Bathroom
Because she no longer needed that towel bar, the homeowner decided to add a tall cabinet at the end of the room. The contractor tucked it into a corner and added a soffit overhead to give it a semi-recessed look. The cherry of the cabinet matches that of the vanity. Bender placed electrical outlets on either side of the vanity, and the recessed medicine cabinets have outlets inside. This allowed her to keep the backsplash wall free of outlets for a cleaner look.
Another challenge was one of the homeowner’s must-haves: two shower heads. “The sloped ceiling made this difficult,” Bender says. “Adding the mounted handheld was the best solution.” Both shower heads can operate at the same time. Elongated subway tiles compose the shower surround. Bender designed a generous shower niche. Using clear glass on the shower enclosure contributes to the room’s light and airy feel.
Leaving space between the tub and shower created room for two towel bars. “It was tricky to size this wall right. We wanted to have enough height for the towels to hang, but with that sloped ceiling overhead, we didn’t want it to feel too high,” Bender says. She struck the right balance with a 40-inch-high pony wall.
“The homeowner found these sconces and now they are one of my favorite options,” Bender says. They’re the result of a collaboration between two Portland, Oregon-based businesses — Cedar & Moss, a lighting and hardware company, and Pratt & Larson, a handmade ceramic tile studio. The textured ceramic backplates are white with earthy undertones. The metal finishes throughout the room are brass and matte black.
Getting rid of the tall cabinets allowed for a generous cherry vanity crafted by Dura Supreme Cabinetry. The vanity is just over 6 feet wide. Using drawers instead of cabinet doors was a more efficient use of space. There are U-shaped drawers beneath the sinks, and one drawer has a charging station inside.
Special features. Mini marble mosaic tile in a brick pattern covering the walls, ceiling and bathtub surround. “Placing the soaker tub under the sloped area made most sense,” Ovadia says. “This is essentially why we decided to tile the slopes — to protect from any future water damage and create a seamless look.” The vanity is walnut with a quartz top. Designer tip. “The idea of using one great tile and applying it throughout the bathroom was key in creating a polished look,” Ovadia says.
Designer: Dvira Ovadia Location: Toronto Size: 37½ square feet (3.5 square meters); 5 by 7½ feet Homeowners’ request. Create a new bathroom where a former closet was on the third floor. Space saver. “We used a slender-looking vanity that had a slender metal base, keeping the vanity off the ground,” designer Dvira Ovadia says. “This made the space feel airy, yet the full-size vanity cabinet provides ample storage for a small bathroom.”
Special features. V-pattern shower tile. Black penny tile with white grout that runs from the floor up the wall behind the vanity. Custom wood trim and tub apron. “It set this bathroom apart,” Jung says. Designer tip. “We spent a larger portion of the money on the shower enclosure tile,” Jung says. “Yet one of the most distinctive design elements in this bathroom is the penny tiles lining up the walls. Penny tiles are a relatively low-cost tile, but they really elevate the space.”
Designer: Clara Jung of Banner Day Consulting Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: About 44 square feet (4 square meters); 8 by 5⅓ feet Homeowners’ request. “The bathroom we started with had builder-grade finishes and fixtures,” says designer Clara Jung, who collaborated with her clients using a Houzz ideabook. “The clients wanted to elevate this guest bathroom, since it would be the one guests use most often. Closed storage for toiletries was another request.”
Designers: Rachel Hutchens and Jenette DiFazio of Maven Home Interiors Location: Sandy, Utah Size: 45 square feet (4.2 square meters); 5 by 9 feet Homeowners’ request. A guest bathroom with a bright midcentury modern vibe. They wanted to keep the shower-tub arrangement to appeal to future homebuyers who might want a bathtub.
Using wall-mounted faucets allowed Wilson to install a shallower-than-standard vanity. This helped keep the bathroom open and airy. “I love to use wall-mounted faucets. They look elegant and save space,” she says. “And we have really hard water here, so it eliminates having to clean the residue that water leaves on countertops around faucet bases.”
A vintage mirror coordinates with the traditional brass fixtures in the bathroom. Ever-popular white subway tiles cover just the immediate shower area and provide contrast to the masculine blue of the walls. Bathroom fixtures: Lefroy Brooks
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