Dream Spaces: 14 Fabulous Indoor-Outdoor Bathrooms
The modern bathroom has become a retreat in today’s busy world, a refuge from the stress of overscheduled lives. The best ones are filled with luxurious touches — steam showers, soaking tubs, TVs and surround sound — plus elegant materials like rich woods and earthy stones.
But if I were designing my dream bath, I know what I’d put at the top of my wish list: a way to bring the outdoors in. I’m talking about adding glass walls and a glass door to the shower, or setting a freestanding tub on a deck (or in a garden) so I could admire the view while I soak. Imagine what it would be like to hear birdsong or the rustle of the trees as you lather up, or smell the roses (or whatever else is blooming) while you loll in the tub.
Not surprisingly, these baths work best in balmy climates. I’m stuck on the snowy East Coast these days, but it’s always fun to daydream. So join me: Check out these 14 bright and airy baths, all designed to showcase Mother Nature’s best work.
Bathers can relax and enjoy the view of the Wine Country in Sonoma, California, from this shapely freestanding tub from Hastings Tile & Bath Collection. (This model is discontinued, but similar styles are available.) The folding black-rimmed metal doors are from Hope’s Windows; they can be opened or closed, depending upon the weather or the soaker’s whim.
This Long Island, New York, house’s spacious interior shower is surrounded by shimmering tiles from Oceanside Glasstile (Tessera in cobalt blue) that pick up the hue of the Block Island Sound in the distance. A door (perfect for letting the breeze in) opens to the deck, where there’s a minimalist wall-mounted shower for rinsing off after a dip.
Fashioned from Indonesian river rock, this solid tub is outfitted with dramatic uplights for bathing after dark. The tumbled-stone wall behind is covered in mesh-backed pebble tile and features a water spout, which was custom made by designer Iwan Sastrawiguna. The handheld shower and faucet are from Kohler.
More Fabulous Indoor-Outdoor Bathrooms
Dream Spaces: 14 Fabulous Indoor-Outdoor Bathrooms
