Inspired by an international spa, a designer and client collaborated to create the same vibe in a private suite.

By Dianne M. Pogoda

 

Extending that special vacation feeling to one’s year-round space is a goal of many homeowners. Designer Jacque Bethke and longtime client Antoinette Bond achieved this ambience in a remodeling project in Boca Raton, Fla.

Bethke, principal designer of Jaque Bethke Design, Scottsdale, Ariz., and Bond, who is married to former NBA player Walter Bond (Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks) discussed the design process in “Secret Hideaway: How One Bathroom Became the Ultimate Retreat,” part of NKBA’s Luxury Bath Summit. The session was moderated by Sherry Qualls, owner and CEO of White Good MarCom agency, and presented in partnership with Cambria and sponsored by House of Rohl.

They met during a luxury home tour in Minneapolis about 15 years ago. The Bonds were shopping for style and inspiration, and clicked with Bethke’s aesthetic. The first project was a large landscaping job and a complete redo of the lower level of their home in Minnesota.

About five years ago, the Bonds purchased a property in Boca Raton and asked the designer to renovate what was a “true 1990s home,” Bethke said. “It was mauve, mint and white.”

The décor was dated, but the high ceilings — crucial for Walter’s 6’-5” frame — and modern architecture meant the home had “great bones,” said his wife. She added that the home is perched on the 17th hole in a golf community, so they were also drawn to the great neighborhood and stunning views. 

In what turned out to be a multi-year project, the clients decided to renovate the guest suites first so friends and family could come visit. When they finally got around to the primary suite, which was about 1,400 square feet, they encountered a few challenges. Bethke needed to create a space that was cozy and intimate but not confining, accommodating the tall, athletic Walter as well as the petite Antoinette.

Bethke said the main aim was to provide a true respite from a life spent on-the-go — the couple travels some 200 days a year for their consulting businesses and motivational speaking tours — and a place to relax that’s secluded from the rest of the house. Bond’s inspiration was the Blue Lagoon retreat and geothermal spa in Iceland. She asked Bethke to re-create some of the elements from this luxurious, restorative hotel experience in her home.

At the Blue Lagoon, the bed faced an expansive window wall overlooking a patio, water and mountains. Bond sent the image to Bethke, who re-oriented the home suite to define specific spaces and take advantage of their view with large windows. She installed a TV that descends from a hidden niche in the ceiling so it doesn’t distract from the sightline.

Another hidden gem is an intimate dining nook with bar, coffee station, sink, fridge, dishwasher and storage.

“I wanted some breathing room between the actual bed area and where the bathroom started,” Bethke said. “So we created this relaxing entertaining area. They can pick up dinner on the way home from the airport and go to their private space and close out the rest of the world.”

The king-size bathroom and dressing area features separate water closets, separate clothes closets and individual sink and counter areas with custom storage to suit the particular needs of husband and wife. His space has open shelving for easy reach of his grooming supplies, while her area has abundant storage to hide her makeup and other accoutrements. The shower and soaking tub are in the center of the space, with his-and-hers toilets and sinks at opposite ends of the space for greater privacy. The drawers, cabinets, sink and counter on each side are customized for their heights.

Cabinetry and hardware reference travel as well, and are reminiscent of contemporary luggage, mixing gunmetal and antique brass metals to simulate suitcase handles.

Bethke says one of the keys to the success in designing an intimate space is a “very invasive design questionnaire” about the clients’ most personal habits, how they like to live, and how they want their bathroom to feel. “A very open dialogue about the intimate things that we all face on a daily basis is very important, even to the emotional feeling they want in their space. Some people want their bathroom to be very calm, others want it to create an energy. There are so many nuances, and the bathroom and sleeping area helps clients put on the face to go out and face their day, and also wind down from their day.”

NKBA’s Luxury Bath Summit was based on the exclusive 2022 Luxury Bath research report. The report is available for NKBA members to download as part of their annual membership. Non-members may purchase the report for $1,995. Visit NKBA Research to download.

The Luxury Bath Summit is available to watch on demand. Members need to log in to nkba.org and may view at no additional charge; non-members who registered may access the videos as part of their registration fee; other non-members may purchase the video package for $99. Click here for more.