apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Nice. Are the cabinets Kohler as well?

wow.

Wow, this is nice.

As a renter I dont even see this bathroom. For if I did my heart would break. Rather I take notice of the tissue box as that is within my reach (unless it too is Kohler)

this bathroom is twice the size of my kitchen. and twice as shiny.

While I absolutely adore this bathroom, doesn't it sort of defeat the purpose of this site. I mean if I had a bathroom big enough to fit a stand up shower with a seperate soaking tub, 2 vanities, and had a professional designer/architect to design and build it, I'm sure my bathroom would be just as gorgeous. If I wanted to see a bathroom like this I'd pick up a design magazine, not look to AT. Isn't this like the second professionally designed bathroom that's been on AT lately?

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/post-your-baby/readers-bathrooms-miss-ps-starckomania-018971

Not to be a hater, but aren't we all here because of some sort of design issue we must deal with (i.e. small space, no money, building codes, etc.)? If you have enough space and money for good design, how does your bathroom reno help any of the rest of us?

And another WOW from me.

So clean and fresh.
Très serene, I can almost here the echhoooo...

Lacey,

Every little bit helps. High and low. And we often use ideas from higher end bathrooms and translate them into smaller spaces with budgets. Let's not rule anything out!

what a beautiful bathroom!

don't be bothered by those that can't see beyond their scarcity thinking to see the beauty and be inspired by the look and the details.

Why not more pictures? I'd really like to have a 360 degree view of a 27 thousand dollar bathroom. "Designer," "firm," "representation," it all sounds so...uninspired. I'd love to revisit your bathroom in a couple months and see that you've ripped the mirrors off and replaced them with something less intimidating. A new tile job with texture and color might really complement your sink vanity.

All that space and a towel bar right next to the toilet? That always makes me nervous. But at the same time, why is it there?

I know it's easy to be critical but that's why people post their pictures, right?

I think this room has a lot of potential.

the photo looks like it was taken with a wide-angle lens so the room may be a more modest size in real life

If this was my bathroom I'd be very happy, except that I would want to add some happy colour accents...

I know it the thing right now, but I really don't get the separate tub and shower eating up space but no bidet. I'd gladly kill for a bathroom (and budget) that size, but am I the only American out there who still feels that cleanliness is next to godliness?
I've seriously been pondering what I'm looking for a new apartment, and I'd put room for a bidet in the bathroom way up there on my list of requirements.

Wow!!

Source for the sconces? thx...

I think it's very pretty, but I do wonder if it makes more sense to have the hand towels towards the door, rather than on the far side of the room.

And, I'll pick up on P2's theme here a bit and say that I, too, like to see a little art on the walls to bring in a littler personality.

Very pretty, though.

"Little," not "littler."

I agree with Lacey. If I wanted dwell.com, I would have visited dwell.com. Know your target market.

I dont think this is that big of a space. The photo was taken with a wide angle lense, by the realtor...and they know how to make small spaces look big.

I think this is beautiful. I normally like more color on the walls, but I wouldn't change a thing here. It's an inspiration no matter what your budget is.

i know people who LIVE in apartments the size of this bathroom (wide-angle lens or not). what happened to AT as a celebration of all things small and lovely?

To fit what it holds, that bathroom has to be something on the order of 10' long by 8' wide.

So wait...the picture wasn't taken by the person submitting, and it was professionally styled in order to sell the apartment? Or am I missing something? (which is possible, alas, since I'm currently at home with the flu).

Sure, there's always inspiration in high end design, but there's also depression for those of us who will never be able to afford such things--and are happy just to be able to afford rent. I agree that it sort of goes against what I go to this site for, which is to be inspired by people who have made lovely spaces despite pretty enormous odds. It's kind of dreary to have to do the same sort of sorting here--"too expensive," "too expensive," "probably too expensive," "too expensive,"--that I do looking through any home design magazine. I thought this site was a respite from that! I thought the inspiration here was supposed to be from the hard work of other ATers.

Like Lacey, I'm not a hater, but I'm just scratching my head a bit.

I don't agree that the high-end and extremely polished have no room here on AT. I don't think this overshoots the target market, because I think the target audience of AT is far wider than, well, this (stunning, lustworthy, wiiidddeee) bathroom. :)

It's the mix, baby. Inspiration comes at every pricepoint.

And like I said on another recent bathroom, equal or perhaps even larger than this, because it was funkier, earthier and totally DIY, no one played the size card there... I'm still curious as to why not there, and why here...

And if I only wanted to see into the apartments of things I could definitely afford this very minute, I'd just use binoculars out my window. Well, I'd use them for *different* reasons than I do now... ;)

I love that "lil ol'" AT can give Dwell and the shelter mags a run for their money every once in a while!

And Art, re: "I know it's easy to be critical but that's why people post their pictures, right?"

Um, maybe some just do it out of pride...?

