bathroom remodel
Using a traditional element like subway tile but choosing an enlarged size is another way to get the traditional-meets-modern look of transitional style. These large subway tiles are 8 inches by 20 inches. Gray grout makes the pattern stand out and works well with the wall color. The grout color is Frost by Mapei and the wall paint is Cloud by Dunn-Edwards Paints. “This is a warm gray that changes color throughout the day,” Jackson says.
The most important new element is the 96-inch-long vanity, which helps the homeowners stay neat and organized. Not having an open makeup area meant more room for storage. The nine drawers offer more efficient storage for bathroom items than the old setup did — the second drawer in the center accommodates hair appliances and has an outlet inside. The beveled mirrors conceal two recessed medicine cabinets.
The large-format veined porcelain tiles on the shower surround measure 24 by 48 inches. The colors in the veining pick up on the grays used throughout the room. The matte black fixtures and a matte black metal niche provide contrast. Hexagonal tiles on the shower floor add an alternative shape to all of the rectangles while maintaining the simplicity of Scandinavian modern design.
Every wall that isn’t tiled is painted dark gray, including the wall to the right and the wall opposite the vanity. “This was for dramatic contrast,” Brookes says. The white door on the right (seen in the mirror’s reflection) leads to a water closet. The matte black finish seen throughout the house appears on the faucets, shower heads, light fixture and mirror frames. The double globe sconce has a midcentury modern look.
The bathroom floor is covered in dark gray porcelain tile, and Brookes found a quartz in the same hue for other surfaces such as the countertops. The backsplash tiles are slim matte white subway tiles. “We laid out all of the tile in the room in a grid pattern — there are no brick tile patterns anywhere in this house,” Brookes says. “Lining them up like this is very Scandinavian modern.” Brookes credits her excellent cabinetmaker with the beautiful bookmatching of the white oak wood on the vanity. (This means the grain pattern continues across the doors and drawers.) “Another Scandinavian modern detail was using plain slab-front doors and drawers and using finger pulls instead of hardware,” she says.
The material palette throughout the condo is consistent. The first design decision was to replace the traditional dark flooring with beautiful light white oak. Brookes carried the scheme of white walls accented by dark gray and matte black into the bathroom. The bathroom flooring changes to gray tile, but she brought in the white oak through the vanity. Two of the homeowner’s must-haves were splashes of red and a sliding barn door. The designer was able to give her both with this door between the master bedroom and bathroom.
Keep in mind that the rules here are similar to using sconces: Hanging the light around eye level, with a shade that lets the light diffuse outward in all directions, will light both the face and the room the most evenly. Falken Reynolds Interiors‘ bathroom shown here is a good example. In a tighter space you can hang the sconces in front of the mirror to allow for a wider mirror. But, if the fixtures are too close together they’ll be too in-your-face to see the mirror properly. Therefore, you should make sure you have at least a good 30 inches between them regardless.
Multiple Simple Pendants While pendant lights can be quite dramatic, they can also be functional as well. Here, AV Architects + Builders shows how a series of pendant lights can function similar to sconces if hung low enough, or being hung higher to sit above the mirror, or somewhere in between. After all, since they don’t attach to the wall they can be hung at whatever point on the wall you choose. How to Keep Your Glass Light Fixtures Shining Bright
Sconces mounted over the mirror can also work especially well in a bathroom with a tall ceiling, playing into the verticality of the space and drawing the eye upward. Notice how this fixture has a bit of a downward cast to make sure plenty of light reaches down to the face. The American Lighting Association says the ideal height for installing fixtures above a mirror is about 78 inches.
Again, to help get more light, you can look to twin-light fixtures to cast some light down from two sides for better balance. Often fixtures that are seemingly meant to be installed vertically can be rotated to run horizontally, as Fuchsia Design did here, giving you even more options when you shop. This is not always the case, so check the installation instructions before buying.
Long, minimalist sconces like designer Darci Hether used here are popular choices for a similar reason: the long stretch of light, either from multiple bulbs or LED strips, will cast a lot of light evenly up and down the face. Plus, they bring a modern appeal that helps give a bathroom a crisp and clean feeling. The American Lighting Association recommends mounting them 65 to 70 inches from the floor as a general rule. The association also recommends placing the fixtures 28 to 30 inches apart, but that depends on the size of the room, among other factors.
The bathroom has plenty of room for both girls’ towels. In addition to the luggage rack over the toilet, a cleverly recessed towel bar niche keeps them out of the way. Recessing the bar means there’s no bumping into it in the tight space — another instance where eking out just a few inches made a big difference.
ledge in shower
drawers in vanity rather than cabinets
Mixed metals helped establish a classic trend-proof look in the room. The faucets are polished nickel, the hardware and hooks are champagne-colored and the lighting fixtures are a mix of brushed and aged brass. The globe pendant lights and cylindrical sconce add more modern touches. “I prefer polished nickel when mixing with brass tones. It has a warmth to it that chrome and stainless steel don’t have,” Ryder says. The pair of mirrors were custom made. Their stained wood frames match the linen cabinet.
The long double-vanity is custom and has a marble countertop. It provides lots of storage, including many drawers.
The lighting system enabled Ryder to incorporate the pendant lights his clients wanted and the lights’ wiring in an organized way. The voltage runs through the bar to the pendants. Hanging them individually would have created a cluttered look with wires extending high into the vault.
7. Recessed Shelves Need just a smidgen of extra storage? Fit sleek recessed shelves into the wall adjacent to the vanity, as in this bathroom from Regan Baker Design. To keep things looking neat, store messier items (like toothpaste) behind closed doors and set your prettiest toiletries on the open shelves.
cast concrete sink and the light coloring of bamboo on the vanity, shelves and medicine cabinet.
Toilet!
drawer hardware...sleek!
Now a frameless glass enclosure keeps the views of the quartzite wall open and makes the room feel larger. The shower entry is open and curbless — the shower floor slopes down to a linear drain beneath the shower heads. A lot of Houzz users are concerned about draftiness and splashing with open shower entries. In this case, because the homeowners have a heated floor that they keep at 74 degrees year-round and a bathroom exhaust fan with a built-in heater, they say they don’t have a problem with draftiness or chilliness when using the shower. They also note that the way the rain shower head directs the water prevents it from splashing outside of the stall. And they don’t have to get wet turning on the shower — the controls are built into the half column on the right.
Two large counter-to-ceiling mirrors make the room feel more expansive, while a trio of sconces adds an elegant touch. Polished finishes on the faucets and hardware also add shine to the room. “Because the sconces have a textured finish, we were able to mix them with the polished finishes,” Rosene says. “Not having a backsplash is something the clients considered carefully,” she says. “We moved the faucets to hang over the sinks more than we usually would to prevent splashing. And while this works well for adults, it’s not a good idea for a kids’ bathroom.” Because of the placement of the sconces, the couple had to lose a medicine cabinet. To make up for it, they maximized the number of drawers and used pullout drawers behind the cabinet doors. The center cabinet includes a hair appliance section with a built-in outlet.
tall counter cabinet, large framed mirror
grab bars
stylish grab bar in shower
custom concrete vanity county with integrated sink
floating shower bench
grey barn door. Too heavy?
towel bar on vanity front
Can we do recessed shelves above the toilet instead of a cabinet? (to store toilet paper)
Frosted window, floor “mats”
Q