Family-Friendly Bathroom Retreat

When a Kentfield, Calif., family wanted a user-friendly bathroom that would have direct access to their pool and main house, they turned to designer Kathy Geissler Best of KGB Interior Design in San Francisco. Converting part of the family gym into the spa-like bathroom gave the owners the luxurious space they wanted.

Kathy shares tips on how she designed the space to be functional and inviting.

What was the biggest space issue?

The bathroom needed to be guest friendly with supplies such as towels and soaps readily available and easily accessible as in a high-end spa. Addressing this issue ensured that the space would be functional and inviting, making it a special, worthwhile addition to their home.

Described a design challenge you faced.

The bathroom needed to allow multiple people to use it at the same time, while still offering privacy. To address this, we created a center room for changing, with the shower room to one side and the vanity and toilet on the other. The three separate spaces can be used simultaneously and privately, but their designs are unified and open to create a feeling of one large space.

How did the end result match your original vision?

We created a shelf in the changing room to keep supplies accessible, and decided to continue it into the shower room as a cantilevered bench and into the vanity and toilet room as another shelf. It turned out to be a beautiful design feature which enhances the continuity between spaces.