This past December, my husband and I had our master bath renovated and are still amazed how different it is. Since our home is old, the bathroom was pretty bad. It was super outdated and closed in, ceramic tile everywhere, a large jacuzzi tub we hated, a toilet that was far from eco-friendly, no heat, and a storage space that was unusable. There was plenty to dislike about the space.
This was the bathroom in its original state before we moved in:
For two years, we lived with the minor changes we were able to do, which was basically change out the vanity/sink and light. Not much, but we didn’t have of a choice. I wish I could say we got used to it, but it was something neither of us could get used to. Then finally, it was time to gut it and make it beautiful.
There wasn’t much we could do about the actual space of the room but being a designer, I know certain tricks to help open it up and feel more airy. I did this with a neutral palette, white tile on the floor and shower, and opening up the storage space so we can actually use it. Before there was a wall there with a small door, but now its all open shelving which I’ve hidden behind a fabric curtain. We also got a new tub that is a normal size, which opened the shower area up tons. We also read reviews for great water softeners for our plumbing and our skin!
As far as style, I wanted the space to have a modern appeal but showcase classic vintage elements. I did this through a gray/white color palette and keeping everything white so it looked clean and crisp. You can’t get anymore classic with subway tile so I chose that for the shower and for the floor, small hexagon tile I have always loved. It brings me back to my Grandmother’s house in Brooklyn when I was a little girl. Now I get to have that memory everyday!
The small shelves are from Home Decorators and the medicine cabinet was a great buy on Overstock. The rest of the accessories such as the glass shelf, toilet paper holder, towel ring, and towel rack were purchased at Lowes and Home Depot. We decided to hang the rack on the back of the door so we didn’t lose any wall space. And it worked out great because they hang right above the bathroom heater so they are always cozy and dry.
The new white vanity has a bead board exterior which just adds to the classic look. A heater was installed, as well as a fan, so the space is much more comfortable be in. For a curtain, I used some fabric I had cut from old curtains and custom sized them for the window. I chose to only cover the bottom half so the space would be lit up nicely with natural light.
I wanted chrome throughout with a little glass detail and brought in warmth with soft neutral textures such as baskets and pastel artwork from some of my favorite artists on Etsy. The gorgeous collage behind the door is created by Mae Chevrette and the smaller print by River Luna. We showcased our love of vintage jars by using a few we found at our local shop to hold bathroom essentials. And because I hate how tissue boxes look, I found these beautiful linen covers on Etsy from Pilo that look great in the space.
All in all, the bathroom is a success! I feel like I am in a spa which is crazy. Who would of thought we could go to this from where it used to be? I gave myself a big pat on the back for this one. It was so much fun designing the space without doing all the work for once. We finally have the bathroom of our dreams and we are so grateful.
