/ by Allison Walsh / photography by Inspiro 8 Studio
Susan Peace-Vernon had long wanted to use a copper tub as the centerpiece for a primary bath design and this lake home at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs provided the perfect opportunity. “When it comes to bathrooms, most people these days are looking for a staycation,” she says.
Peace-Vernon is a designer and Vice President of Dillard-Jones Builders, a Greenville firm that specializes in a turnkey experience, shepherding clients through each phase of their custom build from architectural renderings to the finishing interior touches. “We sit down with our clients and design their home from scratch,” Vernon says.
This home was built as a retreat but, should it one day become their primary residence, the owners wanted a more modern aesthetic than the traditional lake home. Peace-Vernon’s take on this request combines subtle rustic touches with glamorous detailing. She calls the look “mountain modern.”
In the bathroom suite, she utilized the freestanding copper tub as a jumping off point and matched it with a his-and-her vanity wall. “From there it all fell into place, from finishes to function,” she says.
For a bit of a natural element befitting the lake setting, Peace-Vernon selected stone tile with a chiseled edge and took it all the way up and over the top of the vanity wall. She then went full modern with LED lighted mirrors.
The clever layout of the vanity allows two people to be in the bathroom together while still maintaining a modicum of privacy. Each side of the vanity has its own entrance to the master closet as well, the very model of morning efficiency.
Recognizing that given the choice most homeowners would pass on cleaning glass shower doors, the Dillard-Jones team did the math to execute a fully open walk-in shower but sized it to limit drafts. The shower is tucked away just beyond a small vestibule that provides a moment before stepping out in the larger bathroom.
Geometry also came into play in the floor design, where four different sizes of tile are arranged in a Versailles pattern. Topped off with a beaded chandelier, the bathroom suite is an ideal marriage of form and design.
