Master Bath with Sunken Tub and Gold Niche

The walls and the tub platform are clad in warm travertine, a natural stone with a soft banded grain that runs in one tone across the room. It was kept plain on purpose so the gold-leaf feature niche stands out instead of fighting a busy wall. Travertine wears well in a bathroom, though it is porous, so it needs sealing now and then to keep water marks and soap from soaking into the surface over time.

That is a recessed niche finished in gold leaf and lit from within, with a metal geometric frame and small figures set across it. The backlight makes the gold shimmer and turns the niche into the focal point of the room. Because it sits directly above the tub, you look straight at it while soaking. It carries the decoration so the rest of the stone can stay quiet and unbroken.

Each niche has its own concealed warm light tucked behind the stone lip, so the figurines glow rather than sit in shadow. This kind of layered niche lighting does more work at night than a single ceiling fixture, giving the room a lounge-like feel. It also means you can leave the bright ceiling lights off and still have a soft, usable glow for a late soak.

This view shows the tub zone, not a shower. You can see a concealed wall mixer and spout on the side wall, which feeds the tub. If a walk-in shower is needed, it would sit in a separate wet area rather than crowd the sunken tub platform. Keeping the tub as its own zone is what lets the stonework and the niche read as one clean composition here.

It can, but it asks for planning. A sunken tub needs a raised platform or a lowered floor slab, which is easier in a larger bathroom like this one. In a compact space you would usually pick a drop-in tub set into a low deck instead, which gives a similar built-in look with far less structural work. The travertine and lit-niche treatment scales down fine either way.

Travertine wants a pH-neutral cleaner and a reseal every year or two, since harsh acidic products etch natural stone. Wipe standing water off the rim so the pores do not stain. The gold-leaf niche sits away from splashes, so it mostly needs dusting. Both finishes are low-effort day to day, but they reward gentle care over scrubbing, which is what keeps a stone bathroom looking new for years.

The stone carries most of the budget. Cladding walls and a tub platform in travertine means large-format slabs, careful cutting and skilled fixing, all of which cost more than tile. The sunken tub adds plumbing and structural work below the finished floor, and the gold-leaf niche with its concealed lighting is a specialist finish. Fittings are the smaller line. The final figure moves most with the stone you choose, so it pays to compare a few slabs first.