Bathroom of the Week: Light and Airy With Coastal Influences
A designer refines a couple’s primary suite with a renovated bathroom and the closet of their dreams
As this Charlotte, North Carolina, couple were getting ready to move their daughter from her nursery into her bedroom, they realized they wanted to live in their house forever. So they decided it was a good time to update the whole home to suit them in style and functionality, and they hired interior designer Jena Bula to help.
The first phase included their primary bathroom and closet. The new bathroom has a light and airy refined style with coastal influences. Bula mixed classic elements like a herringbone floor and Shaker-style cabinetry with more personalized details. These include moonstone hardware and black bamboo mirror frames that provide strong contrast.
The first phase included their primary bathroom and closet. The new bathroom has a light and airy refined style with coastal influences. Bula mixed classic elements like a herringbone floor and Shaker-style cabinetry with more personalized details. These include moonstone hardware and black bamboo mirror frames that provide strong contrast.
After: With the linen tower removed, Bula had the space to add a 10-foot-long double vanity and create a stunning wall above it. To customize the vanity to the way the couple wanted it to function, Bula talked with them about their specific storage needs. For example, they opted for some deep drawers in the mix. These can accommodate tall shampoo or cleaning supply bottles and keep them within easy reach.
Vanity and trim paint: Snowbound, Sherwin-Williams
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Vanity and trim paint: Snowbound, Sherwin-Williams
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As for that focal wall, Bula knew the scale of things would need to be just right because of the vanity’s long proportions. The custom shiplap contributes to the subtle coastal style of the room. The homeowners were on board with adding high-contrast elements along the wall.
“With the mirrors, we wanted to do something that would have a big impact on the wall and my client was willing to pick something that packed a punch,” Bula says. “These black bamboo-framed mirrors really spoke to her. We all loved the mix of polished nickel and brass in the room, and the black adds something different.”
Check out a curated selection of bathroom vanities
“With the mirrors, we wanted to do something that would have a big impact on the wall and my client was willing to pick something that packed a punch,” Bula says. “These black bamboo-framed mirrors really spoke to her. We all loved the mix of polished nickel and brass in the room, and the black adds something different.”
Check out a curated selection of bathroom vanities
The long, vertical sconces with diamond-shaped backplates add drama around the mirrors and stand up to the proportions.
“I talk a lot about functionality and aesthetics with my clients,” Bula says. “For example, they love marble, so I asked them whether or not they’d be using makeup on the surfaces, or if they would mind wiping up water every time they used the sink.” Their answers had her steer them toward quartz countertops with marble-like veining instead of the natural stone, because it gave them the look without all the maintenance.
“I talk a lot about functionality and aesthetics with my clients,” Bula says. “For example, they love marble, so I asked them whether or not they’d be using makeup on the surfaces, or if they would mind wiping up water every time they used the sink.” Their answers had her steer them toward quartz countertops with marble-like veining instead of the natural stone, because it gave them the look without all the maintenance.
She also recommended a 3-by-12-inch porcelain tile that looks like marble for the floors. It’s easier to maintain than marble would have been. The herringbone layout provides a classic look and adds pattern in the room.
Browse cabinet hardware in the Houzz Shop
Browse cabinet hardware in the Houzz Shop
Before: This photo was taken from the existing walk-in closet. Bula moved its door to the wall on the right after expanding the closet into the daughter’s former nursery. The door at the end of the room opens to the primary bedroom and is still in the same place.
The existing bathtub’s bulky surround took up a lot of space. Since the couple never used the tub, they preferred to remove it to gain a larger shower stall.
The existing bathtub’s bulky surround took up a lot of space. Since the couple never used the tub, they preferred to remove it to gain a larger shower stall.
After: Bula used the space gained from removing the tub to create the larger shower and add a makeup vanity. She kept the existing window but added new trim around it as well as a Roman shade. She hung the shade just below the ceiling to give the illusion of a taller window.
Wall paint: Classic Gray, Benjamin Moore
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Wall paint: Classic Gray, Benjamin Moore
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Before: The original shower stall measured about 4 by 4 feet.
After: With the tub gone, Bula was able to extend the shower stall to the window. The new stall’s interior measurements are 5 feet, 5 inches by 4 feet, 6 inches. The clear glass surround keeps the room open and airy. The door past the shower leads to a toilet room.
“This shower has a wall-mounted rain shower head, a handheld shower head and a ceiling-mounted rain shower head, so it really gives them that luxe spa feeling,” Bula says. She also notes that she placed all the valves next to the shower door so the user can turn on the water without getting wet.
Another detail worth noting is the shower door handle. The door swings both ways, and the 20-inch handle on the outside doubles as a towel bar. It allows the user to grab a towel after showering without having to step outside the stall.
