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February 2015 | ForResidentialPros.com | 39 "The number of health and beau- ty products and other items used in the bath have increased over time, so convenient, accessible storage has to address this increase," Haig notes, adding that if the bath looks simple, that's a sign of efcient planning. "Bathrooms look simple to design at frst glance, but there's a lot that goes into planning them well – and making them beautiful." For a bath of any size, relying on cookie cutter solutions doesn't work, Haig says. "With space that is limited and storage needs on the increase, designers have to discover creative ways to address this need." Chelsea Allard, an interior de- signer with Charlotte, NC-based Case Remodeling of Charlotte, says there's one common request she gets most often, and that request presents chal- lenges all its own. "We get a lot of requests for storage towers that sit on the counter. Often, a couple will want one in the middle between the two sinks, or one on each end of a much longer furniture-style vanity. The hardest part is making sure there is enough space for a tower." She says in smaller bathrooms there often just isn't enough space for a counter-located tower to fit without making the area around the sinks tight and cluttered, "which defeats the purpose of having that extra storage to begin with. In those cases I'd ofer another idea, like re- cessed medicine cabinets to create additional storage away from the counter. In other cases there may be enough space for a narrow tower, but it will be hinged on one side, which makes it less useful for the person on the hinge side. As long as clients are aware of this up front, they can usually decide which side would be best for the hinge. It's all about how they use their space." Ma nu fac t u rer s a re heed i ng the call for expanded options to meet these challenges, introducing cabinets with diferent hinge confgu- rations, including mirrored medicine cabinets that open vertically to make obsolete the choice of left or right hinge placement. Ell says an option she frequently looks at to balance must-haves with available space is the footprint of the room itself. "Whenever possible, we try to borrow space from adjoining areas. Even something as simple as carving out a niche in an existing wall for bath or shower supplies is a welcome beneft." Product selection is key, even in baths where borrowing space is an option. "I'm always looking for highly functional, multipurpose bathroom furniture." Allard notes that versatility in bath furniture is key because of an- other shifting trend she's seen. "I've noticed our clients are much less con- cerned with linen closets. If you've got the space for one, it certainly makes sense to have it, but more often we're seeing clients shift away from closets in favor of heftier and more attractive vanity storage." DESIGNER: Chelsea Allard FIRM: Case Remodeling of Charlotte LOCATION: Charlotte, NC PRODUCTS USED: Full-overlay Downing Way doorstyle from Crystal Cabinetry in cherry with trufe fnish; Restoration Hardware knobs; ROHL faucetry; Carrara marble countertop; Honed Lagos Azul limestone tile, Carrara marble tile, custom New Ravenna mosaic by Renaissance Tile & Bath DESIGN CHALLENGES: "With this project we actually shortened the footprint of the vanity, but we were able to incorporate much more useable storage space by doing taller height base cabinets, more drawers and two towers. Even though the footprint is smaller, there is more space than there was originally." Photo: Deborah Scannell Photography