Chaden Halfhill is both a sculptor and a remodeler, so it's only appropriate that his residential designs reflect his artistic side. For this master suite bathroom, the owner of Silent Rivers in Urbandale, Iowa, created an elegant and eye-catching central tower to hold the sink and tub. The young couple who live in the home like contemporary design. But the owners are the parents of one of the spouses, and they wanted to embrace the historical characteristics of the house.
Halfhill found a way to meet all of their needs by combining modern and traditional elements. On the traditional side, he used wainscoting, wood flooring, and white porcelain fixtures. He added modern touches with stainless steel details and glass and steel lighting. The stone slab countertop on the vanity extends past the sink to become a shelf above the bathtub.
Perhaps the most original touch is a two-way mirror between the tub and the rest of the room. “On the tub side, you can see through it and see the closet doors. From the sink side, you see your reflection in a mirror,” Halfhill says. The framed mirror is suspended using tension rods connected to a 2-inch-diameter steel rod balanced on top of the columns.
To provide access to the plumbing and wiring, one segment of the tub's beadboard skirt is a removable panel that is held in place with Velcro.