“This shower has a wall-mounted rain shower head, a handheld shower head and a ceiling-mounted rain shower head, so it really gives them that luxe spa feeling,” Bula says. She also notes that she placed all the valves next to the shower door so the user can turn on the water without getting wet.
Another detail worth noting is the shower door handle. The door swings both ways, and the 20-inch handle on the outside doubles as a towel bar. It allows the user to grab a towel after showering without having to step outside the stall.
In the shower, the designer used 8-by-24-inch tiles on the walls and light blue small hexagonal tiles on the floor. “I loved the wall tile size because it isn’t standard. And something smaller would have looked too busy and competed with the herringbone floor tiles,” Bula says. “Also, there are fewer grout lines with a larger tile, so it’s easier to clean.”
She added the same hexagonal tiles used on the shower floor to the back of the shower niche. She also added a small niche below it that makes washing and shaving legs easier. “When a shower doesn’t have a built-in bench, I always try to do this — it makes things so much easier,” Bula says. “I used the shower surround tile on this niche so that you hardly even notice it’s there. It’s one of those small details that has a big functional impact.”
She added the same hexagonal tiles used on the shower floor to the back of the shower niche. She also added a small niche below it that makes washing and shaving legs easier. “When a shower doesn’t have a built-in bench, I always try to do this — it makes things so much easier,” Bula says. “I used the shower surround tile on this niche so that you hardly even notice it’s there. It’s one of those small details that has a big functional impact.”
Here’s a closer look at the hexagonal tiles on the shower floor.
The makeup vanity stands out on its own. While it has the same marble-look quartz countertop as the main vanity, Bula chose a light blue paint to enhance the coastal vibe.
“This room gets a lot of light, so we needed a functional shade for the days when it’s too bright first thing in the morning,” she says. “Because we had the black mirrors on the other side, we needed to bring some of that contrast to this side of the room.” She showed her client several options for fabrics in black and white to choose from. The final selection, seen here, plays off the sconces’ diamond-shaped backplates.
“This room gets a lot of light, so we needed a functional shade for the days when it’s too bright first thing in the morning,” she says. “Because we had the black mirrors on the other side, we needed to bring some of that contrast to this side of the room.” She showed her client several options for fabrics in black and white to choose from. The final selection, seen here, plays off the sconces’ diamond-shaped backplates.
Another way Bula differentiated the makeup vanity from the main vanity was with hardware. The drawer pulls are moonstone rimmed in unlacquered brass.
The lighted mirror has a small button that adjusts the lighting for different purposes, such as putting on makeup.
Vanity paint: Tradewind, Sherwin-Williams
The lighted mirror has a small button that adjusts the lighting for different purposes, such as putting on makeup.
Vanity paint: Tradewind, Sherwin-Williams
The new walk-in closet off the bathroom was also part of the project. With the clients’ only child vacating the nursery for her grownup bedroom, they decided to take over the nursery space and get their dream closet. “We also talked about function — how much long and short hanging rod space they’d need, how many drawers they each wanted and display space for shoes and bags,” Bula says.
The designer also got the laundry out of the bathroom by installing a tilt-open double hamper in the island. The top drawer is velvet-lined for jewelry storage.
The crystal bead chandelier and subtle pink hue on the ceiling contribute to the dreamy feel. So does the geometric low-pile carpeting underfoot.
The crystal bead chandelier and subtle pink hue on the ceiling contribute to the dreamy feel. So does the geometric low-pile carpeting underfoot.
“The island was a safe place to give them real marble,” Bula says. Another special detail is the acrylic-and-brass cabinet hardware.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
This pink bench was a lucky ready-made find that fits perfectly underneath the window. Bula had another Roman shade custom-made and hung it from the top of the ceiling to give the window a greater presence. The shade also prevents direct sunlight from fading items in the closet.
The closet is a dream space for both the wife and the husband. His dream-come-true element is the ample display space for his beloved Air Jordans collection.
Here’s a look at the floor plan of the bathroom and closet. The existing walk-in closet had been in the top right corner, and the door to it was next to the water closet. Bula moved the entrance to the closet to the left side of the bathroom.
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their young daughter
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Size: 150 square feet (14 square meters)
Designer: Jena Bula of Delphinium Design
Builder: Watershed Builders
Before: The bathroom was spacious, but a tub with a large surround and a tall linen tower made it feel cramped. The couple also wanted to get the laundry hamper out of the bathroom and into their closet. And they preferred to lose the tub to gain a larger shower stall.
The designer gave her clients a list of all the elements they’d need for the new bathroom, from vanities to faucets to tile. Then she had them pick three to five examples of each and add them to a Houzz ideabook. “We also have them take notes about what they like about each item, such as the door style or color,” she says.
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