A Ho Hum Bath Becomes A Handsome Retreat

In its place he wanted a masculine bath that was more traditional gentlemen’s club than locker room. Turning to designer Karen Walker to come up with a plan, Stock presented her with magazine pages and offered up a piece of antique stained glass he bought in London. That window found a home above a new claw-foot tub (Victoria & Albert) that sits alongside a ceiling-height built-in vanity and across from a now larger shower. Walker fit the new amenities within the original footprint, using the existing plumbing lines—smart moves that allowed for high-end luxuries, such as custom cabinetry, an alabaster pendant (Urban Archaeology), and marble floor tile. The result is a vintage-style space that’s stately but simple—and, of course, watertight. Shown: Furniturelike pieces create a well-appointed bath. Glossy and flat painted stripes (Putnam Ivory HC-39, Benjamin Moore) create a humidity-proof wallpaper look in a one-window bath.

Before: Bland Beige

A previous redo updated the space with boring beige built-ins.

Practical Partition

A hutchlike partition (Plain & Fancy) adds storage and hides the toilet; glass shelves keep the space open and airy. A gently distressed finish keeps dark-stained maple from looking stark.

Easy-Clean Bathroom

Marble slab shower walls are easy to clean (no grout lines) and easy on the eyes. A floor-to-ceiling glass enclosure with a doorless design enhances the room’s spacious feeling.

Shower Sanctuary

Chrome shower fixtures (Perrin & Rowe) add to the masculine and sophisticated feel of the space.

Warming Up

A well-placed towel warming rack (Amba Jeeves) brings a touch of luxury to the room.

Shaving Sconces

Sconces with opaque diffusers (Wilmette Lighting) can dim for a soft glow or brighten for shaving.

Faux Window

“Pick a small, meaningful item as the jumping-off point for your design,” Stock suggests. “You already know you love it, and it’ll give the room an emotional focal point.” A stained-glass window that Stock picked up in London, hangs as a decorative accent in front of a new hopper-style unit, and inspired the bath’s old-world feel.

Satin-Nickel Pulls

The gray leading in Stock’s stained-glass window is mimicked throughout his new bath on muted satin-nickel pull and knob finishes (Perrin & Rowe).

Opening Up a Small Bath

An inefficient layout crowded the 8-by-12-foot bath. Arraying generous-size fixtures around the room actually makes the same space feel bigger. 1_Expanded the shower to 5 feet 5 inches by 3 feet 4 inches. No longer butted up against the built-in tub, it got an all-glass, doorless design that lightens up its look. 2_Replaced a half-wall with a to-the-ceiling hutchlike unit with glass shelves that adds storage and screens the toilet. 3_Turned the tub 45 degrees to sit under a new, smaller window across from the shower. With a new glass-paneled door, too, the room gets plenty of light and more privacy. 4_Went with one sink where there were two. The built-in vanity has a leggy, open design that keeps it from looking heavy.