By Wayne A. Endicott
The clients came to VanBerg Construction Co., San Diego, with a singular purpose. Although their master bath and bedroom might be adequate to their needs, the space really didn't fit what they envisioned. "Please create a luxurious space for us," they entreated owner Robert Jertberg.
The large existing bath featured stone and marble everywhere. So Robert took the space, and without having to add or expand, turned it into "the kind of bathroom everybody should have."
"We had two goals," Robert explains. "The first, of course, was to create a more luxurious bath for our client. The second was to open up the bathroom to take advantage of a magnificent view from the bathroom area."
First step on the road to completion was to completely close off the existing spaces—both bath and bedroom. During the six-month project, the homeowners would move into other bedrooms of the house while VanBerg created their new dream suite. "Both the bedroom and the bath opened onto decks. We built a temporary stairway to those rooms so that we could access them from the exterior without trafficking through the rest of the house," Robert explains.
Once that access was created, the real work of transforming the space was begun. The existing bath area was completely gutted. An existing shower wall came down, vanities gave way to empty space, a wall between the bath and the master closet was removed, and so were the existing tub and tub surround. Then it was time to start rebuilding:
- To open up the bathroom, a wall above the old tub was removed and replaced with a large fixed window fitted with automatic shades that could either black out the room entirely or obscure the inside from the outside while not blocking the view.
- The space was reconfigured to allow installation of a large raised tub. A glass-enclosed shower containing a rain head and body sprays took over one corner of the room. In another, a compartmented water closet was installed.
- A new foyer was created between the bath and the adjacent master bedroom.
- Art niches were created throughout the Romanesque space.
- New cherry cabinets featured glass front doors and felt-lined jewelry drawers.
- An existing fireplace gave way to a large entertainment cabinet, and wet bar takes up one nook.
- A large walk-in closet contains a variety of compartmented spaces.
Little luxury touches abound throughout the new master suite. A kitchen plate warmer was installed to act as a towel warmer. New French doors open onto the bath's balcony. Overhead can lighting accents the raised whirlpool tub.
Says Robert, "We turned what had been two separate rooms into a suite while still maintaining defined spaces. We did not in any way reconfigure the bedroom, although we did replace the existing windows with a big arched window, and restuccoed the exterior."
After six months of construction, the temporary exterior stairway was removed, and the homeowners were able to enjoy their new—and prize-winning—luxury suite. The project also captured a regional award in the Contractor of the Year program of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Now that's a luxury suite that's a very sweet luxury indeed.
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