Bathroom of the Week: Bright and Airy Design for a Busy Mom
A designer at a design-build firm helps a homeowner pull together her ideas and create a well-functioning space
The homeowner who uses this bathroom enjoys the design and remodeling process, and she was ready to embark on a full bathroom remodel when she visited The Kitchen Studio’s showroom in West Chester, Pennsylvania. “She has a great appreciation for design and high-functioning spaces,” designer Dana Bender says. “In our collaboration, we helped her refine and implement her ideas.” The homeowner’s preferred style is modern with warm organic touches. Bender helped the busy mom put the design together, and the construction arm of the business, Pine Street Carpenters, completed the work.
After: The contractor removed the tall cabinets, installed a new double vanity and made space between the shower and tub. The wood, nature-inspired hues and brass accents lend warmth to the bright and airy space. The marine blue floor tile anchors the room with dark tones taken from nature.
“This client has a strong sense of style and had a lot of ideas,” Bender says. “She sourced a lot of the things for the bathroom herself.”
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“This client has a strong sense of style and had a lot of ideas,” Bender says. “She sourced a lot of the things for the bathroom herself.”
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Before: Though the cabinetry was dated, it provided a lot of storage. “If anything, there was too much storage in this room,” Bender says. There wasn’t a need for the tall cabinets on the left. Also, the homeowner wanted to add an entry between the bathroom and her walk-in closet, and those cabinets were blocking the spot for that.
After: Getting rid of the tall cabinets allowed for a generous cherry vanity crafted by Dura Supreme Cabinetry. The vanity is just over 6 feet wide. Using drawers instead of cabinet doors was a more efficient use of space. There are U-shaped drawers beneath the sinks, and one drawer has a charging station inside.
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“The homeowner loves to watch the news in the morning, and we played around with the idea of a TV in here. In the end she didn’t like it,” Bender says. Instead, they mounted two wood ledges between the recessed mirrored medicine cabinets. The homeowner uses the lower shelf to hold her iPad when she wants to watch programs while getting ready in the morning. “This was a great solution because she didn’t want to commit to the technology of a TV in here,” Bender says.
The homeowner liked the idea of living finishes, meaning ones that develop a patina over time. For the countertop they went with something that had the look of a living finish but is more practical: light gray quartz that resembles aged concrete. Bender also used the quartz on the shower threshold, bench, niche and wall cap.
Purist widespread black matte faucets: Kohler; countertops: Cloudburst concrete, Caesarstone
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The homeowner liked the idea of living finishes, meaning ones that develop a patina over time. For the countertop they went with something that had the look of a living finish but is more practical: light gray quartz that resembles aged concrete. Bender also used the quartz on the shower threshold, bench, niche and wall cap.
Purist widespread black matte faucets: Kohler; countertops: Cloudburst concrete, Caesarstone
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“The homeowner found these sconces and now they are one of my favorite options,” Bender says. They’re the result of a collaboration between two Portland, Oregon-based businesses — Cedar & Moss, a lighting and hardware company, and Pratt & Larson, a handmade ceramic tile studio. The textured ceramic backplates are white with earthy undertones. The metal finishes throughout the room are brass and matte black.
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Before: The tile on the floor, tub surround and shower darkened the room, and the tub’s large deck made the space feel cramped. “There wasn’t enough wall space in here to hang towels. Our client had propped this ladder up but it wasn’t working very well,” Bender says.
After: Replacing the drop-in tub and its surround with a freestanding tub allowed for a larger shower stall and made the room feel more spacious. Leaving space between the tub and shower created room for two towel bars. “It was tricky to size this wall right. We wanted to have enough height for the towels to hang, but with that sloped ceiling overhead, we didn’t want it to feel too high,” Bender says. She struck the right balance with a 40-inch-high pony wall.
This photo shows a subtle modern detail: Bender left a small reveal between the top of the pony wall and its Caesarstone cap. It inspired Bender to draw up a custom baseboard profile with a small reveal. The homeowner liked the look so much that she had them install the same baseboards in her bedroom.
This photo shows a subtle modern detail: Bender left a small reveal between the top of the pony wall and its Caesarstone cap. It inspired Bender to draw up a custom baseboard profile with a small reveal. The homeowner liked the look so much that she had them install the same baseboards in her bedroom.
A new bench in the shower was also an important element of the design. The existing bench took up too much of the stall’s floor space.
Bender had a drafty glass-block window removed and replaced it with energy-efficient casement windows. The windows easily crank all the way open for maximum ventilation.
Bender had a drafty glass-block window removed and replaced it with energy-efficient casement windows. The windows easily crank all the way open for maximum ventilation.
Another challenge was one of the homeowner’s must-haves: two shower heads. “The sloped ceiling made this difficult,” Bender says. “Adding the mounted handheld was the best solution.” Both shower heads can operate at the same time.
Elongated subway tiles compose the shower surround. Bender designed a generous shower niche. Using clear glass on the shower enclosure contributes to the room’s light and airy feel.
Shower fixtures: Purist, Kohler
Elongated subway tiles compose the shower surround. Bender designed a generous shower niche. Using clear glass on the shower enclosure contributes to the room’s light and airy feel.
Shower fixtures: Purist, Kohler
Before: The lone wall-mounted towel bar was at the end of the bathroom, far from the shower.
After: Because she no longer needed that towel bar, the homeowner decided to add a tall cabinet at the end of the room. The contractor tucked it into a corner and added a soffit overhead to give it a semi-recessed look. The cherry of the cabinet matches that of the vanity.
Bender placed electrical outlets on either side of the vanity, and the recessed medicine cabinets have outlets inside. This allowed her to keep the backsplash wall free of outlets for a cleaner look.
Bender placed electrical outlets on either side of the vanity, and the recessed medicine cabinets have outlets inside. This allowed her to keep the backsplash wall free of outlets for a cleaner look.
The sculptural freestanding tub is positioned for enjoying the light from the windows. “The homeowner’s daughter liked to sit on the old tub surround and keep her mom company, so it was important that we add a stool in here for her, Bender says. (A plant was placed on it for the photo shoot.) In addition to providing a seat, the hammered metal stool adds warmth and patina to the room.
The renovations included replacing an old malfunctioning heated floor system with radiant heat. The homeowner chose the concrete floor tile from Clé Tile. “She didn’t want it sealed so that it would remain a living finish that patinas,” Bender says. “She’d had concrete tile in her home before and liked how it evolved over time.”
Before: In spite of the room’s flaws, its layout worked well.
After: The new entry through the closet is on the right side of this plan. The homeowner wanted to get rid of the entry from the bedroom into the closet to make room for a dresser along her bedroom wall.
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A mom and her daughter
Location: Paoli, Pennsylvania
Size: 125 square feet (12 square meters)
Designer: Dana Bender of Pine Street Carpenters & The Kitchen Studio
Before: The mismatched warped vanity doors next to the tall cabinets on the left make it easy to see why the homeowner was ready for an update. Also, a large tub surround took up a lot of space in the room. Because the tub and shower were butted together, there wasn’t a convenient spot to install towel bars.
One asset the room had was lots of sunlight. Expansive windows and two skylights provided plenty of natural light.