Alfred Street Carriage House Bath, Brush Park
Photography: Martin Vecchio Photography
This impeccable master bathroom belongs to an 1879 Brush Park carriage house, where trees previously grew in rooms exposed to the elements before the top-to-bottom renovation. Above the contemporary freestanding Ceric tub by Kohler, a section of exposed brick became the starting point for the design, paying homage to its history and serving as the inspiration for the terra cotta and gray color palette. The new vision brings pattern, texture, and a refined, modern aesthetic to this spacious 98-square-foot bathroom, primarily through the creative application of interesting and unexpected surfaces. For the backsplash wall, Terrazzo was selected for its traditional application in historic buildings; this terrazzo, however, not only had the right historic colors but also a uniquely contemporary look with larger stones mixed into the cement.The floor pattern was hand-drawn by Anahi and incorporated Colore floor tile by Ann Sacks; a masterful installer implemented the plan with exact precision, hiding the drain with the kind of finesse only highly skilled, creative and devoted installers are capable of. Creating a quiet push-pull of contrast and coordination, the designer achieves a cohesiveness that avoids feeling matchy-matchy: a black marble counter references the sleek black fixtures by Jason Wu for Brizo; the shimmering terrazzo wall plays off the geometric floor tile; and the shapely curves of the fixtures speak to the arched niches in the shower and wall. The project was completed in August, 2020.
- Detroit Design Awards 2021: First Place – Interior Use of Tile
- Detroit Design Awards 2021: Third Place – Historic Renovation (50 Years and Older)
- Ann Sacks, The Insider: A Case for Colorful Tile by Sophie Donelson
- Cover of Detroit Design Magazine: Summer 2021, 17th Annual Detroit Design Awards