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topcoat," she says. "The result was the light coloration they wanted." To incorporate the aging-in-place elements her clients also wanted, Cowger added tap-open mechanisms to all of the doors and drawers. "Each opens with a mere push and eliminates any fumbling with handles or knobs," she says. "As a bonus, the absence of decorative hardware on the vanity emphasizes our clean and serene intention and keeps the fronts of the vanity clean and uninterrupted." Cowger topped the vanity with Caesarstone Wild Rice quartz with a simple, straight profle that maintains a Zen appeal. Its dusty-brown color- ation contrasts with the white oak. "Since the color scheme is tone-on-tone grey-beige, the brown quartz adds a grounding contrast," she says. SCULPTURAL INTEREST To bring in the sculptural interest her clients wanted, the designer added two Kohler vessel sinks, accenting each with a Hansgrohe sin- gle-handle faucet. "The sinks automatically add dimension," she says. "Their rectangular shape emphasizes their stylized lines as well as the linear grain of the vanity." The height of the vessels necessitated the tall faucets, which add architectural and graceful stature. "They also trigger an aging-in-place fea- ture by operating with a single, easy, ergonomic handle," she says. "I also purposely chose an oil-rubbed bronze fnish instead of nickel to add depth and a pop of color." Initially Cowger planned to highlight the sinks with two mirrors, one above each sink. "My rea- soning was more practical than design oriented," she says. "The vanity is 100 inches long and I had frightful visions of installing a mirror big enough to complement it. But during one of my trips to check on progress, we revisited the subject and agreed that one large mirror would refect more light from the windows and just 'feel' better." Cowger edged the single mirror with a MirrorMate frame, highlighted with a faux-fn- ished wood made to resemble bamboo. "That fnish inspired much of the design of the space," she says. "It led to the design of the vanity, its custom fnish and the room's entire coordination of color and texture." SERENE AMBIANCE While city codes would not permit a barrier-free shower – which would ideally suit aging-in-place concerns – Cowger lowered the threshold of the new shower by several inches, making it easier to step over. She also added a shower bench, topping it with a single slab of Wild Rice quartz. "While solid slabs on vanity tops are the norm these days, using them on other areas eliminates a lot of grout lines," she says, noting the addition of quartz to the half-wall as well. The shower walls feature Kenai Sand 12"x24" gray porcelain tile, fnished with a tiny grout line in a coordinating color. "With little or no pattern, the tile maintains a serene ambiance," she notes. "It also has the same value in hue as the foor tile to circumvent any possibility of jolting contrasts or conficting focal points." Initially Cowger planned to set the tile in a horizontal pattern to fow with the grain of the vanity, providing for serene consistency. "But after sketching the shower in both directions, staggered and not, we agreed that there was something regal and contemporary about a verti- cal, non-staggered installation," she says, noting the vertical set also eliminated the need for a horizontal row of grout on the tub skirt, which also utilizes the same tile. Cowger fnished the shower with a foor com- prised of multi-gray and beige Venetian Spliced Pebbles river rock. "It's very spa-like and is a nice accent to all of the rectangular tile," she states. Thinking ahead, Cowger noted placement for grab bars should they be needed at some point in the future. Improved lighting – with two wall-mounted fxtures above the sinks as well as can lights in the ceiling and shower – adds to aging-in-place design and complements the natural light fowing in from the windows onto three walls. "Overall, the whole space is a unifed design," she says. "I strive to design in a way that one's eye frst notices a room as a whole, then sees its gen- eral parts and lastly zeroes in on the details. In this bath, the general parts are the custom vanity and mirror as well as the interesting wood-look foor tile. The details and 'punch' are the vessel sinks, tall faucets and pebbled shower." Cowger utilized 12"x24" gray porcelain tile in the shower, set in a vertical, non-staggered pattern, which provides a regal and contemporary feel. She added a shower bench, topped with quartz, and fnished the foor with spliced river rock. Cowger added tap-open mechanisms to all of the cabinet doors and drawers, maximized natural light, added a shower bench and lowered the height of the shower threshold to accommodate aging-in-place concerns. To add sculptural interest, Cowger incorporated two Kohler vessel sinks, accenting each with a tall Hansgrohe faucet to add architectural and graceful stature. Cowger sheathed the jetted tub in the same tile as the shower for a more serene ambiance throughout. Its vertical set also eliminates the need for a horizontal row of grout on the tub skirt. Photos: Matt McCourtney Photography February 2016 • KitchenBathDesign.com 29