Hmmmm....think it would fit in the overhead.....? :-)

Pharaoh,

First, the bling factor...you nailed it in spades...or better yet you nailed it in crystals. (sorry)

Second, the execution? It looks like a very well-crafted room.

Bravo on the woodwork. I love the fact that you maintained the grain across the front of the vanity, the finish truly brings out the beauty of the wood grain. I've done several wood showers, and you'll have no trouble as it appears you paid attention to details on this one. As long as the back of the wood in the shower was treated the same as the front, you'll have no moisture-related warping/cupping due to uneven absorption of moisture into the wood.

With the front of the vanity, I love how you kept the clean lines (no face frame), I like the towel cubby on the right side instead of having a drawer front or cabinet door on the right, and then, to prevent the drawer/door from contacting the glass tile, having to use a filler strip that might otherwise clutter the clean lines on the front of the vanity. Very nice.

The level of craftsmanship in fit and finish on the all of the wood looks to be top-notch.

The crystals in the wall tile bring back a memory of a bathroom I did that was all glass mosaic on the walls, in random spots on each wall I set crystals in place of a mosaic. Each crystal was back-lit by a fiberoptic glass fiber. The fibers ran back to a light generator. The owner could program the crystals to be lit up in a pattern or in random fashion, and the emitted color could be changed as well. It looked pretty cool, but it was a pain to design and build. Thats about as blingy as Ive ever gotten.

Your bath is so well finished, but with you having so much bubinga left overhave you considered a couple of more details? I did read where youre going to do some work on the door. How about totally reworking the bathroom door? For a very reasonable price you could get a woodworking shop to slice some of your bubinga into 1/8" to 3/16" veneers on a bandsaw. You could then veneer the inside face and inside edge of your door with bubinga. Case (trim) the door frame with bubinga as well. You most definitely have the skills to carry that off.

One other thing Ive done is made wood HVAC register covers and wood light switch/outlet covers. A bubinga vent cover over your door might look nicer than the painted white one. Possibly the same with the light switch and outlet covers, but there comes a point where "accent" details become more than just accents and more of a focal point. But you have lutron-style outlets, and those are definitely easier to craft in wood than the standard duplex outlet-style covers.

The casement window, it looks like that has bubinga trim? The white (metal?) casement frames inside the bubinga frame sort of catch my attention. Think about painting the metal frames a darker color, something that might match the color of the bubinga.

Things can look different in person versus from photos, and those are personal preferences that you might not care to employ. Nothing is meant as a critique. Im too over the top about your design and execution skills to be critical, and Im not even a bling fan!

Your bath is gorgeous, the design elements are well integrated, the woodwork impeccable, you have such a fine degree of finish in that room, thats only why I mentioned the things I did.

Im always on the lookout for sources of decent led lights, and I read that yours are from IKEA. Are they rgb/changing color or are they a single color? Continuous strips or intermittent bulbs?

Consider me a fan. Im really looking forward to your "sedate" master bath. Will that be done by Christmas? Best, Mongo

what a lovely space!!

Stunning. It's all beautiful. I love the design of the vanity and the mix of glass, marble and wood textures. Your guest will never want to leave.

pbrisjar - The glass slider is from CRL. It is called hydroslide. Here is a link http://crlaurence.com/ProductPages/H/HYDK60CH_49676-high.html?Origin=
The glass is starphire 3/8" glass. It was somewhat hard to install because our walls are not square and the clean look requires very tight tolerances.
One thing to note is that one panel is fixed and one slides

Mongo- a like and appreciate all your comments. Some great tips on the the accent pieces. Now you have made more work for me :) I thought that this bath was done....
Now you tell me about the fiber optic idea. We could have easily out that in the grout line and have the tips poke out! wow that would have been bbbbblliiinggy!
Your compliments truly mean a lot.

Master bath? sure christmas ... of 2010 maybe. I have to make shoji screens in large numbers.

Whoa-yowsa!

Cor ... Blimey!

Well, cor, Ah do say now guv'nor you've out done yer self.

So, as THE patron saint of quiet tones, pale or clear glass, mild stones and detester-in-chief of "woody-woods" that I freaking LOVE your vanity, shower panel and in particular the window trim?! In fact, looking at your photographs, the only thing that assured me that I am indeed who I think I am (viz patron saint of quiet, pale, clear or grey colours) is that my response was merely a bewildered "okay" on your bling-y swarovski inserts ;-)

SHucks, I even j'adore your in-construction pictures of that vanity. But I absolutely am thrilled by the window trim. Somehow that wood looks so refined and so masculine (in a good way, as opposed to grrr-left-toilet-seat-up-again masculine way) against the glass tile.

