2006 Bath of the Year: Small Wonder

The challenge at hand in this Grant Park bathroom was sizeable—because the space was not. What’s more, while it measured a mere 42 square feet—six feet wide by seven feet deep—the ceiling soared to nearly 12 feet, giving it the potential to feel more cramped than cozy.

Because the bath is sandwiched between two other rooms, there wasn’t the option of expanding the space. Nonetheless, Sarah Higdon made it more visually spacious by using a single-finish surface throughout: Gold marble appears on the walls, the floor, the vanity and, of course, the double-seated shower (replacing an old tub, which was the impetus for the remodel in the first place). And to prevent the single material from seeming monotonous, Higdon used creative patterns and placements to keep things interesting.

In any renovation, says the design pro, it’s important to retain and honor the character of the house. “But with a bath redo, often every surface will be new,” says Higdon. “That was the case here, with the exception of the ceiling and the original door. However, we still managed to retain an architecturally appropriate design. When I walked into the house and saw [the original] wood trim and molding, as well as the proportions of the room, it inspired some detailing with the tile installation that made the room work.”

Higdon readily admits, too, that she had dream clients to work with. “[One of the owners] is a designer, so he had specific ideas of what he was looking for,” she says. “From me, the clients were seeking expertise on details and how to use the material they’d selected. It was a fantastic collaboration. They understood, perfectly, that—in a renovation—there are some things to be held onto and some that you might want, or need, to trade off.”