I agree that I don't need to see this here, the way it's presented. Maybe if there was a close-up of some helpful detail or idea. Or the owner went into more detail of what she really loves. But this is supposed to be self-explanatory? This feels really impersonal to me, like a brochure picture. And incredibly passive in that the photo's not from the eye of, say, a person, but a firm representing the apartment. To me, this would be more appropriate if you were highlighting Kohler sinks or something like that. It feels like an advertorial page that you've been temporarily fooled into reading, but then realize it's nothing.

That said, I can't wait till the day my apartment gets some representation.

Point taken, P(too), although I was just thinking that maybe it's not necessarily the size or ritz factor that got to me here, and I was wrong to go on like that (so unbecoming!). There have been some incredible submissions that have pretty high budgets, and it would be awful to rule out great places based on some sort of arbitrary price point. You're right...it's a mix...baby. But I think that the mix should have one common thread, which maybe is a little DIY.

I think what seemed to me not to fit here was that this entry was styled and photographed by someone besides the person living their now. Regardless of actual budget, shouldn't each entry ideally be someone's own pictures of their own home as they have chosen to live in it? That's what usually makes this site so interesting: that people are inviting the AT community into their own homes. A realtor's pictures just don't have that same quality: however high or low end the place being shown.

But this is a truly lovely space, agreed...and I'll spend my next wretched flu-wrecked hours dreaming of airing out my sinuses in that lovely glass shower!

Wow, this is surreal. It seems that any post involving a largish apartment, or bathroom, or bedroom brings out the two-minutes hate.

I would ask if people's time was so short that posts that didn't apply to them were really so offensive, but that can't be it, because they can spare the time to post complaints about it.

It's the Internet, there's a lot there that isn't going to apply to or interest you. Just because it's on your computer, in your house, doesn't mean it was tailor-made for you.

This bathroom is a tab bit boring and predictable, seen too many like these in newly renovated apts and new luxary buildings. Nevertheless, it's nice and safe to look at of course, but it's not appropriate for a site like ApartmentTherapy.

Now, give us something to wow about, something new we've never seen before - please inspire us. Next?

That vanity is really lovely...source? I could totally imagine this vanity shrinking down to one cabinet and looking fantastic in a smaller bathroom.

i'm not a hater, but i feel the same as Lacey. This is a really nice bathroom don't get me wrong-- but nice like out of a catalogue. not something i'd expect to see as a personal entry--i can see this as a slink post. Just my opinion.

Hmmm. So, professional pics are too impersonal (though undeniably gorgeous), yet in the first wave of bathroom posts, people complained readily about the poor quality of the pics... (I know what you mean though, and this pic is definitely an extreme, but sometimes it seems there's just no pleasing people!)

re: "one common thread"
I was under the impression that "bathroom" *was* the common thread! :)

To me, construction-caliber DIY is as far-fetched (again, for ME) as a $450 faucet is to others (NOT that I can afford that right now either, but I could see it happening sooner than my framing out a concrete soaking tub with my own bare hands...). We all aspire to different things, another thing I love about AT...

And, while this may not be anyone's favorite, I think calling it "inappropriate for AT" is a bit extreme, no?

So all units in the building have the same bathroom? I know many people just don't want to be bothered by renovation process. For me that's a fun part of living. As a AT entry, I want to see some personal story and creativity. No matter what kind of space and budget, anything done by someone's own idea always inspires me. I love "the world of interiors". Their "high end" is not those ready-to-use condo bathrooms.

finally, a great photo! and the bathroom is great, too (the photo was finally of a decent enough quality that I could actually judge the quality of this space).

Now, tell everyone how you got this photo (and please, I hope it's not "We hired a professional photographer")

Sorry, I take half of that comment back (photo taken by real estate agent). But regardless, it's finally still a bathroom with a good photo that we can judge.

What an interesting social phenomena, that so many of the posts on reader submissions address class issues (high cost vs low, diy vs designer/contractor) and personal lifestyle choice (environmentally friendly vs...kill Bambi?, diy vs designer/contractor) and whether submitters hired a professional to photograph their home.

I like how the deep chocolate accents contrast with and really warm up an otherwise all-white bathroom, and the overscaled tiles work well here. Like one other poster, I do question the placement of the towel bar way back there right next to the toilet.

In the end, rich or not so rich, environmentally aware or not, diy or hire someone, we're all consumers, and we're all (those coming to AT) interested in the aesthetics of our surroundings. For me, this bathroom has a simplicity and calmness to it, and certainly provides decorating inspiration. I believe those qualities are listed under the mission statement on this site. Enjoy your great bathroom, susi, thanks for sharing!

(A side note, the company that designed this bathroom is restoring the old Bear Mountain Inn at Harriman Park, and put in a geothermal heat pump.)

I like it, reminds me of a Boffi ad. I also like having some "wasted" (unused) space. I live in a sort of small place and deliberately designed my bathroom to have some non-functional space, which gave it a feeling of spaciousness that I wouldn't otherwise have. I also like the minimalist color scheme. THanks for submitting; the variety has been nice during bathroom month.

