Page 52 - Lighting-Magazine-August-2014

East MEEts West

Quintana Wagoner. “They want to live with a visual ex- that the team at DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen in
pression of that afnity in their daily lives, surrounded Colorado Springs, Colo., is also seeing. “People want
by beautiful design in their homes.” a warm, spa-like abode that is welcoming,” says owner
While planning an Asian-style interior, balance is Mark Wite, who handles approximately 50 projects a
ofen the key defning aspect. In addition to fnding year, of which 75 percent are bathroom remodels. He
the right harmony of colors, it’s also important to incor- has noticed that homeowners are opting for stream
porate diferent textures and elements. Adding glass showers with multiple showerheads, tiles on the walls,
partitions, natural stone decorations, wooden foors, music, and built-in televisions.
bamboo blinds, and a few organic textures – as well A bathroom remodel is considered by many in-
as the use of both natural light and lighting fxtures – is dustry experts to be one of the beter returns on
critical. investments a homeowner can make. While costs
Light and water are the prominent design elements can vary – depending on whether the footprint of the
in the Japanese-style master bath suite created by original bathroom is maintained or plumbing lines and
Foxcraf Design Group in Falls Church, Virginia. The electrical wires need to be moved – experts estimate

upscale and
unexpected lighting

Fixtures such as cable

lighting, chandeliers,

a row of pendants

over the sink, or

overhead lighting in
the shower are high in

demand.

The lighting specifed by project – which won a National CotY from NARI in that homeowners reap about 65-percent payback
Foxcraf Design Group for the Residential Bath Over $60,000 category – has a from a bathroom remodel.
this award-winning bath is large open curbless shower that lets natural light food “What we’re seeing in our market is a range of bath-
deliberately understated in from the window and skylight. Using a combination room remodeling projects with master suites ranging
to let the warm wood
cabinetry take center of half and full walls, the shower provides privacy plus from $40,000 to $60,000 that involve a complete
stage. This project won controls at the entrance that allow for the adjustment tear-out of everything, rearranging of fxtures, new
the 2014 National CotY of water temperature before one enters the shower. double vanities, tub, shower, and commode,” Wite
Award for Baths Over The grey and brown colors used on the home’s Jap- says. “Hall bathrooms and powder rooms are usu-
$60,000. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE REMODELING INDUSTRY
anese-style exterior are echoed in the bath through ally about $15,000, when the footprint of the existing
textured wet foor shower tiles, while the cross-cut space is used. What drives the cost is how much you
patern on the porcelain tiles is reminiscent of tree move [things] around, the size of the bathroom, up-
bark and accentuated by the wood cabinetry. Shoji scale fxtures, and plumbing. Many of the professional
screens allow natural light to flter through and provide remodelers surveyed by NARI reveal that today’s cus-
the ability to open and close the access to the dressing tomers want to spurge on comfort items like heated
room area and commode for privacy. foor tiles and towel racks. In addition, upscale and
Bathroom renovations that open up the space to unexpected lighting fxtures – such as cable lighting,
bring in light and employ nature-inspired design ele- chandeliers, a row of pendants over the sink, or over-
ments such as river pebble shower foors is a trend head lighting in the shower – are also high in demand. 

50 enLIGHTenment Magazine | august 2014 www.enlightenmentmag.com