The renovation of editor Kelli Lamb’s California home was a three-year process. Phase one included replacing the hardwood floors throughout the place and gutting the pale-green kitchen in favor of a dark and dramatic space that designer Patrick Maziarski dubbed “hotel lobby chic.” (You may remember it from our Spring 2023 issue!)
Phase two came about 10 months later. “We took a break from construction. Truthfully, we wanted to build our budget back up, but we were also relieved to restore a sense of normalcy for a bit,” Kelli shares. “My husband, Tim, was in a very busy season of work, production-designing Netflix’s Orion and the Dark, and I was traveling a lot for the magazine. Patrick had already drawn up amazing plans for our two full bathrooms, but we put a pin in everything through the end of the summer to enjoy the calm, comforting place we’d worked so hard to create.”
Of course, the irony was that the bathrooms were the two rooms that most needed updating. “They were fine, until they weren’t,” Kelli laughs. “Tile was crumbling, there was a tubular shower enclosure that no amount of scrubbing would clean, and we’d often find puddles of water on the floor with no clear indication where they originated. Bathing was not enjoyable—I had my 60-second shower routine dialed in.”
In keeping with the Lambs’ original goal of giving the house a favorite-hotel feeling, Patrick created two unique design directives for each space—one that felt spa-like, and one with a bit more energetic flair:
For the primary bathroom, Patrick decided to go more avant-garde. “Without adhering to one particular aesthetic, the space evokes drama and contrast,” he explains. “The clients wanted a space that was as invigorating as it was serene. No matter the time of day, the space is inviting, stylish, and luxurious. Overall, and just like the rest of the home, this bathroom doesn’t take itself too seriously.”
They drew inspiration from a wide range of mosaic tile floors—old, new, Italian, Spanish—landing on a one-of-a-kind pattern with wide grout lines crafted from Ann Sacks Kannon Field Tile in two colorways, Canela Twist and Platino. The wall is a mix of their Savoy Field Tile in Linen.
The choice of sink was a long time coming. “I first fell in love with the Duravit Luv Series while staying at Sonoma’s MacArthur Place Hotel, and knew I wanted it in my own home one day,” Kelli says of the washbowl. The mid-toned fluted oak vanity adds a textural element. “A touch-latch operation allows for the vanity to appear monolithic and solid, like a pedestal on which a fine piece of art would be placed,” Patrick explains.
For added drama, Patrick chose Brizo’s Levoir plumbing fixtures in BRILLIANCE® Black Onyx. “It was an enticing choice, as the color coordinates with the overall palette, but the high-gloss finish adds an element of reflection and ornamentation,” he explains. “I was also eager to employ a finish that isn’t often seen on plumbing fixtures.”
The bathroom boasts a hidden feature: Brizo’s Mystix Elemental Experience, which turns the shower into a steam shower at the touch of a button. “It’s such a sleek product you might not know it’s there, but at the end of a long day, I am so grateful it is,” Kelli says. And it’s more enjoyable thanks to a surprise during demolition. “I remember the day our contractor knocked on my office door to ask if I had a moment,” she recalls. “I was bracing for bad news, but he had a big smile on his face.” The crew had discovered space behind the wall that was just big enough to build a bench—perfect for the steam shower. “We’d been planning to bring in a teak bench, so this was like striking gold!”
They also installed a wall-mounted Philippe Starck-designed toilet by Duravit and added a SensoWash Slim shower toilet seat. “This bathroom really has it all,” she adds. The stone is Calacatta Vintage, and the door hardware is Emtek. The light fixtures are PureEdge Lighting, sourced from Lightology.
Now that renovations are complete, the Lambs’ home is a medley of personal, unique aesthetics within traditional walls.“From room to room, I feel that this house is so completely us,” Kelli says. “There’s the edgy, rock ‘n’ roll design elements we are both so obsessed with, like incredible marble and dark patterned tile. But then, being able to bring my favorite place in the world, Sea Ranch, to our bathroom in Altadena really highlights the power of interior design. We couldn’t be happier.”
To see the hall bathroom and the first part of this renovation, click here.
CREDITS:
Wall Tile: Savoy Field Tile in Linen, Ann Sacks
Floor Tile: Kannon Field Tile in Canela Twist and Platino, Ann Sacks
Plumbing Fixtures: Levoir Series in BRILLIANCE® Black Onyx, Brizo
Sink: Luv Ceramic Oval Vessel Sink by Duravit
Toilet: Starck Wall-Mounted Toilet with SensoWash Slim shower toilet seat, Duravit
Stone: Calacatta Vintage from @marbleunlimitedinc, fabricated by @elitestoneworks
Hardware: Emtek
Sconces: Tie Stix Wood Linear Adjustable Wall Light (finish is Black, color is Wood Walnut), Pure Edge Lighting via Lightology
Vanity is custom
