Au Naturel: Ode to DC

Though the exterior façade of a couple’s Arlington home dates back to the early 1900s, its interiors have been rebuilt in a fresh, farmhouse style. BCN Homes completed the extensive renovation and in-house designer Claire Matthews worked with the clients to decorate their newly minted spaces-—including the master bath.

“The idea that they wanted to see an amazing focal point when they walk into the bathroom drove the design,” she recalls. “We looked and looked and tried a few concepts. When we saw a cherry-blossom mosaic at Architectural Ceramics, I thought it was a perfect nod to DC. We all loved it.”

Combining three stone varieties, the artistic motif was installed on a wall between the Victoria & Albert tub and the shower. Glass doors on either side of the shower open to custom his-and-her vanities built on facing walls. The gray QuakerMaid cabinets and trim echo the veining in the Calacatta Chablis marble flooring and shower tile, also supplied by Architectural Ceramics.

For continuity, the designer finished the bath with the same five-piece crown molding used in the home’s first-floor rooms and in the master bedroom. “The dentil molding combined with the modern mosaic gave the bath that mix of old and new,” she says.

Matthews custom-designed the lavatories herself, integrating Kohler sinks with marble countertops and backsplashes. “I drew the curve for each backsplash and had them cut,” she explains. Chrome legs beneath each sink were plated in polished nickel to match the Kohler fixtures used throughout the bathroom.

Double glass doors lead from the master bedroom into the tranquil bath. “There was no way we could do a solid door; we didn’t want to obscure the view,” says Matthews. A linen closet and enclosed W.C. are located on opposite sides of the space. In lieu of mirrors, windows over the vanities admit light—and  let the owners enjoy the surrounding greenery.

ARCHITECTURE: Sejun Lee, BCN Homes, Arlington, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN: Claire Matthews, ASID, BCN Homes. CONTRACTOR: BCN Homes. TEXT: Sharon Jaffe Dan. PHOTOGRAPHY: Sejun Lee.

RESOURCES
Architecture, Interior Design & Contracting: bcnhomes.com. Mosaic, Wall, Shower & Floor Tile: architecturalceramics.com. Tub: vandabaths.com. Cabinets: quakermaidcabinetry.com. Plumbing Fixtures: kohler.com. Backsplash Fabrication: europastone.com. Sconces: hudsonvalleylighting.com.

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