thos1956's ideas
Homeowners’ request. This master bathroom was part of an overall house remodel. The homeowners wanted a Zen feeling in their bathroom, and bench seating inside and outside a new large shower. Shower features. Rain shower head. Wavy, large-format 3D wall tiles nod to the waterfront location of the home. Similarly, pebble tile on the shower floor recalls beach stones. Other special bathroom features. Custom vanity with quartz countertop. Beachy colors and warm walnut wood shelves. “Uh-oh” moment. “The homeowners took on a whole-house remodel and reached a point of decision overload,” says remodeler Gerard Ciccarello, who used Houzz ideabooks to refine the style for this project. “Working with a design-build professional helped with making decisions that resulted in a more cohesive look for the space
Homeowners’ request. Update a dark and closed-in shower by knocking down a wall and adding seamless glass to create a more open, airy feeling. Shower features. The entire shower is wrapped in white-and-gray marble — large tiles on the side walls, ceiling and bench; small mosaic tiles on the floor; and elongated hex tiles on the back wall. Polished-nickel shower fixtures add to the “refined, high-end, finished look,” designer Katie Rees says.
Shower features. Graphic large-format wall tile. Curbless entry. Frameless tempered-glass panels. Built-in bench with handheld shower. Recessed niche below rain shower head. Trench drain on back wall. Other special features. Vessel bathtub with floor-mounted filler. Designer tips. “With the back wall of the shower as a focal point for the room, it was decided to keep the layout symmetrical and free from all distractions, such as grab bars and plumbing trim,” designer David Ludwig says. “Showers tend to collect clutter, so a niche and bench were included as concealed repositories for common clutter items.” “Uh-oh” moment. The only way to add new plumbing for this master bathroom was laterally through the ceiling over the entryway of the home and to an existing exterior-wall bump-out. The design-and-build team was concerned about plumbing noise right over the entry, and used cast iron drain lines to minimize the noise.
Homeowners’ request. For this new-construction design-build project, the homeowners wanted a light, bright master bathroom with a large shower. Early in the design process, the homeowners shared with designer Leah Bolger an inspiration photo from Houzz that features a shower with a recessed LED light and a floating bench, two elements they wanted to incorporate into their design. Shower features. Ombre glass mosaic tile, lit from above. Shower head and body sprays. Hand shower on the wall next to the floating bench. Statuary marble floor. White 12-by-24-inch Thassos marble tiles on shower head wall. Tiled infinity drain. Designer tip. “As projects evolve, it’s important to understand that every decision affects another,” Bolger says. “Thinking about material selections, their distribution and how they relate to one another as a whole, rather than as individual components, is critical.” “Uh-oh” moment. “Even after previewing a lot of pictures, the client was unhappy with the range of veining in the statuary marble after seeing it on-site,” Bolger says. “We looked at many other lots, which were the same or worse. The other marble selected was Thassos, which is white and consiste...
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5. Ceiling Track Shower Curtains The classic and simple shower curtain might seem outdated to some, but it can still be convenient and stylish, especially when hung from a ceiling track. “I have done a fair number of shower curtains on a ceiling track, which is an affordable and stylish way to install a curtain,” designer Kate Roos says.
4. Frameless Shower Doors Designer Wendy Kuhn of Karr Bick Kitchen and Bath says those choosing a new shower door should consider a frameless one. “The most common shower door type I use is frameless glass. It can fit into most bathroom layouts and gives a great, clean look,” she says.
3. Matte Black Fixtures When it comes to selecting shower fixtures, designer Michelle Fee of Change Your Bathroom says that matte black deserves a look. “Matte black fixtures are both durable and striking. Since it’s a matte finish, it shows fewer fingerprints and wear over time,” she says. “And because it’s a neutral color, it can also be incorporated into many different styles.” Fee used matte black fixtures in the shower of this Atlanta bathroom. “Matte finishes are easy to maintain, and black is a finish that works well with marble,” she says. “The challenge of this finish is finding the preferred style of fixture, because it’s currently used in limited collections.”
Designer Jena Bula of Delphinium Design is also on the shower niche bandwagon. “I always include a large niche in my shower renovations,” she says. “It’s functional and aesthetically pleasing. I like to do accent niches to add personality to the shower.” Bula added a large niche covered in black-and-white mosaic tiles to the shower wall in this Charlotte, North Carolina, project. “Everyone loves to have a home for all their stuff, especially if it looks great,” she says.
