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Inspiration for design projects can come from just about anywhere – or anything. In the case of this Napa, CA, master bath remodel, it came from the homeowners' frequent trips halfway around the world to visit their daughter in Asia. "Style-wise, they developed an appreciation for a peaceful, harmonious 'Zen' ambiance from their many trips," says Patti L. Cowger, owner of PLC Interiors, also in Napa. Words like 'serene' and 'natural' defned their general vision. So did sculptural elements such as their daugh- ter's unusually shaped vanity sinks. "They also emphasized the need for easy maintenance and aging-in-place strategies," she adds. With this 'guidebook' in hand, Cowger and Steve Silva Plumbing, who served as the contractor for the project, set out to transform the 15-year-old bath with its builder-grade mate- rials into a space with an updated style, cus- tomized for better function and more pleasing aesthetics. FOCUS ON UPGRADED MATERIALS Since the original foor plan was highly func- tional, Cowger was able to maintain the original footprint, focusing on upgrading the generic ma- terials while expressing the homeowners' own style and adding individualized amenities. Some of the frst decisions centered around the fooring and vanity. Cowger had originally entertained the idea of keeping the original tile, but opted to replace it with Fioranese Cottage Wood porcelain tile, which the homeowners selected in less than two hours. Its 6"x36" linear design resembles wood in multi-grey and beige tones that shift the space away from the original warm, terracotta colors to a more neutral and cool palette. The color scheme also complements the cus- tom-designed and custom-built rift-sawn white oak StoneHill Woodcraft vanity, which Cowger set in a horizontal direction to fulfll the desire for a serene, natural and Zen-like aesthetic. "I drew all nine drawers the same height and two doors of equal height that lined up with the drawers," she says. "This design refects balance and continuity." European construction minimizes the visibility of frames around each drawer and a bleached fnish satisfes the clients' wish for light cabinetry that was not painted. "The fnish they selected was frst bleached, then lightly brushed with white paint which was quickly removed before being fnished with a protective Asian-Inspired Bath Has Zen-Like Feel BY KIM BERNDTSON A Zen-like ambiance permeates this bath – which was inspired by the clients' frequent trips to Asia – with sculptural elements, a calming color palette and aging-in-place elements. 28 Kitchen & Bath Design News • February 2016 PROJECT CASE STUDY SPOTLIGHT ON CREATIVE, PROBLEM-SOLVING KITCHENS AND BATHS 'NEUTRAL' PORCELAIN TILE Resembles wood and shifts the space toward a cool color palette RECTANGULAR VESSEL SINKS Add sculptural interest and dimension while emphasizing the linear grain of the vanity BLEACHED, RIFT-SAWN OAK VANITY Fulflls the homeowners' desire for a serene, natural and Zen-like aesthetic