December 27, 2023

Words by Christine Emming | Photos by Nate Sheets

A Downtown Bathroom says Goodbye to Suburban Style

ith a client in a tower condo, Brian Faust of Faust Construction and Dave Herron of herron + partners were dealt a finite amount of space with immovable plumbing.

“We were really limited with what we could do with neighbors on all sides,” Dave says.

The rest of the home had been immaculately renovated, but this bathroom was finished out like a suburban apartment—outdated and not design-savvy. The client wanted to update the bathroom to fit in with the rest of the space.

To create square footage, the tub was eliminated, and its plumbing was used to craft one giant shower and make room for storage space—something the previous facility lacked.
A dramatic, floating walnut vanity was added as a focal point and a storage container. The doors, jambs and vanity are composed of custom-made walnut from Bootlace Design & Build. Walnut veneers were also applied and oriented the same way, even on the doors.

Using large-format tile without many grout joints makes the walls read as one monolithic slab. A similar application to the floor provides a solid, black plane, strikingly contrasting the lighter-colored walls.

Without an exterior window, Dave needed to light the small interior space. He chose a linear recessed channel—an LED fixture that’s mudded into the sheetrock, which gives a clean, one-inch line of light. This robust linear fixture was applied to the back of the shower and squared off above the mirror for a dynamic yet subtle lighting effect.

“That was a big feature,” Dave says. “We were limited on options, but it makes the whole space.”

Architect: herron + partners, @herronandpartners

Contractor: Faust Construction, @faust.construction