” — Designer Laura Medicus

Photo by Emily Minton Redfield

“I like to walk into a powder room and have something interesting to look at,” designer Carolyn Morris says. And that’s exactly why she created a mini art gallery in this Denver Hilltop neighborhood powder room. “I also like putting important art in an unexpected space,” she says of the pieces that wrap the room, including the moody vintage portrait hanging near the vanity, where the room’s largest piece of art, the countertop, stops visitors in their tracks. “We bought an entire huge slab of honed Bianco Lasa Covelano marble from The Stone Collection, and it only had a corner with that huge black vein and I had to have it for this countertop,” she says.

The countertop beautifully complements its neighbors dressed in dramatic black—the wall behind covered in Nero Marquina honed marble and the custom vanity in ebonized oak with integrated pulls. The visual drama continues with the Waterworks Henry wall-mount faucet in unlacquered brass, black-and-brass sconces from Arteriors, and a curvy, organic-shaped gilded-frame mirror from Mirror Image. “It is not a rectangle—it’s wider at top and narrower at bottom,” Morris says. “I didn’t want more straight lines.” 

Designer: Carolyn Morris and Lauren Perry, Alvarez Morris
Architect: Carlos Alvarez, Alvarez Morris
Custom Cabinetry: Aspen Leaf Kitchens, Ltd.

PRO TIP: “One dramatic room in an all-white or light house is something new for your eyes.” — Designer Carolyn Morris

Photo by David Patterson

A renovated master bath in Denver’s Hilltop neighborhood displays the love of shape and surfaces shared by the homeowners. “We sourced materials that are classic in nature but have a modern twist,” designer Angela Harris says of the his-and-hers design aesthetic, noting the wall of stacked Terra Ignis series Dimensions Blanco tile and herringbone marble floor tile. The Coastal Shower Doors glass enclosure for the 3-by-5-foot shower from Denver Glass Interiors sports a bold black grid. Feminine accents include a sculptural tub, Kohler plumbing fixtures, and sparkly lucite for cabinet hardware and the vanity chair. Twin sinks, a lower counter for makeup and a blow-dry bar for morning routines are all part of the custom vanity. A Nourison rug adds masculine punch. 

Designer: Angela Harris, TRIO Environments
Architect: Paul Mahony, KGA Studio Architects  
Custom Cabinetry: The Artisan Shop  
Contractor: Armon Moinzad

PRO TIP: “Never ever underestimate the marriage between architecture and interior design.” — Designer Angela Harris

Photo by Emily Minton Redfield

This powder room in the historic Country Club area of Denver was not a part of the home’s original 1920s floor plan. But you’d never know it. “This type of work is always careful and finessed. You are bringing the home into today’s modern living, but it has to look like it’s always been that way,” says builder Jim Armatas. The vintage centerpiece of this new bath is a marble water fountain the homeowner found at Architectural Salvage Company. By drilling a few holes to plumb the bubbler and adding Waterworks Easton unlacquered brass fixtures, Armatas transformed it into the powder room’s stunning sink.

With the showstopper in place, designer Kristin Park planned the remainder of the room in quiet keeping with the home’s historic vibe—including dark-stained doors and molding. Walls in Benjamin Moore Rock Gray in high gloss echo the color of the floor’s Bardiglio tile from Waterworks. “[It’s] laid in a herringbone pattern to replicate herringbone wood in the front of the house,” Park says. 

Residential Designer: Kristin Park
Builder: Jim Armatas, Town & Country Custom Homes

PRO TIP: “A master bath is all about function. A powder room is entirely different. It is like a man’s tie or woman’s handbag—treat it as a personal piece of art that speaks to who you are.” — Builder Jim Armatas

Photo by Gibeon Photography

West of Vail, a sumptuous, marble-wrapped master bathroom enjoys views of Edwards, Avon, Beaver Creek ski area and even hints of the Gore Range Mountains. For the free-standing Victoria + Albert tub perched in a corner where two floor-to-ceiling windows meet, the Vail Valley vista is especially dramatic—by design. Architect Michael Suman placed the tub to soak it in, as well as planned the shower and water closet to protect privacy and a continuous band of high windows around the space to provide natural daylight. A pair of custom-designed mirrored vanities with waterfall Caesarstone surrounds fabricated by Woden Woods bounce light around the space with the help of gleaming Henry fixtures by Waterworks and the sparkling Aerin Lauder for Circa Lighting Sanger chandelier.

“I love how the materials and fixtures enhance the lightness of the space yet do not distract from the incredible views afforded by its perch,” Suman says. Walls and floors covered in Calcutta large-format tiles give the room “a heavenly feel,” builder Steve Boderck says. Designer Dana Lyon adds, “I have always been fascinated by the marble designs in fine hotels and spas. I wanted to take that inspiration and give it a modern, clean and glamorous twist.” 