Speaking of which, did I read somewhere that you're selling 107sq ft. of the glass tile? Coming to Boston any time, perhaps? I'll take those off yer hands in a heartbeat ...

Question - could you explain - where is the marble and where is the glass tile? Gorgeous marble that, btw.

mindstorm,

That's what great design and great execution does...it makes you like things that you don't like! Because it's done well.

pharoah,

One of the cooler countertops I did was fiberoptic threads cast into a charcoal black concrete countertop. When the room lights were dimmed, the countertop just had this really cool amorphous shimmer to it.

Based upon the setup I did on the bath walls, I also thought that you could do a great effect with lower lumen leds behind regular glass mosaic 3/4", 1", or even up to 2" squares. A very low lumen led, and you could get a subtle, relaxing, shimmery, zen-like effect on walls in a spa-like setting.

I used to have a source for reasonably priced led strings, I have to revisit that company.

mindstorm - glad the patron saint liked my work :) I am selling the tiles on CL but if I dont get any takers, I may spam this website :) They boxes are very well packed and can be shipped..
The white marble is on the floor and on the large wall of the shower. The other two walls of the shower are bubinga. The rest of the bathroom is glass tiles.

Mongo, wow you have great lighting tips. as we say, lighting is everything !
My LEDs cycle through RGB. They are strips with close spaced LEDs. I am intrigued by LEDs and fiber optics. Once in Hongkong at the annual flower show, there was a display where the pavers were embedded with fiber optics. It looks magical!
I will be looking for zen like lighting effects for my masterbath.

Pharaoh & Mongoct, you are both awesome! I was pondering the window & door also, and love the veneer idea. In addition, maybe with the veneer, make a vent cover as part of the door design, to the ceiling, maybe the header to the grout with the crystal cutouts and loovers to the ceiling or the whole door visual, floor to ceiling wood, with loover and crystal cutouts. The window interior dark also, veneer or very dark metalic, lucite crank with crystal, or glass tile the frame, ok, I'm getting carried away..... I want to find out more about the optic or LED to light my boudoir art seascapes. Looking at Dioder, I don't understand how the strips or buttons are installed coming two off each side, how do you hide? I had pictured them connecting end to end?

Bodica,
lucite, cutouts, this bathroom will never get done:)

Dioder strips can be attached to each other for a straight line or with wire connectors to turn corners. Then there is a power cord with the controller.

Perfect, Thanks!

Perfect, Thanks! The Dioder picture confused me with the two light plugs on each side of the power bar, guess they arranged just for a symmetrical shot.
Have you and yours taken time to actually enjoy your beautiful bath?

Incredible. Stunning. What is so impressive is that this is a DIY. This should be featured on a decorating/home improvment show. Your sense of design and execution is amazing.

As one PP suggested I would change the white metal vent above the door to a nice wood one. The room is so lovely that one thing in builder's grade really sticks out.

mindstorm, in case you are looking for glass tile, I got mine from builderelement.com (it was custom made).Excellent service and quality! I am amazed at the manufacturing flexibility they have.
bodica, not yet, I need to caulk the shower still :(

dilly-dally, thanks! i know, these elements are necessary but hard to disguise and nice ones take time and effort to make :)

OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! Your bathroom is amazing! We (I use that term loosely...the GC) just had to rip out our master bathroom when they found a leak during our kitchen remodel. Our Master Bath is the size of your guest bath (sadly), but if I could walk into something that looked like yours everyday, I wouldn't care that it is on the small size. We are redoing it so quickly so that we have a bath in time for Christmas. After seeing your bathroom, I am tempted to reconfigure ours to look like yours, it is absolutely Magazine Cover worthy! Wish you lived in the SF area. Congrats.

mominthedubc,
My masterbath is not that much larger, 8x12 vs the guest which is 8x8 (with a small closet cut out of it). I dont large empty bathrooms because they feel cold after a shower. I think natural light and artificial lighting are key in making a bathroom seem spacious. of course, choice of materials also make a huge difference in the sense of space.
thanks for the compliment!

Oh no, the pictures are gone! (Well, at least for me.) I came back to this post to look again and ....

Please make them come back!

sorriso,
The pictures are still there. try to right click the image and view.

speaking of bling, check this out... bling in the faucet. dont like the gold...

Wow, that is one gorgeous bathroom. It looks like it has jewelry for decor. The bling is definitely there!! Congratulations.

Someone said they could not think of a word to describe this bathroom. I think I have a good one:

DIVINE

That bathroom is simply divine!

Kompy

big sigh - simply brilliant.

kompy, 'Divine' Design and candice O. have been inspirational. I think I will send them some photos to say thanks.

I also love their quirky (canadian) humor :)

Tres chic! Love the faucets. Cool toilet too. Bravo.

