Symmetry: The Art Deco Primary Bath

Bold but subtle and full of stunning sleek symmetry, this primary bathroom is tucked inside a beautiful art deco-inspired Chapel Hill townhome design. As a complete renovation and redesign of this bathroom, we layered in pattern-on-pattern features complemented by elevated cabinetry and hardware, together designed to create a visually rich primary retreat with a feel of elegance and a nod to the luxury-forward feel of the art deco style. And of course, it all came together with our signature CFD design of unassuming, quiet luxury that our clients have come to love so much.

A Story of Home

But first, let’s go back to the story of this home and this family. Like many of our clients, they found us during a time of transition. Natives of NC, they departed their home state after college to pursue exciting careers in NYC. Now returning to NC, with their hearts still full of memories made over decades of city life, they brought us in to create a new place to call home - a part of their journey where they could enjoy the rewards of retirement together and also be closer to their family. But with city life as such an essential piece of their history, we knew we would weave the iconic art deco style and hints of classic NY glamour subtly and seamlessly into their home design, merging the most meaningful parts of their life story so far. This primary bathroom is en suite to the primary bedroom (below). Take a tour of that room design here.

The Primary Vision

As we were getting to know these wonderful homeowners, their deep appreciation of quality and eye for artistic detail quickly came to the surface. Much of the home design was inspired by a unique, beautiful pottery collection they own, sourced from artists all over the world and collected over 30+ years of adventures and memories. For them, a design that feels like home includes both rich and subtle color, tasteful shape-forward patterns, lots of highly satisfying symmetry, and layers of visual interest woven carefully into each room.

Let’s Talk Layers

Upon entering the bathroom, there is a beautiful view of the layers that make up this design. While the overall feeling of the room is one of calm and relaxation, there is SO much detail and visual interest throughout every part of the space. From the geometric and three-dimensional shower tile (YUM) to the enticingly detailed floor tile, and that fabulous art deco-inspired mirror (a closer look at that below). The cabinet choice for this bathroom was key to the design magic: rather than a traditional look, we had these custom finished in luxe matte black, and paired them with polished nickel hardware that is both sleek and classic. Topped with a rich dark quartz counter, it is the perfect grounding balance to the livelier pattern and shape throughout the room.

Subtle and Seamless

One of the things we love discovering with our clients is where their true taste and style lie. What do they crave in their surroundings? What colors, forms, and textures speak deeply to them? What brings them true comfort and contentment in the regular routines of daily life? In our design process, we provide a pathway to creating the home that truly reflects them- who they are, and what they love. By getting to know our clients so well, our internal compass leads us to fill their spaces with everything that can bring more joy, ease, relaxation, genuine beauty, and seamless function - not only to the special occasions, but to their day-to-day life. For many of our clients, this takes the shape of a subtle, tasteful luxury that enhances rather than overwhelms. A space that feels complete in every way: high-quality, well-designed, meticulously finished, and truly intentional and intuitive to who they are. We design every home we touch to be unique, a true reflection of the personality and preferences of its owners and the design that will make the day-to-day feel as wonderful as it can possibly be.

A spa-style (and fully accessible) walk-shower featuring three-dimensional wall tile and a generous quartz bench, set against a black marble hex floor tile. Let’s take a moment here for that oh-so-gorgeous veining- it just gets us every time we see this image. Seamless, subtle, and ready to bring a hint of opulence into the day-to-day.

We don’t often include before pictures, but because we KNOW y’all love a good before and after (and this one is particularly satisfying), here’s a peek at the room as we first saw it, prior to the owners moving into the home. And below, the full finished gut/renovation and redesign:

Our first look at the existing Primary bathroom, as it was when the clients purchased the home.

The finished transformation of the space, ready to be enjoyed.

Creating Meaningful Spaces

There is nothing we love more than creating a deeply personal space that is meaningful, incredibly functional, and completely unique to its owners. Spaces that are fresh, beautiful, and design-forward- and that still hold all of the substance and soul of what matters most to each client. Making someone’s home their happy place for life is why we do what we do. We love these clients, and we could not have been more grateful for the privilege of designing this home for them.

If you’d like to see more from this project, we take you behind-the-scenes of the Primary Bedroom design here, and the Sitting Room transformation here. You can also see it on our Portfolio Page.

If this home design is one you enjoy, there’s more to come! We’ll keep taking you through this artistic, glamorous space here on the blog. Coming next- the most stately of breakfast nooks featuring one of our favorite Cat-original custom banquette creations.

We’re so glad you came over to hang out with us on the CFD blog today. Curious about our process? Check out more about our full-home design process here. Want to get to know our team? Check out our decades of design experience and how we make your home one-of-a-kind here.

Have questions about designing your own dream space? We’d love to help. Start here at our contact page. Or, feel free to just give us a holler anytime at hello@catfrenchdesign.com.

And, if you’d like to follow along for more in-the-moment happenings and goings-on of this bustling design team, you can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest!