Inside Atelier Noël’s “Functional Jewel Box” Bath Designed to Grow With Its Owners
Interior design is not simply about beautifying a space with thoughtfully chosen materials or finishes. It is often an exercise in foresight. Effective space planning must meet a client’s present-day needs, while remaining flexible enough to evolve in the years ahead as phases of life change.
For one Burlingame couple, that kind of long-range thinking became the guiding force behind a major guest bathroom “glow up” led by Atelier Noël, the Bay Area residential design firm founded by Noël Yeh. The bath was part of a phase that included remodeling two of the three bathrooms, updating the flooring, and refreshing the staircase of the 1947 French Normandy-style storybook cottage.
“Both bathrooms remodeled during this phase were not the best use of space,” Yeh remembers. “The guest bath was so small, with only a tiny shower, that it wasn’t even built to code, and the entrance faced directly onto the top of the staircase.”
Some clever space planning yielded new bath footprints that were more functional for the busy pair of tech executives as they planned for their future. The original primary bathroom was “underwhelming,” says Yeh, so they converted a bonus room on this level into a larger, more luxurious primary bath sanctuary. Then they borrowed some of the space from the old primary bath and repurposed it for the guest bath.
What emerged is what Yeh calls a “functional jewel box, ”serving dual purposes as a guest bath now and as a kids’ bathroom later. Central to that vision was the inclusion of a bathtub, an essential element for family life.
Despite the added square footage they gained, the bathroom’s footprint was still on the smaller size, which meant fitting a soaking tub into such narrow proportions required more clever space planning. Yeh solved that challenge by “waterfalling the vanity countertop into the tub deck to maximize every inch of the bathroom width.”
The spatial choreography didn’t stop there. Yeh introduced a tall linen cabinet with integrated hampers, providing concealed storage for a growing family. A separate water closet adds privacy and practicality. “It’s incredibly useful if multiple people are sharing the space,” she says.
Yeh anchored the space with 60 x 30 x 20 Lacey rectangular bathtub from Hydro Systems, one of the company’s most versatile drop-in designs, available in 15 size options. “It has a nice integrated overflow and tile flange, perfect backslope, and deeper height,” she notes. Durability proved as important as design to her clients; the tub’s high-quality acrylic construction and lifetime warranty ultimately sealed their decision.
The materials palette—walnut-toned cabinetry, softly veined quartz, glossy vertically stacked wall tile in Emerald green, and warm polished French Gold accents—dipped the space further into the timeless-yet-serene category. “The clients wanted the bathroom to be used for kids and guests, so the aesthetic was sophisticated and chic, not specific to children,” adds Yeh.
Deeply influenced by fashion, art, and her travels, Yeh is known for creating spaces that elevate everyday rituals—and this room is no exception. “We created a bath that feels open, luxurious, and undeniably elevated.” As it turns out, the foresight behind the design could not have been more timely: the couple is now expecting a baby boy.
Photography: Dennis Mayer
