Designer Touch – Sea-Side Dreams

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A masterful master bedroom and bath makeover make the most of a lakeside view.

Photography By Stephani Buchman

Nestled among the charms of downtown Oakville, this three-level townhouse boasts picture perfect lakefront views, with sailboats and swans bobbing by daily. The aquatic outdoor scenery became a natural source of interior inspiration, with each room designed to frame the vistas and invite them in. Here’s how we achieved this serene marine esthetic.

The natural place to start was with the home’s colour palette, which organically tended toward the tranquil tones of the sea. In the master bedroom, we opted for gentle cream, grey and seafoam, complementing the outdoor views and welcoming the lakeside life in.

MARINE-INSPIRED SELECTIONS

Every room demands a focal point to anchor the eye. In this master bedroom, it’s the fireplace. To make this a true statement piece and tie it together with the home’s prevailing nautical theme, we faced it with multi-tonal mosaic tile that shimmers in the light, inspired by waves catching the sun. The bed also became a dramatic focal point for the room, with its charcoal-coloured, upholstered and tufted headboard. Positioned on the main wall opposite the fireplace, this large, king-sized headboard brings balance to the room. Underfoot, the hardwood floor was softened and warmed with an oversized custommade area rug, which brings texture and complements the cream-andseafoam colour scheme. The rug is large enough to cover most of the floor’s surface, unifying the sitting area with the sleep zone.

On either side of the fireplace, a pair of mirrored closet doors, accented with oval crystal knobs, bring a much-needed touch of sparkle. The mirrors are as pretty as they are functional, bouncing light and views around the room to make it appear larger than its actual size, while delivering stylish storage space.

NATURAL LIGHT

On the adjacent wall, a bank of windows features a pair of French doors in the centre, flanked by two stationary windows. For privacy and light protection, we installed Hunter Douglas woven shades in a grey-green tone to complement the colour scheme when closed. But with this spectacular view, the shades are usually opened, so we framed the view with decorative pinch-pleated drapes in a soft textured fabric, echoing the prevailing creamand- seafoam colour palette.

SIMPLY LUXURIOUS

Attached to the master bedroom, the ensuite bath follows the same airy esthetic with 12-by-24-inch marble floor tiles that lighten and brighten the space. The luxury continues with the addition of a large steamshower, complete with a rain-shower fixture and wall jets, and heated floors for pampered and toasty toes. A minimalistic custom double vanity with oversized drawers adds simplicity, sensibility and storage space. Above the vanity, we installed an oversized mirror with integrated sconces, for visual interest.

DESIGNER NOTES

This master retreat makeover was part of a much larger home renovation and reorganization. We moved the master bedroom from the third floor to the second, which once housed the family room. We also added some space from an adjoining room and closet in order to create a large master bathroom and master closet. This provided for a more practical layout, putting the two older children on the top floor with two bedrooms and a large adjoining bathroom.

GET THIS LOOK

Think about where you spend your time, and invest space accordingly. Consider re-jigging your floor plan, and don’t be afraid to take some square footage from secondary rooms to create a luxury retreat that dreams are made of!

A cantilevered bench seat of quartz was added as a restful place to relax in the steam shower. A bench like this requires steel supports to ensure stability, so consider this option when planning and framing your shower—not as an afterthought.

To achieve this sophisticated seaside style, we combined varying tones of the same colour palette throughout the home. The visual interest comes via the use of contrast. Varying shades of creams, greys and greens, and their combination of light and dark, bring warmth and drama to the space.

SOURCES BATHROOM FLOOR & SHOWER TILE : Ciot; VANITY, MIRROR : custom by Kate + Co; PLUMBING FIXTURES : Watermarks; VANITY SCONCES: Restoration Hardware; BATH WALL PAINT : Lacey Pearl 2108-70 Benjamin Moore; BEDROOM MASTER BEDROOM PAINT : Sea Salt CSP-95 Benjamin Moore; KING BED, DRAPERIES : custom through Kate + Co; CUSTOM AREA RUG, ACCENT CHAIR, NIGHTSTANDS : Cocoon Furnishings; BENCH SEAT : Colette Bench by Crate & Barrel; ACCENT TABLE : Casalife; BLINDS : Hunter Douglas

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