Teen design

Some teenagers’ bathrooms could be described as Superfund sites. Not so with Sunset fan Zach Rosen: His gleams. Think W Hotel.

Most surprising, Zach, now 16, conceived it himself at age 14. A family vacation to Italy when he was 10 sparked his interest in sleek interiors; then, at home in Foster City, California, he had a vision (well, anyway, he was watching TV).

“I saw a commercial where a boy is running through an Italian village looking for water,” Zach says. The boy made his way to a memorable faucet. “Not any regular faucet; it was more like art than just a functional object.”

And a dream of a remodeled bathroom formed in Zach’s head: marble floor, vessel sink, and that wall-mounted faucet.

“I wanted to talk him out of it,” remembers Zach’s mom, Ronnie. “But then I said to myself, ‘Not good parenting.’ ” So they struck a deal. Zach would pay for materials, and his parents would cover labor.

After months of bargain hunting at home improvement stores, Zach began demolition. The Rosens pulled off the remodel for  about $4,000 total, albeit with the donated assistance of general contractor Ray Rosenthal, a family friend. “He was my mentor,” says Zach. A designer is born.

How he did it

Before choosing his fixtures and materials (listed below), Zach Rosen found inspiration for his remodel at several websites: www.bath-italy.com, ww.homeclick.comw, www.lavabosinks.com, and www.porcher-us.com.

• Faucet: Kohler’s Falling Water (www.kohler.com or 800/456-4537).

• Sink: Decolav stainless steel vessel bowl with overflow ( www.decolav.com or 561/274-2110).

• Surfaces: Countertop is 12-inch-square black granite tile; wall color is Behr’s Clam Island (both from Home Depot; www.homedepot.com or 800/553-3199 for store locations). Floor is 12-inch-square sand-colored marble tile (from Lowe’s; www.lowes.com or 800/445-6937 for store locations).

• Vanity: Zach, who is already well over 6 feet tall, opted for a kitchen cabinet from Ikea (Akurum base with Hallarum doors; www.ikea.com or 800/434-4532) instead of a shorter bathroom vanity.