Bathroom of the Week: White, Wood and Brass Dress Up a Teen Space
A designer helps a couple give their teen daughter a more refined bathroom with better circulation, storage and style
Kids outgrow lots of things. And this couple’s teenage daughter had reached a point where she needed a bathroom with more elbow room, better storage and an updated style that she wouldn’t get tired of.
The couple asked designer Deanne Walczak to help rethink the tight and narrow layout and create a brighter look. Walczak stole space from an extra guest bedroom to enlarge the bathroom by 30 square feet, allowing for more breathing room. She ditched the shower-tub combo for a low-curb shower and used lots of white surfaces to enhance the airy feel. A weathered hardwood shiplap accent wall adds warmth, and brushed brass and gold finishes introduce the bit of bling the teen wanted.
The couple asked designer Deanne Walczak to help rethink the tight and narrow layout and create a brighter look. Walczak stole space from an extra guest bedroom to enlarge the bathroom by 30 square feet, allowing for more breathing room. She ditched the shower-tub combo for a low-curb shower and used lots of white surfaces to enhance the airy feel. A weathered hardwood shiplap accent wall adds warmth, and brushed brass and gold finishes introduce the bit of bling the teen wanted.
After: Walczak knocked the bathroom back to the studs and stole space from an adjoining guest bedroom to add 30 square feet, bringing the bathroom total up to 90 square feet. “That was huge for everything,” she says. “We had a better layout where you don’t have three things — vanity, toilet and shower — in a row. And most importantly, we were able to give her extra storage.”
The extra storage came by way of a new 60-inch vanity and open cubbies.
The updated look features soft pale gray walls (Horizon by Benjamin Moore), a custom pale blue ceiling, white subway tiles with white grout in the shower, a weathered shiplap accent wall, brass finishes and 12-by-24-inch gray porcelain floor tiles in a matte finish.
“I didn’t want this bathroom to look too hard or industrial and wanted something to warm it up,” Walczak says. “I feel like the wood and the brass fixtures we used were a way to give the high-end look this teenager wanted, but it was also a way to add warm tones and bring the outdoors inside.”
New lighting helps brighten the windowless room. And the frameless glass enclosure for the new low-curb shower helps keep things feeling open.
Floor tile: Fenix Antracita, 12 by 24 inches, The Tile Shop; wood for accent wall: Weaber weathered hardwood board, ½ inch by 4 inches by 4 feet, The Home Depot; trim paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
Shop for a bathroom vanity
The extra storage came by way of a new 60-inch vanity and open cubbies.
The updated look features soft pale gray walls (Horizon by Benjamin Moore), a custom pale blue ceiling, white subway tiles with white grout in the shower, a weathered shiplap accent wall, brass finishes and 12-by-24-inch gray porcelain floor tiles in a matte finish.
“I didn’t want this bathroom to look too hard or industrial and wanted something to warm it up,” Walczak says. “I feel like the wood and the brass fixtures we used were a way to give the high-end look this teenager wanted, but it was also a way to add warm tones and bring the outdoors inside.”
New lighting helps brighten the windowless room. And the frameless glass enclosure for the new low-curb shower helps keep things feeling open.
Floor tile: Fenix Antracita, 12 by 24 inches, The Tile Shop; wood for accent wall: Weaber weathered hardwood board, ½ inch by 4 inches by 4 feet, The Home Depot; trim paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
Shop for a bathroom vanity
Before: Exposed vanity bulbs cast the room in a harsh light, and the ceiling fixture didn’t make up for the insufficient illumination.
After: New sconces flank a new round mirror, providing task lighting. A round ceiling-mount fixture gives adequate ambient light. Above the toilet is a new light with an integrated exhaust fan.
The mirror is one of Walczak’s favorite pieces in the new design because it introduced a much-needed round shape to balance all the linear elements. “It’s also just edgy enough for a teenager’s space but didn’t overpower the space with too much brass,” she says.
Moving the location of the toilet created room for the new floating vanity. The wall-mounted piece puts more flooring on display, creating the appearance of more space. The white acrylic resin top and glossy white cabinets virtually disappear, lending an open and airy feel to the design. The brushed gold faucet coordinates with a brushed gold shower column that has a rain shower head and a handheld sprayer. “We chose a shower head that directs the flow of the water more down than out, so she can can turn on the water without getting soaked,” Walczak says.
For the shower walls, the designer mixed budget-friendly white ceramic subway tiles with an accent band of honed marble tiles. “I’m always clever with my budget,” Walczak says. “This gives her a clean look with a bit of bling.”
The shower floor is marble mosaic tile.
Sconces: Skye in aged brass, Hudson Valley Lighting; shower column: Tenet in brushed gold, Pfister; vanity: Valencia in glossy white, 60 inches, Fresca; faucet: Align in brushed gold, Moen
10 Bathroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
The mirror is one of Walczak’s favorite pieces in the new design because it introduced a much-needed round shape to balance all the linear elements. “It’s also just edgy enough for a teenager’s space but didn’t overpower the space with too much brass,” she says.
Moving the location of the toilet created room for the new floating vanity. The wall-mounted piece puts more flooring on display, creating the appearance of more space. The white acrylic resin top and glossy white cabinets virtually disappear, lending an open and airy feel to the design. The brushed gold faucet coordinates with a brushed gold shower column that has a rain shower head and a handheld sprayer. “We chose a shower head that directs the flow of the water more down than out, so she can can turn on the water without getting soaked,” Walczak says.
For the shower walls, the designer mixed budget-friendly white ceramic subway tiles with an accent band of honed marble tiles. “I’m always clever with my budget,” Walczak says. “This gives her a clean look with a bit of bling.”
The shower floor is marble mosaic tile.
Sconces: Skye in aged brass, Hudson Valley Lighting; shower column: Tenet in brushed gold, Pfister; vanity: Valencia in glossy white, 60 inches, Fresca; faucet: Align in brushed gold, Moen
10 Bathroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
A 17-inch fold-down teak bench in the shower gives the teen a comfortable way to shave her legs. “We also have two shower niches above the bench on that wall, because I didn’t want the visual focus to be shampoo bottles and shower clutter when you enter the bathroom,” Walczak says.
The weathered hardwood shiplap has a sealer that repels moisture. The paint used for the walls is mildew-resistant.
Open cubbies keep towels and other items within easy reach.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
The weathered hardwood shiplap has a sealer that repels moisture. The paint used for the walls is mildew-resistant.
Open cubbies keep towels and other items within easy reach.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two teenagers, one of whom is a daughter who uses this bathroom
Location: Bridgeport, Connecticut
Size: 90 square feet (8.4 square meters)
Designer: Deanne Walczak of 360º Design
Builder: Paul Riccio of Riccio Construction
Before: The former 60-square-foot bathroom had a narrow layout, with the toilet crammed between a basic shower-tub combo and a white composite vanity with a cultured marble countertop and sink. “The toilet limited the size of the vanity,” Walczak says. “This teenager needed more space.”
The homeowners had tried to make the room feel more hip by painting color-blocked stripes on the walls, but the now-older teen wanted a fresh style.
Find a bathroom designer near you