A full-on view of their master bathroom greets William and Samar Langhorne every time they climb to the top of their Georgetown house. Visible from the staircase as well as the flanking bedroom and walk-in closets, the glass-enclosed space shows off a sculptural bathtub and a pebble-lined shower like artwork in a gallery.
“It’s not for shy people,” says William Langhorne, 38, a professional race car driver. “We wanted to maximize the openness and make it as sleek as high-end automotive design.”
The exposed bathroom, part of an addition designed by D.C.-based Rixey-Rixey Architects, may be awkward for guests. But the wall facing the stairs is fitted with electronically controlled “smart” glass so its transparent surface can turn opaque at the flick of a switch.
Sliding doors pull out from the walls to close off the sides of the room. The toilet, which also functions as a bidet, is in a private cubicle.
The Langhornes enjoy pointing out such features, knowing that they are at the forefront of bathroom design trends. “We like bright, light feeling,” says Samar Langhorne, 37, noting the skylights in the ceiling. “When I’m in the tub, I can see the TV and gas fireplace in the bedroom.”
Much like the kitchen, the bathroom is outgrowing its strictly utilitarian purpose to become a trophy space full of designer fixtures. Huge showers with multiple heads, freestanding soaking tubs and multi-functional toilets — the equivalent of gourmet kitchen appliances — are increasingly common in area homes. (And like the six-burner range, the huge tub may be used just as infrequently.)
“People really invest in their bathrooms to make them more open and more like a spa,” says Julia Walter, who manages the Georgetown showroom of Boffi, an Italian manufacturer of high-end bathroom fixtures. Walter sold the Langhornes their “Iceland” bathtub (retail price: $13,260) and eight-foot-long, walnut-veneered “Zone” vanity.
A place for relaxation as much as hygiene, the bathroom is losing its purely functional reputation to become more sybaritic. “It can be a place of escape, so anything that embraces a spa feeling — body sprays, hand-held showers, rainshower heads — is trending big,” says D.C. designer Marika Meyer. “Creating a sense of luxury is key.”
All those bells and whistles can add up to a hefty price tag. The New Jersey-based National Kitchen and Bath Association reports that the average cost of a bath design in 2012 was $18,850, compared with $16,475 in 2011, according to small, unscientific surveys of its member-
designers.
In the Washington area, the cost of a custom bathroom renovation can run much higher. According to Bill Millholland of Bethesda-based Case Design/
Remodeling, expanding a bathroom, moving a toilet, replacing a tub with a shower and upgrading finishes can total from about $30,000 to $100,000 or more, depending on the scope of the project.
Whatever their size, bathrooms are becoming more unconventional, according to the experts. “People are becoming braver. They are more open to unusual combinations of materials and something more personal in their bathrooms,” says Falls Church designer Savena Doychinov, who specializes in bathroom and kitchen renovations.
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