A Tropical Master Bath

Above:  Filigree hand carving of tropical leaf design on master bathroom entry door

This project stemmed from the homeowner's love of palms. He is fascinated by palms and has been collecting and planting them for years. I believe the property this home is located on has one of the largest collection of palms in San Diego.  Each palm has an identification marker, and lines the trails on his hilltop home. He is a contractor who has many interests besides palms, including hiking, playing the piano and the harp, and a keen interest in history. But palms are his main interest and much of the inside design of his home reflects that. I designed and built his front entryway, incorporating a tropical theme, and so when he asked me to design his master bathroom I planned to stay with the same tropical style. 

The master bathroom vanity is made of solid Granadillo, a beautiful wood that compares to Brazilian Rosewood. At the time, I had a great wood supplier who only bought permitted trees at a local saw mill in Mexico. To say this wood is beautiful is an understatement. It is also a very hard wood, requiring special joinery. 

I went with a contemporary design, keeping with the tropical details so as to fit with the surrounding property and my client's passion with his palms. The door going into the bathroom is very unique. It is made in solid Jatoba with a hand-carved filigree pattern of tropical leaves. The homeowners wanted some privacy but also air circulation, and I immediately thought of doing a filigreed panel. It was the perfect design, able to be viewed and enjoyed from the inside as well as the outside of the bathroom. The mirrors are also hand-carved, using the leaf pattern once again.

Getting away from the usual and standard home styles is something I really enjoy, and on this project I was able to use my creative imagination and abilities, along with my client's desires, to come up with something out of the ordinary, a master bathroom like no other.