The Master Bath Museum Project was born
out of the desire to minimize or eliminate the budget for manufactured
cabinetry. The niches provide for
storage via woven bins or open shelves for display. My wife and I decided that while matching
bins would be calming and look very organized, random bins would enhance the
visual environment and keep the feeling new.
Displaying random objects on the open shelves brought the museum feeling
home.
Using SketchUp’s 3D design capabilities,
creating the niche walls was so easy you couldn’t help but enjoy the process. From there, all aspects of the design were
worked out in 3D including the intricate framing required for the walls.
The glazed walls were originally to be
frosted glass but the $5000 cost required some alternative/creative
thinking. Twin-wall polycarbonate (6mm ThermaGlas
SLT) was selected based on the appropriate translucence, ease of fabrication,
cost and strength. The polycarb was also
used for shelving and mounting the front and back vanity mirrors. Most of the hardware was custom for this type
of application but with some good internet browsing everything fit
perfectly. Clear golf cart windshield hinges
were selected for their self-closing capebilities. The aluminum channels and hinges were glued
to the polycarb with silicone adhesive. Total
cost for the entire installed glazing system was less than $600.