You could get lost in a dream in the exceptional spa Christian Zapatka recently completed in a Georgetown home. Two huge magnificent stone slabs that reflect the forces of nature are displayed against one wall. Pear wood paneling with rhythmic markings, a skylight to the stars within a dramatic canopied ceiling, river stone underfoot, and the tranquilizing sound of trickling water all create a mesmerizing space.
Zapatka, principal of Christian Zapatka Architect LLC, transformed a former warren of closets, a bathroom, and hallway into a 12’ by 12’ spa that is in a league of its own. Originally envisioned as a shared bathroom between two guest rooms, this project evolved into a spa experience.
Inspired by a pair of spectacularly patterned pieces of Indian Picture stone, Zapatka mounted the stones against honed Absolute Black granite like works of art rather than having them cut.
“We had to have a crane drop them through the roof; the process was wild,” Zapatka says, crediting BOWA Builders for meeting the challenge of lifting these stone slabs that were both “incredibly heavy and also very delicate.”
Three strong sources influenced Zapatka as he envisioned this spa. The plaster and stainless steel canopy he designed is a modern evocation of architect Sir John Soane’s famous breakfast room in London. “It’s curved with an oculus in the middle,” Zapatka says. The skylight is inspired by sculptor James Turrell’s light boxes. “They’re all about contained spaces; all you see is sky.” The black oval tub is a nod to architect Adolf Loos’ Villa Karma and the striking black marble bathroom he created there.
Zapatka also placed two glass sinks back-to-back and custom designed a two-sided mirror with light integrated into the stainless steel frame to almost float between them.
Christopher Curtis, a sculptor from Vermont, created an intriguing water sculpture next to the tub that features water flowing from the ceiling down a 16”-wide ribbon of black granite. The water seems to magically disappear beside the tub. The granite is carved a bit like a washboard with much of the surface still smooth. “As water comes down, it looks like the rippling surface of a lake with a moon in the distance,” Curtis says. “I call it Moon Water.” Talk about being lost in a dream.