Architect: Michael Suman, Suman Architects  
Designer: Dana Lyon, The Refined Group
Builder: Steve Boderck, Beck Building Company

PRO TIP: “Honor a hero. I like to have one element that is the anchor of the room. It can be the decorative lighting, the paint color or a collection of something you love.” — Designer Dana Lyon

Photo by Pete Eklund

A walk-in shower dressed floor to ceiling in Carrara marble, a free-standing tub cozied next to a gas fireplace, heated marble floors and walls adorned with classical millwork are just a few of the high-end-hotel-inspired amenities in this Littleton master bath. But this elegant space also offers the practical and beautiful addition of copious custom-built storage in a wood linen cabinet and an extra-large vanity. “Because of all the marble and white, we were very intentional about adding lots of wood and a mix of warmer metals,” designer Kristen Thomas says of polished-nickel plumbing fixtures chosen for the finish’s warm undertone, warm gold finishes for drawer pulls and frames on artwork commissioned specifically for this space. Thomas says: “The large art pieces add interest and soul.”  

Designer: Studio Thomas
Builder: John Ingalls, 5280 Contracting
Custom Cabinetry: Coggin Brothers Inc 
Commissioned Art: Studio La Scala

PRO TIP: “We always bring life into a space to make it feel fresh and come alive—real plants, natural-wood pieces—anything organic adds so much.” — Designer Kristen Thomas

Photo by Alex Irvin

Designed to feel like a treehouse, this Woody Creek guest-quarters bath is perched over the home’s garage, designer Robyn Scott says, “and continues the eclectic log-cabin’s modern feel and playful accents by combining polished-chrome and oil-rubbed bronze finishes, and a floating oak cabinet.” Larch Wood planks dress the walls—and tub—while porcelain floor tiles continue the look of rustic wood underfoot. At the vanity, classically styled elements of a Caesarstone countertop and Restoration Hardware sconces accompany distinctly modern choices: rectangular vessel sinks and angular plumbing fixtures by Hansgrohe. With a 12.5-by-9 footprint, “the layout of this bathroom is incredibly functional,” architect D. Brian Beazley says, noting the vaulted ceilings set in a dormer and the west-facing window. The window, Scott says, enjoys views of a tall, dense stand of old-growth trees and, “sometimes you will see a bear.”  

Architect: D. Brian Beazley, AIA, David Johnston Architects
Interior Designer: Robyn Scott, Robyn Scott Interiors
Contractor: RA Nelson LLC

PRO TIP: “In bathrooms, run the same tile used in the bathroom floor into the shower, but cut it down into a smaller pattern. It gives you a seamless look and allows for a nonslip shower floor.” — Designer Robyn Scott

Photo by James Maynard

Designer Kelly Flynn may have pulled off a remodeling magic trick when she crafted a spacious-feeling plan for this 95-square-foot master bath. Her first feat: removing the old jetted tub and tub deck. When she discovered essential plumbing was hidden beneath the deck, she enclosed it with half walls on either end of the new free-standing tub—one wall acts as a bench in the new glass-enclosed shower, and the other, she says, “created a clever location for a remnant of soapstone to be a very intentional-looking place to put a book or glass of wine.”

A savvy mix of tiles gives the small bath a high-end finish. The top half of the wall that spans the shower and tub sports a smoky-blue subway tile, the bottom a Capco subway tile with a handmade look. Where the two meet, Flynn added a band of Ann Sacks textured tiles. “I love how luxurious and spa-like this bathroom feels,” she says.

Designer: Kelly Flynn, Kimberly Timmons Interiors; now with Kelly Flynn Interiors, (720) 261-9518

PRO TIP: “Leave open space in every room to breathe. Just because you can fit the big tub and the big vanity and the big chandelier doesn’t mean it will all work together.” — Designer Kelly Flynn

Photo by David Lauer

“I like to let the landscape and views take center stage and keep architectural materials simple to allow for that,” says architect Renée del Gaudio. This open-to-the-bedroom bath nook in a Fairplay cabin does just that. “The site is a rocky cliff at 10,000-feet elevation, and it looks out over the Sangre de Cristo mountains, the Collegiate Peaks and the South Platte River. A thick forest of bristlecone and ponderosa pines surrounds the property to the north, creating a secluded, intimate feel,” del Gaudio says.

A free-standing Signature Hardware tub, integrated into the glass-enclosed and subway-tile-wrapped shower, tucks into a corner with operable windows and revels in forest views. The vanity—walnut drawers with a 1.5-inch gap to avoid unnecessary hardware, a concrete countertop, and Ikea sinks and faucets—enjoys mountain views reflected in its mirror. Plywood ceilings and rustic-grade walnut flooring with a wire-brush finish keep the space low-key. “The cabin’s rustic materials connect to the area’s vernacular architecture,” del Gaudio says. 

Architect: Renée del Gaudio Architecture
Contractor: Brian Peoples, Peoples Construction, (970) 390-9206 

PRO TIP: “One must-have: operable windows adjacent to bathtubs, so you can smell and feel the outside air on warm days.” — Architect Renée del Gaudio