Design Freedom
Modern Style and Old World Charm Traditional Home Renovation - Portland, Oregon
Designer Liz Murray, renowned for her attention to detail and vast product knowledge, met her latest challenge with a 1920s, all-brick, three-story home in the southwest hills of Portland, Oregon.
The Challenge
While the entire home needed renovation the bathrooms in particular were overdue for a fresh look. Some of the bathrooms still contained the original finishes. Others had been updated in the 1980s and were already outdated.
Her client, who had recently purchased the older home, asked Murray to approach the remodel by combining several design ideas: keep the classic style of the home while adding modern touches and some European influence.
“With the bathrooms, I had complete artistic license to complement what the home owner wanted,” Murray explains. “If some of the classic details throughout the home were kept, and the bathrooms designed to be modern and contemporary, I knew I would be able to accomplish what the client wanted.”
The Solution
By using the Geberit Concealed Tank and Carrier System with a wall-hung toilet in all four bathrooms – his-and-hers master bathrooms, a full bath, and a powder room – Murray was able to complete a design that at first looked almost impossible to pull together.
“I think the wall-hung toilet looks the best. It’s the most clean-lined toilet. It doesn’t argue with design but helps enhance the design of the room,” says Murray.
The Geberit System provides design freedom by taking the toilet off the floor and mounting it on the wall, while concealing the tank and other functional components. It helps unlock imagination like never before. Safely hidden behind the wall, Geberit’s in-wall technology allows unique beauty from floor to ceiling.
Murray’s client was familiar with Geberit and the wall-hung toilet as she had lived abroad for many years and was well-traveled. Murray didn’t hesitate to recommend the concept.
“During the initial design meeting, I suggested we use Geberit with a wall-hung toilet for every bathroom, and my client loved the idea,” says Murray.
“My client said, ‘Absolutely. I know the product. I know exactly what you are talking about. Just go ahead and plan for that and incorporate it into all of your bathroom designs.’”
Using natural materials alongside the Geberit Concealed Tank and Carrier System with a wall-hung toilet, Murray made everything more streamlined and clean. To complement the clean-lined design of the wall-hung toilets, Murray used old world materials such as mosaic onyx, a gorgeous, natural material that was used in the Byzantine era. “It’s a nice balance that maintains the integrity of the old world home – elegant with a streamlined influence – and it’s very European as well,” Murray explains.
Because Geberit provides unlimited design possibilities, Murray gave each of the four bathrooms its own unique look by pairing the Geberit Concealed Tank and Carrier System with two Duravit toilet models – the Vero and the Starck 2.
“We were not lacking space in the two masters upstairs. It was not about space, it was about a great look,” Murray continues. She achieved the look she wanted with wallmounted toilets and cabinets with undermount lighting. “It looks fabulous that way!”
The opposite was true in the powder room, where it was all about space. “We gained about six inches using the Geberit system, giving me so many options to be creative,” Murray explains. “I was able to add a custom-designed white onyx sink made from a local stone mason to complement the wall-hung toilet.“
“For every one of my wall-hung designs, I planned on using Geberit. I like to specify plumbing fixtures that are tried, tested, and true,” says Murray.
Interior Designer: Liz Murray