In the kitchen, the couple found barely used appliances instead of new ones to save money. The cabinetry and butcher block counters are from Ikea.

“The bathrooms were conceived as special spaces,” Vázquez says. “We decided to give them some color that would contrast with the main spaces.” A vessel sink by Cubik rests on a custom oak base; the mosaic tile is from Mosaico.

The Studio vanity unit from Swoon was designed so that it works well in both small and large bathrooms, with lots of flexibility in terms of color, basin, wall or floor mount, and with or without a tap or faucet hole for wall-mount or regular faucet locations.

White tiles envelop the en suite master bathroom.

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.

A peek inside one of the bathrooms. Most of the fittings and finishes are bespoke to match the historic architecture.

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.

Bath vanity with Kohler sink, matte black fixtures by Delta and Triple Seven Home. Poured in place concrete sink by us.

Though most of the home's interior comes without a splashy designer's name attached, the bathroom is kitted out with a toilet, sink, and bath/shower from Jasper Morrison's line for Ideal Standard. The cabinets are from an Ikea kitchen system.

The bathroom in the basement.

This unique plywood-and-slate combination makes a great choice for small bathrooms that require a corner bathroom vanity.

Song exhibited these wood vessels at Heath Ceramics. "I first started with the very basic form, which is a bowl," Song says. "While it may seem pretty simple, I feel that it took me months to understand the technical aspects of working with wood and the lathe. After a year of turning, 500 or so bowls and pieces later, I am bit more comfortable but I am many years away from fully understanding the craft."

Tanya Aguiñiga When Tanya Aguiñiga let herself step away from function and focus more on her message, she and her design firm made a critical evolution. “The issues that I deal with in my work vary from the personal to larger issues of globalization and the needs of marginalized communities. Sometimes these solutions take form in the creation of physical objects and other times they are community actions or ephemeral pieces,” she says. She recently displayed her textured, handmade works at Mothering the Form at Volume Gallery in Chicago.

Italian brand Slow Design employs the skills of Tuscan artisans to transform old glass bottles into new decorative vessels with lids turned from local ash and olive wood.

Now working from Istanbul, Müzz Design team’s Erin Türkoğlu and Melodi Bozkurt first met in Pratt Institute's Industrial Design program. Their interests criss-cross from furniture and product to fashion. They introduced their Novela Vessels, a graphical series of tabletop vessels.

“In Spain, there’s the inheritance of the bourgeois [floor plan] that has shrunk over time,” says Luzárraga. “Usually, the toilets have the worst places in the house: they’re not ventilated or illuminated naturally. We think this also has to do with a Catholic culture where flesh is sin. We wanted to turn this around and play with the concept of intimacy. It gives you a lot of pleasure to take a bath, so don’t we do it close to the window with light and air?”

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.

Practice good hygiene (and get a mini spa treatment in the process) with these luxurious liquid hand soaps.

The master bathroom has a bamboo screen and a Deauville tub by Victoria + Albert. A vintage enameled metal sign from the London Underground is framed by the screen and a cactus that sits atop an African stool.

Geometric stonework accents the area around the sink.

Modern bathroom vanities in white bathe the room in light, creating a relaxing atmosphere. Mirroring the kitchen of this home, the bathroom features custom wooden cabinetry and Brodware faucets.

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

The washroom features a sink from Kraus and a faucet by Delta Faucet.

In the newly expanded bathroom, large panel tiles, custom cabinetry and a polished cement sink by Mallorcan company Huguet – a favorite of Aretio’s – exude a joyful contemporary Mediterranean feel.

The main bathroom is only partially separated from the sleeping area by a glass partition. The absence of opaque walls creates a feeling of openness and cohesion in the bright mezzanine space.

Pros: Also known as composite quartz, engineered quartz comes in a wide range of colors and textures with the general durability of real stone slabs, but with the ease of manufacturing and installation of a man-made product. As a result, engineered quartz isn’t as expensive as other natural stone countertops. Cons: On the other hand, customers can expect to see these qualities reflected in the price of engineered quartz, which can be on the higher end. Quartz also doesn’t handle extreme heat as well as granite does.

The bathroom tap is by Vola and the sink is by Ceramica Flaminia.

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.

Earthy materials like natural wood tones, limestone and Italian lava stone were used in the bathroom.