a bathtub with a contemporary profile met
homeowner Kathryn Klassman’s desire for
modern style in the historic home.
point. It contained “everything awful a bad
bathroom could have,” says Klassman, including abnormally low sinks and mirrors that were
especially bothersome for Shuler, who stands
6 feet 4 inches tall. Still, they waited two years
before they took the demolition hammer to
the perpetually cold room.
“In the past, we have jumped into projects really quickly,” says Klassman, “but even
though the space was so bad, the fact we
waited helped us think about what we really
needed.”
Instead of adding to the house, the couple
decided to rejigger the layout with help from
architecture firm Michael Kim Associates in
Brookline, Massachusetts. By moving closets
into the master bedroom 25 square feet was
gained, and removing a half wall that visually
blocked the toilet area simplified the space.
Inspired by a marble bathroom in a historic home they viewed while house hunting,
Shuler and Klassman had a vision, which they
shared with Jonathan and Ruth Kantar of
Sage Builders LLP, who are also the couple’s
