bathrooms
Source the Bathtub Carefully One of the most expensive features of a new bathroom can be the biggest fixture of all: the bathtub. Gorgeous versions from upscale manufacturers can run more than $10,000. To get a similar look, check Craigslist or local architectural salvage shops for vintage tubs under $500. For $500 to $700 more, you can have it professionally reglazed to get it looking as good as new.
Other special features. Solid white countertops. Concrete floating shelves. Stained white oak cabinet fronts. White lacquer cabinets. Hand-poured concrete countertop on the island with a waterfall edge. Transom window. Downdraft range vent. Designer tip. “Always be yourself,” Heiman says. “I like to treat each design-and-build job as an art project and a reflection of what inspires me, my team and my clients.” “Uh-oh” moment. “My team always jokes that I like to improvise,” Heiman says. “So I tend to start with unusual or different ideas that I have not seen before, and create from there. The moment I brought in the pink tile, I got a little pushback. Trying to incorporate the design and quantity into the space became a challenge, especially as we started the process of staggering the tiles and not going in a straight line as we traditionally do. Another curveball was expressing the fact that we wanted the tile to wrap under the top shelf to create a feel that the backsplash was growing into the kitchen. It presented some wide-eyed moments, but we pulled it off.” Tile: Mud Diamond in Boheme color, Wow
Tennant removed the room divider, stall shower, built-in tub and water closet to create a simpler, more open layout. Getting rid of the tub allowed her to create a 4-by-7-foot steam shower behind an enclosure of black steel and glass. The shower also features a built-in bench, two shower heads and two new operable windows that offer light, ventilation and views of the backyard. The designer used reclaimed hardwood boards to cover the ceiling and 10-inch matte black hexagonal porcelain tiles for the floor to create a modern farmhouse look. Read more about this bathroom remodel
The bold black freestanding tub was one of the first suggestions Catlin made to the homeowners. “She was dying to do it, but he was a little reluctant. We had to do some convincing,” she says. The black tub pops against the new floors covered in porcelain, stone and glass mosaic tiles in white with a tawny zigzag pattern through it. The new black-framed shower to the left of the tub adds another bold touch.
The new eclectic space includes green cabinetry, large-scale botanical wallpaper, a bold black bathtub and smart storage solutions. A pair of floating shelves above the tub are lined with potted plants that receive the natural light they need from the window. The wallpaper, plants, natural wood tones and green paint on the vanities are all elements of biophilic design. This means it helps people feel connected to nature, which is thought to promote wellness.
Curbless With Natural River Rocks Designer: Alexandra Sheets Saikley of Saikley Architects Location: Mountain View, California Size: 89 square feet (8.3 square meters); 8 feet, 5 inches by 10 feet, 7 inches Homeowners’ request. A main-bathroom sanctuary with a Japanese soaking tub. Shower entrance. No curb. The floor tile, composed of natural river rocks, continues seamlessly from the main bathroom area into the large shower. Other special features. Japanese soaking tub. Porcelain 12-by-24-inch wall tiles that mimic travertine. Designer tip. “Keeping a small space simple makes it feel more spacious,” designer Alexandra Sheets Saikley says. “Vaulting the ceiling opens up the space. We used prefabricated scissor trusses, which didn’t add cost to vault the ceiling.” “Uh-oh” moment. “The height clearances were very tight for getting drainage from the shower and adjacent deck to work over the living space below, while making sure the whole thing was very well waterproofed,” Saikley says. “There was some coordination between these issues and structural issues that had to be worked out during construction.”
industrial, beach, mediterranean, contemporary
It has an open curbless shower that will help with aging in place. Nelson used an obscure glass shower door to close off the toilet room. This was a sleek way to provide separation and privacy.
shower shelf
glass wall
concrete tub
windows in shower
2. Shower Ledges Instead of Niches Everyone needs a place in a shower for soap and shampoo bottles, and a niche does an adequate job. But niches are somewhat difficult to handle from a design and construction perspective, because they have to be recessed between wall studs. This requires extra planning and preparation. Meanwhile, you have to consider what you will use to tile the interior of the niche and how you will finish off its edges. That’s a lot of work for a small area that sometimes isn’t even big enough to hold large bottles of shampoo and conditioner. A shower ledge is much more straightforward and requires a build-out of only a few inches into the shower space. Run it along the length of your shower stall, as designer Katy Popple did here, and you’ve got tons of space for shower essentials. Cap it with a piece of your bathroom vanity countertop material and call it a day.
8. Porcelain Slab Showers Tile is a popular material for showers. It’s durable and offers lots of options to bring in color and texture. But the idea of maintaining all those grout lines turns a lot of homeowners off. Designer Brooke Brown of L&B Limited Co. is getting a lot of requests for using porcelain slabs instead. The approach minimizes grout lines while still offering durability and visual interest.
wet room
shower room
No-glass showers. Glass shower enclosures are great for controlling water spray while keeping an open and airy feel. But cleaning such enclosures is no day at the spa. If you’ve got the room, you can create a completely open shower area like the one in this Tiburon, California, bathroom by Schneider Design Associates. A small curb and partial wall offset a large marble-tiled wet area with enough room for multiple wall-mounted shower heads, a rain shower head and a freestanding tub.
Drying station. Few things convey a sense of luxury in a bathroom more than a designated drying station, as evident in this space designed by Howell Custom Building Group and Leana Porter of Shutter Dog Design. The station features an inset white oak drainable drying platform, a linen closet made of custom maple in a driftwood stain, a built-in bench and a skylight.
wet room & tile design
wetroom
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