One Moroccan holdover

When Michelle Kelchak saw the water views from a 1935 Cape Cod house in Playa del Rey, she scuttled her plans to build a modern Moroccan home. Almost. She couldn’t resist trying the style in her master bath. Here’s how she did it. Color: “I wasn’t that nervous about using red so prominently in a bathroom,” Kelchak says of her unconventional choice. “It’s pretty bold, and if the ceilings weren’t so high and there wasn’t so much light coming in from the windows, it would probably feel cave-ish.” More important, the color works with the beautiful free-standing Moroccan mirror (reflected in another mirror, at left) made from coral and bone.

Tile: The biggest shot of red comes from the Italian glass mosaic tiles on the walls. “We used 1-inch squares in orange, gold and red around the mirrors and light fixtures and 4-inch gold tiles in the tub enclosure,” Kelchak says. “The light that reflects off these tiles gives skin a beautiful glow.” The tiles are from Classic Tile & Mosaic, 3221 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 287-0142.

Lights: The fixtures are from Artemide, 9006 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood; (310) 888-4099.

Sinks, faucets: Fixtures are from Snyder Diamond, 1399 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica; (310) 450-1000.

Tub: Kelchak and her husband put a Grohe spa bathtub under a Moroccan lantern in the corner of the room. (The edge of the tub is visible on the far right.) “In that position you can soak in the tub,” Kelchak says, “and look out windows to your right and left.” The couple added another window that looks through the top of the staircase and out a window on the landing, which has a view of the water. “We had to give up having a big huge shower, but it’s worth it. When you have the windows open you can really feel the outside.”

-- David A. Keeps