Vacation Home Gets a Wow-Worthy Bathroom

Natural elements pair with earthy hues and aha! moments in a vacation home near the beach

Custom white oak vanities feature ribbed wood and flat-panel drawer fronts, integrated handles and invisible pulls that “stay true to the sleek design of the space,” designer Yelena Gerts says. The steam shower — reflected in the mirror at right on the facing page — is clad in a linear mosaic natural stone.

When renovating their summer residence in Deal, New Jersey, the owners wanted true “wow-factor moments when moving through each space in the 9,000-square-foot home,” says Yelena Gerts, owner and principal designer of House of Style & Design in Holmdel, New Jersey. The renovation encompasses a variety of textures, materials, innovative solutions and more.

The primary bathroom, equally functional and aesthetically pleasing, employs muted earth tones, sleek lines and subtle details for a tranquil, spa-worthy feel. “It’s the perfect example of contemporary timeless design,” says Gerts, an allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers. White oak cabinets feature a combination of ribbed and flat-panel drawer fronts, integrated handles and invisible pulls that “stay true to the sleek design of the space.”

A full slab of green porcelain — visible through the glass-front entry — adds color and “dreamily reflects light throughout the space,” Gerts says. Symmetrical angled glass doors lead to the steam shower at left and the water closet at right.

Custom mirrors with white oak frames enlarge the room and bring the eye up to the skylight above. Linear sconces installed on the mirrors feature cylindrical glass that “relates to the texture in the millwork, creating one cohesive visual,” Gerts says. Polished nickel finishes correlate to the plumbing and decorative metal details that accent the wall behind the bathtub, she adds. Countertops are topped in “snowy white marble.”

Incorporating one central skylight — as opposed to the two that previously existed — reinforced the roofline, flooding the space with ample natural light, Gerts says. It also called attention to the room’s stunning backdrop: a floor-to-ceiling slab of green multicolored porcelain accented by large-format onyx tile. Coupled with the effects of the light streaming in from the skylight, “it creates a truly memorable moment, providing that breath of relaxation immediately upon entering the room,” Gerts says.

The freestanding soaking tub sits on top of wood-like tile that “balances all the white oak used for the custom millwork on the opposite wall,” the designer says. To the left of the tub is a steam shower dressed in a linear mosaic natural stone tile; to its right is a water closet. Both angled glass-enclosed entrances mimic each other for a sense of symmetry and cohesion, “drawing the eye to the picturesque bathtub vignette.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: The story was published in the August/September 2024 issue of Design NJ under the headline “Deal Delight.”
For more bathrooms in waterfront communities, see “His & Hers,” “A Sea of Tranquility” and “Putting on the Glitz.”