Recessed cabinets built into the
millwork span the entire wall above
the vanity. Instead of one large
mirror, individual panels were
added within the molding to
invigorate the wall.

Yours, Mine, and Ours

He's a pack rat -- the type who leaves receipts or pocket change lying on the countertop. She prefers clutter out of sight and out of mind. So when Peter and Jill Crane renovated their 1930s Chicago-area house, they went their separate ways in the bath.

They gutted their master bedroom and bath, then carved out three new bath spaces: one for him, one for her, and one for both of them. The spouses now have their own rooms with toilets and sinks, plus a shared space in the middle for the tub and shower.

"We wanted separate bathroom space, but [to] still be close to each other," Jill says. "We wanted to be able to talk back and forth."

The efficient arrangement keeps the couple's morning rush from becoming too harried. It also solved another problem: It separated the larger, reconfigured space into more intimate areas. "I was terrified it would look like a spa otherwise," Jill says. "I wanted it to look more like a room, such as a library, with a very comfortable feeling."

The Cranes, along with contractor Stephen Cole, employed a number of tricks to create an intimate retreat while maintaining the home's integrity. Dark wood floors unite the three spaces. "Against the advice of a lot of people, we kept wood floors," Jill says. "They're much softer and warmer, and they aren't hard to clean."

Original woodwork combines with new millwork that matches the old to further unite the rooms. Painted white, the moldings and cabinetry act as counterpoints to the dark floors.

 

The graceful lines around the tub
perimeter mimic the design in the
door moldings and cabinetry in the
separate bath space. Pocket
doors preserve the room's space.

In Peter's bath, a cabinet that resembles an armoire provides space for stashing his belongings. For Jill, who makes comfort and efficiency a priority, the built-to-fit cabinet also resolved the issue of how to highlight the angled ceiling they discovered when the room was gutted. "The house has a personality and some inner bones that deserve to be shown," she says. "We would have loved to put a piece of furniture in there, but there is no way we could have found something that would have fit so perfectly."

In Jill's bath, recessed cabinets span a wall near vanity level, giving her storage space comparable to that in Peter's bath. A dark-wood antique table adds a homey touch and lends weight to the room.

Though blue is a dominant color throughout the house, Jill infused subdued hues in the bath to give it a more gentle rhythm. "I wanted it to be very mellow," she says. "I didn't want anything to make a huge statement." Distressed marble on the countertops and inside the shower provides texture, while wallpapered ceilings maintain a sense of balance.

In the shared space, Jill found a home for a favorite wallpaper sample she'd been carrying around in her purse. The wallpaper's understated squirrel motif injects a touch of whimsy. "Throughout the house, I like to use decorating motifs [based on animals] that can be found in our area, such as coyotes or rabbits," she says. "It's all pretty subtle, just like the squirrel wallpaper."

This shared space is where the couple retreats for a meeting of the minds. The area is small -- resembling a hallway with a shower on one side and a tub on the other -- but it's a luxurious getaway. Pocket doors maximize its limited dimensions. "I like the idea of coming out of the shower into a tiny little space when the doors are closed, and all the steam stays in there so I won't freeze," Jill says. Though enamored with their new separate baths and the personal space they supply, Jill sometimes yearns for the good old days. "We just got back from vacation, and it was kind of nice to be sharing a sink," she says. "On the other hand, it's very nice to come home and have his mess on his side and to have my own space."