“Today’s master baths are becoming places to linger,” says award-winning interior designer Lisa Dunlevie of Dunlevie Interiors in San Juan Capistrano. “People want a place to relax, a place of restoration.”
Dunlevie, who is currently working with clients in Coto de Caza, Newport Coast, and San Juan Capistrano on bathroom remodels, says one of the most popular requests from clients is the addition of an expansive steam shower and the accoutrements that go with it.
“Steam showers feature a control system for the shower with functions like water pressure and temperature,” Dunlevie explains, “as well as a built-in stereo system, special shower lighting, and the ability to add the infusion of essential oils through the shower.”
She says steam showers are far more environmentally friendly than traditional showers.
“It uses a very small amount of water. You can run it for a year on what it takes to fill a bathtub two or three times.”
Free-standing tubs also are very popular for 2016, she says, as well as LCD lighting and streaming Bluetooth sound systems. Smart technology that enables users to control the shower, bath, lighting and surround sound will also be big, she says.
According to the American Society of Interior Designers, other luxury residential bathroom trends in the new year include hands-free faucets and dual-flush, low-flow toilets that meet California water-restriction guidelines imposed by cities, including Newport Beach.
Worthy of Its Name
The 10,000-square-foot mansion at 2475 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach sold on Nov. 20 for $17.5 million, coming in under its April 2014 list price of $20 million.
The three-level ocean-view home, hidden from street level and christened “Rockledge by the Sea,” sits directly on a cliff overlooking white-water waves. It was designed by Laguna Beach architect Ed Lohrbach in 1987 and features multiple decks, terraces, and walls of glass that highlight indoor-outdoor living, with ocean views from almost every room.
There are six bedrooms, 7 ½ baths, a gym, a gourmet chef’s kitchen, an executive office, a lounge with wet bar, and a theater media room with stadium seating.
Sylvia Tino of Estrada Properties was the listing agent in the transaction, and HÔM Sotheby’s International Realty’s Robert Giem was the buyer’s representative.
Only the Finest Will Do
The Mediterranean-inspired Shady Canyon estate at 44 Blue Heron in Irvine sold on Nov. 23 for $9.4 million, under its $9.9 million September list price.
The 11,441-square-foot home sits on a private 0.92-acre lot with views of mountains, a golf course and canyon. It has five bedrooms and 8 ½ baths, and the grounds include gardens, water and fire features, and a full outdoor kitchen complete with a pizza oven.
The master bedroom encompasses the entire top two floors of the three-level home, which also boasts a refreshment center, high-technology theater, and a gym with a sauna and steam shower. The electronics on the property allow the owner to operate virtually every feature of the home remotely and locally, and there’s elevator service to all floors.
Rex McKown and Marcy Weinstein of Surterre Properties Inc. represented the seller, and Jacqueline Thompson of Surterre worked on the buyer’s behalf.
Timeless, Pristine
The Cape Cod-style beach home at 4905 Seashore Drive in Newport Beach sold for $7 million on Nov. 24. Its most recent list price, in July, was $7.5 million.
The newly constructed 2,368-square-foot home is on a 1,995-square-foot oceanfront lot and features wall-to-wall windows to bring in natural lighting. Custom woodwork is used throughout the three-bedroom, four-bath home, including all-custom cabinetry, tongue-and-groove ceilings, and shiplap—a rough-sawn pine paneling often used in barns and historic homes—on all the walls.
Other highlights: Warren Christopher wire-brushed white European oak floors used throughout, use of reclaimed wood, Concept Studio glazed tiles, two fireplaces and a fire pit, outdoor heaters, and a two-car garage with storage areas.
Pamela Spruce of HÔM Sotheby’s was the listing agent, and Otto Krebs of Keller Williams Realty Irvine represented the buyer.