Other special features. Frosted triple-pane 3-by-3-foot windows. The freestanding bathtub is partially built in, with a quartz countertop that matches the vanity top. “This feature provided both clients what they were looking for in the design of the bathtub area,” Webb says. Designer tip. “Natural light from the large windows really brought this space together, even though there is no desired view outside the windows, since it’s the front of the house,” Webb says. “There is still an importance to remember natural light does a lot of good to any space.” “Uh-oh” moment. “One of the most challenging moments in the project was the bathtub surround,” Webb says. “No fabricators in the area had ever completed such a task of only building in half of the tub. The bathtub itself is also wider at the top, meaning the quartz itself had to be properly angled to get the tight fit desired around the tub, since it was not undermount. The result proved to be something that can be done, as it turned out exactly as imagined.”
Homeowners’ request. “The original bathroom had low ceilings, a walk-in shower with no natural light and a water closet with no natural light,” designer John Webb says. “The clients had requested for windows that brought in an abundance of natural light, high ceilings, a modern feel to the space matching the rest of the home remodel, and marble tile. The final request from the clients was more of a challenge. One homeowner wanted a freestanding bathtub, and the other wanted the bathtub to be built in.” Walk-in shower. The 4-by-9-foot walk-in shower features marble wall tile with a mosaic tile accent band that also wraps the entire room. The wall-to-wall glass sliding door opens on two sides.
Homeowners’ request. A relaxing, airy and modern design with a spa-like vibe. Walk-in shower. Matte white porcelain 4-by-12-inch rectangular wall tile installed in a horizontal stacked pattern. The floor is hexagonal matte taupe porcelain tile. The shower door is a glass swing panel with matte black hardware. Other special features. The floor of the main space is 12-by-24-inch porcelain tiles that look like terrazzo. The sleek vanity is painted in Mole’s Breath by Farrow & Ball. Designer tip. “We love adding greenery to bathrooms,” designer Lindsey Swanson says. “It always gives a tropical or spa-like feeling.” “Uh-oh” moment. “I had originally chosen a different shower floor tile that was a bit more unique, and it was no longer available; therefore I had to switch it last-minute to the hexagon mosaic, which still turned out beautiful,” Swanson says.
Other special features. Custom vanity with quartzite countertop. Antique window. Pivot mirrors. Hidden 4-inch-deep storage behind wainscoting panels. Designer tip. “The hidden wainscoting storage is the highlight of this space,” Walker says. “It solved the problem of creating storage in a small space without introducing clutter or additional cabinetry.”
Homeowners’ request. “The biggest problem that they were dealing with was storage,” says Jim Walker, the owner and CEO of Copper Sky Renovations. “This is a small space for a master bath. Storage for bathroom items was critical. We solved this by using hidden storage behind wainscoting panels.” Walk-in shower. Curbless shower with linear drain. Glossy white Arabesque mosaic tile for the floor. Classic 4-by-12-inch glossy brick porcelain tile for the walls. Frameless glass door and enclosure.
“Uh-oh” moment. “Originally we had an operable window, but since the gas meter needed to be placed within 3 feet of the window, we created a frosted fixed-glass window for light and privacy,” Wylie says. “There was also a lot of coordination done when installing the tile so that there was the illusion of perfection. We worked with the tile installer to tweak the sizes of a few of the tile cuts in order for grout joints to line up with windows and other elements.” Designer tip. “A bathroom does not have to be huge to feel airy and spa-like,” Wylie says. “Using some simple tricks with space planning, natural light and mirrors, a bathroom can feel great. Also, editing the palette to minimize the amount of materials, colors and textures creates a more timeless, effortless look. You can always add color and trendy elements in things that are not as permanent as tile and countertops.”
Homeowners’ request. “The shower needed to be [accessible per the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA] without looking ADA,” architect Maggie Wylie says. “We also needed to account for a caretaker to be able to aid in bathing and wanted to maintain elegance but also make it pragmatic.” Walk-in-shower. “This is a roll-in shower with sliding glass doors rather than a swinging door, so it is easily accessible,” Wylie says. “We included a bench, which is tucked behind the solid wall where all the plumbing components live, to make the space visually as clean as possible.” Black penny tile covers the shower floor, bench and shower head wall, creating a nonslip surface. Wylie cut down 12-by-24-inch gray ceramic tile to 6 by 24 inches for a “cooler proportion,” she says, on the bathroom walls and floor and part of the shower.
Some waste pullout systems even integrate a special bin with a securely sealing lid specifically to hold compost, so you don’t have to change it with excessive frequency just to keep odors in check. Keep in mind how quickly it will fill; you’ll want to plan ahead so that organic waste isn’t left sitting exposed to air for too long.
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