This year’s Best in American Living Award (BALA) winners from the National Association of Home Builders share a common theme: bringing luxury to the bathroom. The winning bathrooms feature high-end remodels, affordable designs, and aging-in-place solutions, all with a focus on extravagance.
As one of the most important and high-traffic rooms in the house, the bathroom requires precise and deliberate design choices to meet functional needs without compromising beauty. Lighting plays a key role in each of the featured bathrooms, fulfilling functional needs with flair.
Luxury Bathroom Design
Bonnie J. Lewis of Bonnie J. Lewis Design used light as a safety feature and to draw attention to the room’s wall tiles in one of the winning bathrooms. In another project, Randy Hatchard‘s lighting strategy took advantage of reflective surfaces to make the space feel grander.
Creating cohesion with contrast is another trick used to make these projects stand out. Contrast can be achieved through smooth vs. texture, dark colors vs. light colors, shiny vs. matte, and large vs. small elements. This concept is evident in the color and material choices used in the Stoney Scenes bathroom.
Tight spaces and limited budgets challenge designers to think creatively, pushing them toward thoughtful and intentional choices. By carefully selecting coordinated elements, even budget-friendly remodels can exude luxury. In the Stoney Scenes project, Farhad Noory of Royal Premier Homes strategically invested in Versace wall tiles, transforming the space despite financial constraints.
The Modern Classy Coastal Bathroom utilizes LED lighting throughout to enhance depth and create an illusion of expanded space. This lighting works seamlessly with reflective tiles and mirrors to fulfill the client’s vision of a grand bathroom. Randy Hatchard introduced a matte Venetian plaster wall to balance the reflective elements, adding contrast and visual interest to the design.
Related Post: Garden rooms require careful design and planning
In the Modern Organic Aging-in-Place Bathroom, Bonnie Lewis prioritized safety and accessibility without compromising on aesthetics. She incorporated biophilic design principles and strategically placed lighting under the vanity, serving both as a decorative element and a practical night light for late-night use.
Black elements, such as Brizo fixtures and grab bars, provide striking contrast in the bathroom. Careful tile selection for floors and walls prevents tripping hazards.
For the Stoney Scenes remodel, Farhad Noory selected contemporary wall sconces to accentuate material textures and create a soft, ambient glow. Their placement draws attention to the striking feature wall crafted from Italian Versace palm leaf tiles. A full-height mirror further enhances the room’s perceived size, while a black-and-white color palette, punctuated by gold Riobel fixtures, maintains harmony and elegance.
The design adheres to a meticulously curated black-and-white palette, with gold Riobel fixtures as the sole exception. The countertop features a bold contrast, combining sleek black surfaces with white veining. The stone-inspired vanity wall and polished river pebbles in the sink serve as a direct contrast to the smooth marble countertop and walls, creating a dynamic interplay of textures and materials.
The Stoney Scenes bathroom was designed by Royal Premier Homes and features a full-height mirror that enhances the spatial perception of the room, making it feel larger.