Bathroom

A Japanese hinoki bowl and stool from Mjölk sit next to a custom hinoki bathtub by Bartok Design in the tub room.

The sauna is a decidedly Scandinavian touch.

A modular shelf system by Alu provides a more sculptural take on the classic bathroom vanity in this Toronto home.

The Burkes eliminated glare by minimizing the number of windows on the east and west sides of their house. On the south, though, windows are taller and offer views of trees even though the house is in the heart of downtown Charlottesville. The direct light that enters through the flanks of the house is mediated via a sophisticated array of blinds, tints, a trellis calibrated to cut light from April through August, and several bald cypress trees that provide shade in summer but lose their leaves in winter, allowing light (and heat) to infuse the house. Baby cypress trees, about nine feet tall, should cost around $100 each at your local nursery.

The sauna-like bathroom is made of cedar and features fixtures from VOLA.

In the master bathroom is a reclaimed, cast iron tub that creates the feeling of soaking in the outdoors without interrupting moments of repose.

The powder room is a retreat from the main living areas. The firm set off the Victorian ash storage and mirror unit by surrounding it with black hexagon tile. A "sky tunnel" in the ceiling floods the room with natural light.

Master Bath shower

The master bath also received a new materials palette, including tile from Mosaic House, lights from Apparatus and Workstead, and tadelakt plaster walls and ceiling, which the designers say "feel simultaneously consistent with other home elements, yet fresh and forward."

The floors are Surface Gallery terrazzo gray tiles. A tiled bench was added in consideration of the clients who plan to retire in the home.

In the bathroom, the shower stall looks up to the open sky.

A central bathroom features a tiled bathtub under a skylight. The walls are covered in a glossy white tile, and the floors with a geometric blue and white matte tile.

As with the kitchen island bench and the cabinetry for the media unit, the bathroom vanity was custom designed by Studio Jackson Scott and built on-site using Australian Blackbutt.

The bathroom set-up echoes that of the kitchen. A single-bowl, apron-front sink sits on a thin steel shelf, with exposed plumbing and separate hot and cold taps. The tall, slim inset mirror conceals a medicine chest in the bottom portion.

White penny tiles reflect natural light in the bathroom.

The bathrooms are reminiscent of a luxe spa with sleek fixtures and soothing amenities like a soaking tub.

The guest bathroom features bright turquoise Arcilla Field tiles by Ann Sacks and brass fixtures and fittings that will develop a patina over time. A skylight above the shower provides natural light and brightens the room.

Architect Charlie Lazor designed this peaceful, lakeside prefab in Ontario, Canada, with a Japanese-style bathroom clad in richly stained teak with a matching tub and sink by Bath in Wood.