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By Donna Heiderstadt

Three designers have earned finalist spots in the Primary Bath category of the Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards 2024. We won’t reveal which project will receive $5,000 for a first-place finish, $3,000 for second and $2,000 for third until the February 26 gala awards event in Las Vegas at KBIS 2024, but we’re previewing all three innovative designs here.

Read on for a look at the top three Primary Bath projects for NKBA | KBIS’s 2024 Professional Design Awards.

Kathleen Donohue, Neil Kelly Co., Bend, OR: “Brentari Bath”

The bonus of this home’s unique architectural features — soaring ceilings, abundant windows, and plenty of space — were countered by one main challenge: maintaining privacy and an intimate feeling within the primary bath while also unifying the space by incorporating the showering, grooming, bathing and toilet areas into a seamless whole. Kathleen Donohue, Design Consultant at Bend, OR-based Neil Kelly Co., took all of these factors into consideration when creating this “luxurious, well-lit and safe retreat” for a client’s retirement home. She chose luxury finishes that will age elegantly with the homeowners and reglazed the traditionally mullioned windows with clear, uninterrupted and insulated glass panes. She also opted for luxury vinyl plank flooring in a non-slip textured wood grain and a natural stone material and matching tile to coordinate the look of the countertops, walls and mosaic shower floor. With age-in-place strategies at the forefront, Donohue opted for a curbless shower entry plus a shower bench and combination stabilization bar/shelf. She also installed a floating vanity on an outside wall while avoiding exposing water supplies to freezing temperatures by creating a marble tiled recessed “plinth” beneath the cabinets so water pipes could be run in conditioned space, and she added under-vanity lighting with motion-sensor control for nighttime safety. The final touch: a contemporary LED chandelier for overall ambient lighting and dramatic effect.

Trish Knight & Co-Designer Nicole Varga, Knight Varga Interiors, Vancouver, BC: “Forever Home”

“This primary ensuite bath was a dream to design!” says Trish Knight, a Partner in Vancouver, BC-based Knight Varga Interiors. “The space is generous and the view across the city is outstanding.” Located in a new-build project, the residence offered enough space to balance the “his and hers” needs of the clients, both in their preferred warm, contemporary style and in their expected usage of the space, she says. This primary bath needed to be spatially functional for both of them as well as quiet enough for one partner to continue sleeping if the other got up early or stayed up late. Both homeowners also wanted the design to offer plentiful storage and to take advantage of the natural light and the view — while also retaining privacy given that there are two large 30-inch windows, one fully inside the shower and the other next to the bathtub. The solution: Smart Glass Windows connected to the home control system, so with one touch the panes go from clear to completely obscured while still allowing light through. To help with sound proofing, the toilet room was placed in the corner furthest from the bedroom behind a solid-core white oak door. Knight also clad the walls in Dekton slabs, bumped out a feature wall centered on a large freestanding black tub, ran a floating bench under the tub window for plants and towels and utilized smoked glass for the shower (which has his-and-her handheld showers set to their preferred temperatures) to give it a larger presence. Storage for both clients is tucked behind vertically clad, floor-to-ceiling white oak columns flanking a sleek floating vanity with a custom integrated Corian sink and counter. 

Melissa Sakell, Anthony Wilder Design/Build Inc., Cabin John, MD: “Treetop Spa”

The main challenge facing Melissa Sakell, an Interior Designer at Anthony Wilder Design/Build Inc. in Cabin John, MD, in this primary bath remodel was creating a minimalist modern aesthetic while also incorporating ample storage space. The clients desired natural materials and a sculptural tub positioned to take advantage of views of wooded surroundings and a river. The main obstacle was that the space’s existing layout wasn’t ideal for the clients’ opposing morning schedules, but that was easily solved by positioning two primary closets between the bedroom and bath to help buffer sound. The storage requirement was addressed by creating a large linen closet near the bath’s entrance and installing two full-height recessed medicine cabinets. Aesthetically, only natural wood tones and a color palette of whites and blues were introduced to create a relaxing, spa‐like feel. A natural walnut floating vanity features an organic texture while steel-blue porcelain floor tile evokes the look of volcanic stone. This focus on natural materials carries over into the shower, which features a low threshold for aging in place and is clad in full-height porcelain slab walls with bold gray veining. Custom 96-inch mirrors above the vanity reflect the skylights and flood the space with natural light. And the view? The requested sculptural stone bathtub sits in front of a floor-to-ceiling window offering an uninterrupted panorama of the treetops outside.