Natural Wonder

The walk-through shower features slate walls, a granite seat and a river fock floor with starlight LED lighting in the ceiling. After photos by Yerko H. Pallominy

Remodeler and architect: Landis Construction Corp., Washington, D.C.

A dramatic, glass-tiled curvilinear wall, accented by a floor-to-ceiling water feature rather than a conventional doorway, marks the transition from the bedroom into the new master bath in this 42-year-old residence in Potomac, Md. This open design permits the soothing sound of water spilling onto a pool of rocks and the bathroom's unique blend of contemporary and rustic finishes to be shared with the bedroom as well, lending the totally remodeled owner's retreat the soothing, Zen-like ambiance the homeowner desired.

"She wanted the bathroom to feel as though it was outdoors," says remodeler and architect Chris Landis, co-owner of Landis Construction Corp., the Washington, D.C.-based design/build firm responsible for the project. "In this case, we had a client who was looking for something out of the ordinary, and fortunately, she was committed to spending what she needed to in order to achieve those results."

Before

Landis' director of design, Armin Bondoc, served as lead designer for this project. One of the biggest challenges of the open design was to make sense of the flow between all of the spaces. The backdrop for the water feature, for example, serves as the interior perimeter wall of the shower and separates the water closet from the dressing and bathing zones.

The new dressing area includes in-floor electric heating zones and two counter-mounted sinks atop a granite slab.