The challenge: Make room for a master suite.

The design team: Sid Levin, principal, and his design partner, Rob Aldecocea, Revolution Design & Build, Wayzata.

Time for a change: Levin, his wife, Christine, and their four children had outgrown their three-bedroom rambler in Excelsior. But instead of moving to a larger house, the Levins decided to utilize a 20-by-20-foot storage space in the lower level. "In today's economy, it's nice to use existing space that was thought to be useless," Sid said. "It's a way to get an addition without adding square feet."

Beach-inspired: Since the Levins were spending their winter-vacation money on their master suite, they decided to make that their theme. "We love warm, beachy places," Sid said. So they chose wave-shaped contours and beach-inspired materials, including turquoise glass tile, cherry burlwood veneer, sand-colored Caesarstone countertops and pebble-look floor tiles, set in a curve -- "like when the water recedes from the tide."

'Eye candy': The biggest design challenge, according to Sid, was creating a bright, appealing space within the confines of a basement. "You're underground, surrounded by a deck, so you can't add windows; you'd be looking at the underside of the deck," he said. He compensated by adding "a lot of eye candy" -- organic shapes, vibrant colors and varied textures.

Functionality: Style met substance in the Levins' bathroom. The wave shape of the vanity serves a practical as well as an aesthetic purpose. "My wife has poor eyesight," Sid said. Her side of the "wave" curves close to the mirror, making it easier for her to apply makeup. The glass-tiled wave in the corner contains built-in storage cubbies, to cut visual clutter. And the brown tile bench, which extends into the shower, promotes shared use of the space. "I take three seconds to get ready, but I like to hang out and talk to my wife without being in her way," Sid said. "It perfectly suits the way we use a bathroom together."

Photo provided by Revolution Design and Build, Star Tribune
Photo provided by Revolution Design and Build Sid Levin's family had outgrown their three-bedroom rambler in Excelsior. But instead of moving to a larger house, the Levins decided to utilize a 20-by-20-foot storage space in the lower level to build a new bathroom. This is the before picture.

The result: The Levins' bathroom is a design star, winning a national 2011 Chrysalis Award ("Best Bathroom Remodel" in the under $40,000 category), as well as a ROMA (Remodeler of Merit Award) from the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. More important, the new master bath has enhanced the Levins' lifestyle. "It's become a little oasis of privacy and quiet for us -- a vacation inside the home," Sid said.

Kim Palmer • 612-673-4784

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