As a bastion of repose from the outside world of work and worry, home spaces have the power to flush away the anxieties of the day.

And when it comes to relaxation (and flushing), nowhere is this more essential than the so-called “throne room.” But some bathrooms are more deserving of such regal classification than others.

When Dr. Nicole de Rosa and husband Dr. James Padussis first moved into their home in the Loveland neighborhood, the bathroom lacked a bathtub and its stylistic atmosphere was caught in the 1990s. The couple contacted Courtney Otte of The Modern Hive Interior Design Studio to make their dream bathroom into reality.

Otte sought to integrate the bathroom with the rest of the home’s midcentury aesthetic while also leaning toward a more modern finish. The updated space features soft brown wood in the custom-built vanity with floating medicine cabinet mirrors. The wood complements the white Cambria quartz of the countertop in a pleasing harmony of warmth. This fusion of design elements extends throughout the bathroom.

White Calacatta porcelain tiles—matching the vanity—cover walls inside the transparent walk-in shower (encased entirely in clear glass). The shower walls meet wooden wall panels on one side (where a large bathtub rests) and white walls on the other (where the shower door opens). The white-on-wood motif also connects the bathroom to the rest of the home’s interior design.

In addition to the calming tones of the space, recurring colors and geometrical patterns offer a modern flair to the room. In the backsplash behind the sink, a black strip of small hexagonal tiles cuts through the wall of white, rectangular subway tiles. These black hexagonal tiles appear again above the head of the tub and inside the shower in functional recesses (cut into the marbled-white porcelain tile). White hexagonal tiles with hints of gray appear on the floor, spreading out from underneath the bathtub like a puddle of shapes spilling organically onto the floor’s gray and rectangular stone framework.

“The master bathroom renovation has given us increased practicality, privacy, and luxury,” de Rosa says. “We love that the design has retained a midcentury feel but has translated...into a more modern, more glamorous room.”

At the center of the luxury and comfort of the room is the traditional white bathtub, which gives the room a weight of personality, a presence of calmness, and a separation from the outside world. The traditional “throne” is tucked behind a wall for privacy.

The renovated bathroom provides de Rosa a welcome escape from the rigors of her job. Regarding her prized addition to her home, she admits that the room “serves as a sanctuary for relaxation for me, and baths are incredibly important to my stress management needs.”

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Visit themodern-hive.com for more information about the interior design firm involved in renovating this bathroom space.

This article was printed in the May/June 2018 edition of OmahaHome.