A Rainforest-Inspired Bathroom That Re-creates Showering Outdoors Inside

Few experiences are more luxurious than showering outdoors. Tavia Forbes and Monet Masters learned this during their recent stay at Dorado Beach, a resort and spa in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Feeling extra refreshed from their trip, the Atlanta-based designers behind Forbes Masters decided to bring the rainforest to Palm Beach, Florida, specifically the fourth annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House (open through May 9). Complete with plant life and a water lily–like light fixture, they re-created the vacation-worthy vibe inside the home’s tiny, windowless bathroom. These three details, below, elevated the space to oasis status.

The Plant-Dotted Corner

Forbes and Masters did away with the previous shower’s glass-panel door in order to make the room seem more open. The honed floor tile, which they note is fast drying, was cut strategically to slope toward the drain; that way they could do away with the partition. The rain showerhead is concealed within the ceiling, though you’d never know it was there since it almost perfectly matches the black painted surface. 

For an authentic alfresco feel, they filled blown-glass vases with extra-large monstera leaves and other greenery and mounted them on the shower walls. “Some [plants] still have their roots, so they’ll be lasting here for some time,” says Forbes. 

Earth-Tone Marble Tiles

Afrodit, a type of marble quarried in Turkey that’s known for its pink and dark gray splotches, covers every surface but the shower. “The house has a lot of terracotta floors, so we wanted a nice transition into the bathroom,” says Masters of going with the stone tile from Temmer Marble. The designers used a few offcuts to make a floating ledge below the mirror for storing practical things like toothbrushes. 

Wavy Accents

Other nods to the tropics: the undulating curves of the mirror (it’s meant to look like a raindrop) and the pendant light over the pedestal sink (a water lily). “The clay really complements the terracotta tones,” says Forbes. The stripe detailing in between the gray-blue shower wall tiles (which are fittingly named Oasis) is actually little bits of marble pencil fluting. The borders take up some of the negative space on the wall and call your attention to the stark white Hopeton St. Clair painting across from the sink. Consider us transported. 

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