It's Been A Long Time Coming

I don't want anyone to think that I've been lacks in my duties on my blog.

I've beeen working very hard on my bathrooom remodel and it's getting closer everyday, the unveiling will be soon.

In the meantime, Steamboat Magazine did an article about a basement remodel that we created from 'conception to completion.'

Check it out.

Building the Perfect Home Spa

Feel the coolness of the clay walls, smell the aromatic soaps, gaze into the quiet flames of the fireplace, hear the trickle of the waterfall, taste the crisp, white wine: Visiting the new spa in the rural Routt County home of Jack and Mary McClurg awakens the senses.

When the McClurgs first bought their home, most of it was already an elegantly appointed, inviting country manor. But the unfinished basement offered intriguing possibilities.

“It was actually Jack who came up with the idea of a spa and we immediately knew that’s what we wanted to do with the space,” Mary says. “From there it became our goal to try to incorporate design elements from wonderful hotel spas we’ve visited. We wanted to re-create a serene,

An Apparent: To give the room an airy feel, designers used stone accents, upholstered funiture and cream colored marble flooring. Photo by Sunishine Divis.

warm atmosphere while still keeping the space light and airy.”

To maintain a sense of airiness in a 1,500-square-foot area with natural light from only one wall, Valerie Stafford and Bruce Caplowe of Rumor Design + Redesign chose soft, creamy colors for the marble floors, American clay walls, upholstered furniture, flowing drapes and stone accents. They employed glass walls and interior doors to circulate the light and installed French doors leading out into the aspen groves that fall gently away from the garden-level spa.

Spa-tacular:An ethanol fueled, see-through fireplace sits on a bed of crystals stacked-stone hearth, while a glass-door steam shower provides the remodel's ultimate reward. Photo by Shunshine Divis.

   Near the entrance, a water feature built into a stacked-stone wall sends three trickling streams through V-shaped chutes and into a pool. Behind the artistry is a well-thought-out mechanical structure, designed for ease of maintenance and reliability. The same practicality went into designing the dry sauna and steam shower, which are as functional as they are inviting. “Being in a ski town, we knew we would use them frequently to relax after long days in the Colorado cold,” Mary says.    Separating the wet bar from the carpeted seating area is a contemporary, ethanol fueled, seethrough fireplace. Built on a stacked-stone hearth, this environmentally friendly heating option requires no ventilation and emits no harmful substances. The heating unit itself is set on a bed of crystals, adding brightness to the flame.

Besides the spa amenities and lounge area, the former basement also houses a laundry room and work-out station. “We wanted to incorporate a treadmill into the design without making the space feel like a gym,” Mary says. “The designers really listened to our wishes and did a magnificent job 

In any remodeling project, usability may be the ultimate test, and by that standard the McClurgs' spa is a resounding success. 'We truly enjoy the space the most when we turn on the water feature, the fireplace and the spa music and just relax with friends in the cozy lounge area. The combination of all the elements - beautiful wood, marble, silk, water and fire - makes this a perfect getaway right in our own home."