Just saw this -- I think Candice will approve. :-)

Pharaoh, I have a followup question: what sheen Waterlox did you use? Medium sheen or Satin?

Thanks :)

OH, and two more further followups: what's your favorite method for applying it to large flat surfaces?

And after the final coat, did you just let it be or did you steel-wool it? Did you go for an incredibly smooth finish?

Thanks again...I have some CVG fir doors and trim I need to finish, including our front door (inside) - I want it deliciously smooth but not tooooo shiny.

Unbelievable!!!! The wood and the glass tile with the chrome accents are my favorite things. The whole room is absolutely stunning. Congrats!!!

fly, i am a waterlox fan. I use it everywhere. i experimented with at least 10 different varnishes, polys etc. Nothing comes close to the depth that waterlox gives to exotic wood.

I use a marine varnish in high gloss. It is a lot of work to make it look good for a large surface. I tried to spray but i hate the process. it makes a huge cloud of flammable fumes. I just havent been able to spray well.

So I sand to 320 grit first. Then apply one coat of waterlox sealer. Then dry for 1 day. Then sand lightly to 320 grit. Wipe, apply waterlox marine varnish. then let dry for one day. repeat four times!

Then do the other side :)

If you want a medium sheen, do all coats in gloss and the last one in medium.

I have to say that depending on temp, humidity etc the finish comes out different. My mirror frame is mirror smooth and shiny. The large shower panels are dimpled, that is another story but it is fine with me.

Nice thing about waterlox, if it scratches simply apply another coat!

I use cheap sponge brushes to apply waterlox. I dont like the hassle of cleaning bristle brushes in solvent etc.

Make sure you dispose of the rags,brushes properly...

How did I miss this? Sheesh it's drop dead gorgeous (and I'd expect nothing less from you).

But...gad I hate butts..can we talk about that little vent above the door? Hve you considered maybe seeing a local glass (stained glass supply) shop and maybe getting something custom for that (ie an opaque glass cut with vents that might disapear into the wall a bit more?) If nothing else, a white regio register painted to match in a custom design....

Ohhh and I must learn more about that shower door? Where did you find that set up? I've never seen it and love how clean it looks (and probably stays due to the lack of runners).

pharaoh, thanks so much for the details! I'll follow your instructions precisely. Mongo gave the same rec to do first few coats in gloss, and last in satin, so you're in good company :)

igloo, thanks...
I guess too many folks have been offended by the contractor grade vent! I will replace it with a glass kinda thingy...

The shower door is here http://crlaurence.com/ProductPages/H/HYDK60CH_49676-high.html?Origin=

It is from crlaurence- hydroslide. The installation was somewhat difficult. It is very clean looking indeed. framless for sliding doors...

Fly, make sure you work in a well ventilated area. that stuff is smelly! Once you go waterlox, you will never go back to waterbased finishes :)

OH I know already, pharaoh -- I have it in an area I can shut the door to, at least, and open the window in there to let it vent.

A question re the door: did you set up your own account (and how did they handle your DIY status?) or did you go through a distributor? I'm in the market for a door like that for the downstairs bath and I do really like that mechanism.

Fly, i dont own a business so they dont deal directly with me. I used a local glass maker who is a friend and orders what i need from them , also makes the glass per their specifications.
The DIY installation was quite tricky and took a whole day and it is still not quite right. I have to rehang it which will take another day :)

ok, i will spill the beans, while adjusting the sliding door, i managed to shatter it :((((( Explode is the correct word!
So now i can say that i have had a tempered glass door explode in my hands. And the force with which it explodes is tremendous. I have glass embedded in my gorgeous bubinga panels. i have to sand it and apply another cost. arrggghhhhh...

Ouch!!!!! Oh that sucks. I hope only the wood got hurt and not the adjuster!

:) The adjuster was unhurt, at least physically. The ego, of course, has been hurt, embarrassed and irritated...

Took hours to remove all the fine glass pieces (they look pretty)...

Homey,

here are couple of views of the floating vanity being built. It shows how the back is built of solid wood frame to support the weight.

I used pocket holes to secure all the pieces together.
The back is open for plumbing.

One end of the vanity has a book shelf :)

(The plywood box is just a prop (not part of the vanity)

pharaoh,

great job! i love how you took it al the way--you sure arent' timid with your accents. i just finished a bathroom renovation and i am definitely missing the bling factor--way to go!! two questions (which may have been asked previously, but the posts are too long to read at this point):

1. where did you purchase your chandelier/pendant light?
2. are those ann sacks glass subway tiles?

beautiful and daring! thanks for sharing.

nolamom,

This was a statement remodel for me. although i did restrain my color and material choices. it is easy for me to use many colors, textures, materials in the same space, this time around I decided to really keep it clean looking.

send me an email and I can share the sources.