What people are saying is "So its OK to post a photo of your bathroom even though its been designed, installed, styled and photographed by someone else and this photo shows nothing whatsoever done by you??"

I agree people - this is not what AT is about

I think we should all start submitting photographs of beautiful bathrooms in hotel rooms that we have stayed in...(it was my bathroom while I stayed there...) - or just scan photos out of interior books or magazines (I own the book so thats OK...)

i dunno if it's the MONEY that upsets folks, because even in my little brooklyn bathroom i could find a way to spend half a mil in there...easy! hahah, er, if i had half a mil. or even 1/100th of a mil.

i like seeing all these pictures, because i like peeking into people's homes and seeing how they live. it bums me out only a teensy bit that this photo wasn't taken by the homeowner, but it's still a photo i can enjoy ogling at.

for me, it's all about eyecandy and ideas. i just like SEEING things. i don't want to judge people, OR, for that matter, be one to say what this site, AT, is or isn't for. i think it's a site for showing good design...and hopefully along the way we get to see lots of ideas for small spaces, inexpensive updates, and storage solutions. but also along the way is some stellar views into strangers' homes!

that's why i read dwell and met home and watch shows like mission organization! i just want to be a little design-voyeur!

I have changed my posting moniker as there seems to be another art. I wouldn't want people to think it was the same person articulating such opposing viewpoints as the one on 3/13/07 at 9:52.

In my first post my criticism was not so positive. What's the difference between criticising a picture in a magazine and this picture of a bathroom? Is it different because someone has a mortgage on this bathroom?

P(too) mentioned maybe people post pictures simply out of pride and not for criticism. Criticism can be positive or negative just as pride can be positive or negative.

But I'm not judging, I'm only commenting. Commenting on what seems like a page out of magazine to me. I'm sure this picture was chosen by AT simply because of it's design elements. But to most people so far it seems like it has become more than just a picture of a room. The ideas behind that I think are what make up a collective audience who see this site to be about an individual's own creative energy, whether it be expressed in a teeny bathroom or a big bathroom.

By the way,

A previous post mentioned that it would be hard to scale this bathroom down to a smaller version.

It could actually be scaled down quite nicely to fit a very small bathroom. A Kohler Purist wall mounted drawer unit in dark walnut and a countertop in the same or different material in the same color and the same fixtures would do the trick.

It would look better scaled down -- less clinical.

It's hilarious that people are commenting on the personal style and taste of a space where the resident's only contribution was buying it. Even the towel color was the choice of the realtor's stager. For all we know, Suzi has it scattered with mismatched towels and hair-styling equipment.

Violetrose--

I was never under the impression that AT was a DIY site. I think anything is fair game for INSPIRATION.

This is NOT a conetst (is it?!)... so what if this was all finsihed before she moved in? Does that make it any less gorgeous (to those who find it so)?

And re: "I think we should all start submitting photographs of beautiful bathrooms in hotel rooms that we have stayed in..."

A GREAT idea! I stayed at the Palomar in DC, which had a STUNNING bathroom with LOTS of great ideas that anyone planning a remodel could benefit from.

Would I enter it in a contest?
Of course not.

Did it inspire me?
Why yes ma'am, it sure as hell did.

And I don't think this pic was "chosen by AT"... I think htey are posting anyone who submits. And I'm glad of that.

I never said it was a DIY site - but this post is called "Reader's bathrooms - Susi's Luxe Washroom" - impying that Susi is responsible for this bathroom - whereas she's not - she just owns it

All the other reader's bathrooms that have been shown talk about how people changed their bathrooms to make them how they wanted them - people talk about their design ideas - where they got stuff - recommend good contractors - give tips for remodeling - etc etc

This is just a picture of a bathroom that someone bought intact

Yeah its nice for inspiration but as the owner had no input into how it looks in this photo or how it was created the potential for further information sharing is limited

Maxwells book (with the same title as the site) is about making your environment better and doing it yourself (with or without help but with the driving force coming from you) and just showing a photo of something you've bought doesn't seem to follow this intention

No, not all other bathrooms have been reader-created...

I read the title "Reader's Bathrooms -- Susi's Luxe Washroom" and don't read anything into about who actually built the room. I live in a rental... did I design the bathroom? Nope. Does that make it any "less mine"? Nope.

I think you are shutting yourself off from some really great inspiration with your kinda narrow definition of this feature, and of the site in general.

Is it only an AT success story when someone buys a tiny modest home and hand-guts it to feng shui perfection? I disagree that that's the only thing AT is about.

Granted, with the limited information provided, this may not be the sexiest *story* about a bath or bath remodel, but that doesn't mean it's not (to me) one of the sexiest baths we've seen...

For me this site is about the personal aspect of the homes that are posted - there are a million other sites that I use to find pretty pictures