 My client was a couple who had lived in their home for many years. Their master bathroom had served them well. But it was worn, cramped, dated, and dominated by a large corner Jacuzzi tub that the clients never used. This design was high-end in its day, but (shock!) 1990 was 35 years ago!. The footprint was generous, but the original layout locked the entire room into inefficiency. My clients wanted clean, modern living. I design by calibrating over 50 design elements and principles on a sliding scale, for example: open to contained, warm to cool, bold to quiet, modern to organic, and so on. Each material, each line, each surface is dialed to its own calibrated point, to the exact value that makes the room feel right for this specific client. I recommended fully gutting the bathroom and reimagining the entire layout with a single goal: create a calming, modern retreat with open flow, better function, and timeless materials. By removing the massive tub, I was able to give them usable space, two large sinks, plenty of countertop use for both of them, and a large two-person, walk-in, doorless shower.
Layout: On my scale, I shifted the layout away from “blocked and fixed” toward “open and flowing,” changing the proportions so the room feels luxurious not empty and stark. Tile & Materials: I recommended large-format slate-style porcelain tiles chosen for their calm, modern presence but rooted in nature since it's a stone look and feel, grounding the room. Shower Experience: A two-person, doorless walk-in shower with two wide rain shower fixtures adding to the resort spa experience. The linear trough drain is softened with river rock, again both modern precision placing it in the back of the shower to avoid stepping on and dealing with a drain centered on the floor, and organic texture, both visual and tactile. Light & Privacy: The window softened with a simple frosted appliqué, yet allowed natural light to remain bright while giving the homeowners complete privacy. General Function: I expanded the vanity to true double sinks with generous countertop space, added heated flooring for comfort, and completely updated the lighting. Each choice dialed toward comfort, ease for daily use. Key Elements: Heated towel rack Delta 2.5 GPM Universal Wide Rain Shower Heads Doorless, walk-in two-person shower Linear trough drain with river rock tile detailing Built-in recessed niche for clean-lined storage Frosted window appliqué for privacy + daylight Expanded vanity and countertops Heated floors Updated lighting throughout The result is a serene, modern bathroom that feels twice its size. The General Contractor and his crew were the best. A space once cramped and tired is now quietly luxurious, not because of extremes, but because every element has been carefully calibrated to the exact right point on the design scale. This is now a beautiful, sophisticated, and better functioning master bath. They were very happy and that continues to mean so much to me.
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 This is the first draft of my design for a young family living in a 1960s center-hall colonial. This mood board is intentionally not to-scale and meant to show my clients the overall design plan, emotional tone, color palette, and relationships between pieces for their feedback before I add final layers like lighting, plants, accessories, and décor. Both husband and wife love sports and each has a deep equestrian heritage; one from the world of racing and the other from dressage. I’m recommending that we take this heritage as the guiding vision for their living room. Their goal is to have the space feel modern, warm, quietly sophisticated, and comfortably semi-formal for entertaining and family life.
This is how I design. In addition to making sure each piece fits the budget, fits fits into the space, fits their wants and fits their needs, I calibrate opposing design elements and principles to achieve the perfect balance. I work with over fifty points: to adjust each object and then to balance the entire room so it tells a larger story, one that expresses the clients’ values. Every piece in this mood board is doing two design jobs at once. First, each item has its own balance of internal contrast, opposing qualities inside a single object. Second, I use these to create a separate balance within the room itself. The Porter sofa is a modern, stark silhouette, yet the brown suede brings warmth and softness. In the room: its warmth balances the cooler blues. The George Smith chairs are heirloom-quality traditional craftsmanship, yet shaped in a mid-century silhouette. In the room: their blue linen cools the palette and lifts the room out of neutral. The Parsons chairs are understated, yet fascinating because they're essentially sculptures of chairs! In the room: they provide a simple foil to the complexity of the root coffee table. The tree root coffee table is a raw piece of nature, yet hand-finished into a piece of furniture. In the room: it balances all the structured symmetry with organic, abstract rhythm. The equestrian portraits are historical subjects, Secretariat and Man o' War, yet painted in modern compositions. In the room: they anchor the story, tie the space to the family’s identity, and contrast beautifully with the anonymity of the furniture. The hand-tufted wool rug is both artisanal and natural. In the room: it quiets the composition visually as a near-solid neutral and literally by absorbing sound, while strongly signaling softness and casual comfort.. Together, these choices achieve the goals. The room feels comfortably balanced, alive, intentional, and personal. The design isn’t made of “matching pieces” or even a collection of tasteful items, it’s built by calibrating opposites, individually and collectively. I hope my clients see how their personal history, their selves and souls are woven into a modern, livable design that feels like home. |
KarenDesigner. Artist. Businesswoman. Daughter. Sister. Sister-in-law. Aunt. Friend. Devoted Widow. Archives
December 2025
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Karen McCooey
Founder/Owner, Karen McCooey Studios, LLC 2017 - present Co-Owner, Persona Studios Inc. 1994 - 2017 TEXT OR CALL (202) 967-9981 [email protected] |
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