Bathroom of the Week: Bold and Contemporary in 40 Square Feet
A remodel makes this hall bathroom in Maryland feel airy, stylish and playful
When she was ready to renovate the hall bathroom her teenagers share, this Maryland mother had a strong vision of what she wanted: a modern bath with a graphic blue floor tile and a floating vanity. “One of the great things about this homeowner is that she has an eclectic style and a strong sense of design,” says designer Kelley Tomchik of Bearded Builders, the design-build firm that completed the renovation. And because the company had completed other projects in the client’s home outside Baltimore, they already had a great working relationship. The designer helped her figure out how to pull it all together and the construction foreman brought it to life.
Before: The toilet location was the biggest problem in this bathroom. It was underneath the window between the vanity and the tub. This meant the door practically hit the toilet when it swung open into the bathroom, making entering awkward. And accessing the vanity cabinet next to the toilet was difficult.
The way the wall-to-wall vanity dominated the bathroom had the homeowner dreaming of a sleek wall-mounted model that would keep the floor space clear. Because her kids wouldn’t be living at home full-time for much longer, the design also looked to the future, when the space would serve as a guest bath.
The way the wall-to-wall vanity dominated the bathroom had the homeowner dreaming of a sleek wall-mounted model that would keep the floor space clear. Because her kids wouldn’t be living at home full-time for much longer, the design also looked to the future, when the space would serve as a guest bath.
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After: By placing a new low-profile toilet next to the vanity, Tomchik opened up the floor space and made the room feel larger. The new wall-mounted vanity also helps, allowing the view of the fabulous floor tile to extend all the way to the wall. Using a smaller vanity was something the homeowner had to consider carefully because it meant losing storage. “To make up for some of the storage, we suggested the large niche over the toilet,” Tomchik says.
The designer added LED lighting beneath the vanity, which provides a soft glow for late-night trips to the loo. The homeowner had picked out this pendant light for her master bathroom a few years back and knew she wanted to use the same one in here. The glass shade is unobtrusive and helps to maintain a clean, minimalist look in the modestly sized room. The plumbing fixtures and other accents are chrome, a finish with a clean and polished look.
Browse wall-mounted vanities in the Houzz Shop
The designer added LED lighting beneath the vanity, which provides a soft glow for late-night trips to the loo. The homeowner had picked out this pendant light for her master bathroom a few years back and knew she wanted to use the same one in here. The glass shade is unobtrusive and helps to maintain a clean, minimalist look in the modestly sized room. The plumbing fixtures and other accents are chrome, a finish with a clean and polished look.
Browse wall-mounted vanities in the Houzz Shop
Ready to stretch beyond modern farmhouse style and the 4-by-6-inch subway tile that often goes with it, the homeowner opted for a picket tile for the bathtub surround and vanity wall. The angled ends play off the geometry of the hexagonal floor tile.
The bathtub is a deep soaker tub with a textured slip-resistant surface on the bottom.
Bathtub: Underscore, Kohler
The bathtub is a deep soaker tub with a textured slip-resistant surface on the bottom.
Bathtub: Underscore, Kohler
While the homeowner knew she simply had to have the Spark 2 encaustic cement tile by Villa Lagoon Tile, working with a designer helped her figure out how it to lay it out. “There are a bunch of different patterns you can create with this tile — I mocked them all up so that she could choose,” Tomchik says. She also mocked up what the niche would look like with the white picket tiles and with the blue tiles for comparison.
A note about the tile: Spark 2, which has five lines, has been discontinued, but Crow’s Feet, which has three lines, is very similar. And Melissa Dillon of Villa Lagoon Tile says the company will gladly reproduce the Spark 2 design as a custom order if needed.
Browse blue tile in the Houzz Shop
A note about the tile: Spark 2, which has five lines, has been discontinued, but Crow’s Feet, which has three lines, is very similar. And Melissa Dillon of Villa Lagoon Tile says the company will gladly reproduce the Spark 2 design as a custom order if needed.
Browse blue tile in the Houzz Shop
It’s easy to see why the homeowner chose the bold floor tiles for the niche, whose shelves were stained to match the walnut vanity. To create a niche this large, the builders had to remove a stud, then reinforce the structure. Tomchik finished out the niche by using chrome Schluter strips around the edges.
Elements That Give the Room Contemporary Style
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Elements That Give the Room Contemporary Style
- A sleek wall-mounted vanity
- Walnut and chrome finishes
- A minimalist color palette that uses a lot of white
- The playful use of color and geometry
- Streamlined rectilinear style emphasized by the tub, vanity and shelves
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Teenagers
Location: Phoenix, Maryland
Size: 40 square feet (3.7 square meters); 5 by 8 feet
Designer: Kelley Tomchik of Bearded Builders
Over the past few years, the firm had fully renovated the homeowner’s master bathroom and a bath on the main floor. “Each one is completely different. Her master has farmhouse style, and the bathroom on the main floor has modern farmhouse style,” Tomchik says. For this bathroom the client was ready to take a big step into more modern territory, inspired by a dynamic patterned hexagonal tile for the floor.
With a lot of the style already envisioned, the designer helped the homeowner pull it all together. This included designing the new bathroom layout, figuring out how to lay the tile, tying the different elements together and reaching a few other key decisions. And because the design-build firm handled everything from the first sketches to hanging the towel bars, the process was seamless and efficient. “Because everything goes through us, we are able to stay organized, manage quality control and keep everything going according to schedule,” Tomchik says. The entire renovation took 2½ weeks.
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