When CG&S Design-Build of Austin, TX, was brought in by local homeowners to upgrade an outdated master bathroom, the goal was not only to refresh the space, but to make it feel like a modern retreat — a sanctuary within their own home. “The clients didn’t feel like the master bath matched the rest of their home,” explained Sara Hadden, project designer at CG&S Design-Build. “They felt like it was somewhat thrown together. The home has cooler tones and the original master bath had red tile. While the general layout of the bath worked, they also needed a dressing zone inside the bath as to not disturb the sleeping partner in the bedroom.”

The homeowners were drawn to earth tones and cool colors, which they felt were more consistent with the finishes in the rest of the house. In keeping with this idea, the floor tile in the bathroom, StonePeak Ceramic Inc.’s Land collection in “Infinite Brown” in 12- x 24-inch pieces, was chosen particularly because it blended well with the concrete floors throughout the rest of the home.

For the top and bottom of the shower, CG&S Design-Build chose a 12- x 24-inch tile from Interceramic’s Spa collection in “Glossy White.” The smaller white tile applied is Daltile’s Color Wave block random mosaic in “Ice White” with a 3-inch width and a random height. Functional elements in the shower, such as the back of the nooks and the seat top of the triangle bench, are tied into the overall design through the consistent use of Caesarstone in “Blizzard,” also showcased on the double-sink vanity. The Caesarstone — used also in the shower — was supplied by Alpha Granite of Austin, TX. 

American Olean glass solid tile in “Fountain Blue” was then selected in 4- x 12-inch pieces for the tub and showerhead walls. A standard sealant, Sealer’s Choice Gold by Aqua Mix, was used throughout and all tiles were supplied through Schroeder in Austin, TX.

Of course, a major bathroom overhaul does come with its share of obstacles. One challenge was installing the glass tile. “Glass tile is fragile so any time a hole needed to be drilled for things like hardware there was always a risk of breakage,” said Hadden. “Additionally, the design called for floating metal shelves above the tub. The shelves were first mounted to the studs, then dry walled and then the tile placed around them using the grout line to create seamless shelve-to-tile transition. Lastly, the tile work needed to be completed first before the tub could be installed due to the very small space between the tub and the wall.”

In the end, all issues were overcome and CG&S Design-Build’s hard work paid off. As Hadden explained, “The clients are very happy to have a master bath that, in their words, now feels like a master bath instead of a room filled with leftovers.”