The glass tiles were custom made overseas. I am selling the left overs so if you are in socal you are welcome to take a look.

Wow.

I write five blogs a week on kitchens and bathrooms, so I am always looking for something that interests me. It takes up a lot of my time, and the rewards, thus far, have been rather meager, but I keep telling my wife that it has value, if only because of the ideas on the Internet that I can put to use for our own remodeling projects. Right now I'm working on a home theater, then it's a kitchen and two bathrooms. Small, cramped bathrooms that probably don't even look as good as the one you started with! So, seeing what you did with your project just gives me an incredible shot in the arm! The way you matched the wood and the wonderful use of an innovative basin sink and glass countertop just blow my mind.

Of course, now I don't dare show these pictures to my wife! No, actually, I will show them to her because they are very much a step in the direction I would like to go with our own plans. In the end, I would want what you achieved--something different that still, somehow, has a logic all its own. It's a terrific remodeling job, and you have much to be proud of. Congratulations!

hi pharaoh,
i read you got the light fixture on ebay. i wish i had incorporated a little extra sparkle in my daughter's bathroom. but at the time of making these decisions, it was going to be a masterbath (in a mid-century modern home). since then, my daughter switched rooms with me and my husband. i'm thinking of getting a more reflective glass tile for our bathroom now, after being inspired by yours. ann sacks has one that is very similar. i can't wait to see all of your future projects!

your work is truly amazing!!!!

What can I say? I never liked bling until I saw your bathroom! Amazing craftsmanship. You are an artist. congratulations on a job superbly done. I might steal some ideas from you (if you don't mind) - I was going to put glass mosaic tiles in my bathroom, now, I might go with something like yours. And definitely got to have a contemporary chandelier like yours! I am huge Candice Olson fan too, so maybe I will look into the products designed by her too. You are an inspiration.

TTT

Everyone HAS to see this...it's just too stunning not to see!

Pharoah - I have to echo all of the above comments, you should be very proud of yourself.

One question I didn't seen answered above, where did you find those knobs?

Thanks!

Thread is still alive!

Here is the link to the knobs
http://www.kitchen-cabinet-hardware.com/knobs/square-knob-10-16-cc-in-polished-chrome-_WLD-M1166.php?n=1&query=WLTOPM1166

Happy to report that the bling is still sparkling. just requires a little more effort to keep the crystals and glass sparkling. The white marble has stood up well...(although the shower doesnt get a lot of use).

Pharaoh, How are the Hydroslide tub/shower doors working out? They look as if they'd be the answer to a lot of problems, but I've seen no reviews from folks who have installed or lived with them. Thanks for being our scout in fabulous land!

The hydroslide is overall working well. There was one issue that I had to solve myself.
Since the doors are frameless, the water containment is dictated by the slope of the bathtub rim. They provide a small curb that you can attach to the tub so that water doesnt spill out. I still found some water leaking out so i had to get a taller curb.

Apart from that i find it very easy to maintain. Since only one of the panels is movable, you can enter the shower only through that door. It takes some getting used to.

I AM SPEECHLESS!!!!! Ditto everything everything everyone else said! I am in awe. I am a left brained design clod, but I do recognize genius. I am stuggling to dwsign 5 bathrooms and a kitchen with only two weeks to prepare for our newly constructed home in Irvine. Our two bedroom filled with mold was torn down to the concrete slab and has gone up faster than I expected. Any tips, help, suggestions, this peon will fall to her knees. I really know nothing about gardenweb protocol as I just joined and you are my first message. I am overwhelmed and don't want to go to a tile design showroom where I get the most recent 'in' Tuscan look ir white carrera marble design. How do you come you with such great ideas. I have sat in Barnes and NOble and looked through magazines...lthe saddest part is I'm married to a contractor and his design sense is more outdated than mine! We both just stared at yours and said...ooohhh.......aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!

wlkr,
thanks! and welcome to the forum. This is the best place to get advice, help, warning, and sometimes even criticism. But overall people have done some incredible renovations with the help of commoners as well as experts (bill, mongo, et al)

My sources are inspiration are TV shows like candice olsen, magazines - met home, dwell.
also website such as trendir
I also go to design homes which are pretty common in urban areas.
I usually start with materials and a theme. I wanted to use glass , crystal, wood and marble. The design just evolved from there.

Feel free to post you ideas here or email me. I recommend 6 months of designing before you embark on a bathroom renovation.

Came here via Apartment Therapy and was soaking up the images and tips. Then you mentioned your plan for an Asian-inspired master bath...if anything beats bling in my book, it's Asian style--any pics available for that?