Bathroom of the Week: Fun Beachy Style in 45 Square Feet
A light and airy shower, a white oak vanity and playful wallpaper revitalize an empty-nest couple’s 1980s guest bath
Having lived in their home for more than 30 years, this empty-nest retired couple decided it was time to revitalize their dated beige-and-brown guest bathroom into something more fun and stylish for visiting family.
Topping their wish list were a larger shower, improved function and a lighter look with a modern coastal style inspired by the nearby Southern California beaches. For help achieving their goals, the couple hired designers Lynn Siemer and Liz Langley. A more spacious shower with a custom glass enclosure enhances the bathing experience, and a custom white oak vanity adds visual warmth and improved storage. And to hit that fun beachy note the couple asked for, the designers brought in a lively blue-and-green wallpaper and striking navy blue hexagonal floor tiles.
Topping their wish list were a larger shower, improved function and a lighter look with a modern coastal style inspired by the nearby Southern California beaches. For help achieving their goals, the couple hired designers Lynn Siemer and Liz Langley. A more spacious shower with a custom glass enclosure enhances the bathing experience, and a custom white oak vanity adds visual warmth and improved storage. And to hit that fun beachy note the couple asked for, the designers brought in a lively blue-and-green wallpaper and striking navy blue hexagonal floor tiles.
After: The designers removed the former elements and updated the electrical and plumbing but otherwise kept the 45-square-foot dimensions and the location of the components the same.
They expanded the shower all the way to the new vanity with a wide and low curb design that features custom tempered glass panels for a bright and airy feel beneath the existing skylight and window. “Adding a larger shower was the No. 1 goal for this bathroom,” Siemer says.
On two walls, a midscale, multidirectional blue-and-green nonwoven vinyl wallpaper that can stand up to moisture features hand-painted brushstrokes in lyrical arches that resemble waves. “It brings in the blues and greens and ties nicely to the floor,” Siemer says. “It makes a statement, and it’s wavy and speaks to the coastal ocean theme. Everything else is really neutral in this bathroom, and this wallpaper gives it a definite vibe.”
The flooring is hexagonal 9-by-10-inch navy blue porcelain tiles in a matte finish with a medium-tone gray grout. “We knew we wanted blue in there,” Siemer says. “These are in a fun shape, and along with the wallpaper felt beachy.”
A hanging woven pendant light adds a touch of texture and fits with the updated coastal style. (The shower ceiling includes a new exhaust fan that was digitally removed from these photos by the photographer to help focus attention on other design elements in the room.)
Wallpaper: New Beat in blue and green, Schumacher
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They expanded the shower all the way to the new vanity with a wide and low curb design that features custom tempered glass panels for a bright and airy feel beneath the existing skylight and window. “Adding a larger shower was the No. 1 goal for this bathroom,” Siemer says.
On two walls, a midscale, multidirectional blue-and-green nonwoven vinyl wallpaper that can stand up to moisture features hand-painted brushstrokes in lyrical arches that resemble waves. “It brings in the blues and greens and ties nicely to the floor,” Siemer says. “It makes a statement, and it’s wavy and speaks to the coastal ocean theme. Everything else is really neutral in this bathroom, and this wallpaper gives it a definite vibe.”
The flooring is hexagonal 9-by-10-inch navy blue porcelain tiles in a matte finish with a medium-tone gray grout. “We knew we wanted blue in there,” Siemer says. “These are in a fun shape, and along with the wallpaper felt beachy.”
A hanging woven pendant light adds a touch of texture and fits with the updated coastal style. (The shower ceiling includes a new exhaust fan that was digitally removed from these photos by the photographer to help focus attention on other design elements in the room.)
Wallpaper: New Beat in blue and green, Schumacher
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The custom white oak vanity has three soft-close drawers and a cabinet. “Now their daughter and grandkids can have their stuff in the drawers, and they can put cleaning supplies in the cabinet,” Siemer says. “It was almost like tripling the storage capacity of the vanity with having the drawers there.”
The vanity features transitional-style flat black and honey bronze pulls in two sizes.
Custom vanity: Blythe Interiors; vanity hardware: Bit pull in flat black and honey bronze, Top Knobs; wall, ceiling and trim paint: Alabaster, Sherwin-Williams
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
The vanity features transitional-style flat black and honey bronze pulls in two sizes.
Custom vanity: Blythe Interiors; vanity hardware: Bit pull in flat black and honey bronze, Top Knobs; wall, ceiling and trim paint: Alabaster, Sherwin-Williams
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
A custom arched frameless mirror plays off the curves in the wallpaper pattern. “The mirror is rather narrow because we wanted to have room for the sconces,” Siemer says.
The sconces have an aged bronze finish, a matte black stem that complements the vanity hardware and glass globe shades.
Custom mirror: Cali Glass & Windows; sconces: Bowery one-light bath bracket in Aged Old Bronze, Hudson Valley Lighting
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The sconces have an aged bronze finish, a matte black stem that complements the vanity hardware and glass globe shades.
Custom mirror: Cali Glass & Windows; sconces: Bowery one-light bath bracket in Aged Old Bronze, Hudson Valley Lighting
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The white rectangular undermount sink has vertical sides that create a deep, geometric basin. A single-hole faucet with solid brass construction and satin bronze finish includes an ADA-compliant lever handle.
The durable marble-look quartz countertop features subtle gold and gray veins. The backsplash is 2-by-5-inch white matte ceramic tiles that have variations in tone and color and wrap around to cover the shower area. “They wanted something whimsical and artisan but neutral,” Siemer says. “These tiles have a nice handcrafted feel.”
Backsplash tile: Subway Fez collection, 2 by 5 inches, Wow Design EU; sink: Verticyl, Kohler; faucet: Priya single-hole lavatory in satin bronze, Newport Brass; vanity counter: Calacatta Miraggio Duo, MSI
The durable marble-look quartz countertop features subtle gold and gray veins. The backsplash is 2-by-5-inch white matte ceramic tiles that have variations in tone and color and wrap around to cover the shower area. “They wanted something whimsical and artisan but neutral,” Siemer says. “These tiles have a nice handcrafted feel.”
Backsplash tile: Subway Fez collection, 2 by 5 inches, Wow Design EU; sink: Verticyl, Kohler; faucet: Priya single-hole lavatory in satin bronze, Newport Brass; vanity counter: Calacatta Miraggio Duo, MSI
The shower’s thermostatic valve with satin bronze finish allows guests to preset the water temperature for their shower without stepping inside. “You can turn it on and you don’t have to jump in and jump out of the shower,” Siemer says.
Valve: Newport Brass
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Valve: Newport Brass
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The shower floor is white 1½-by-1½-inch hexagonal matte ceramic mosaic tiles with soft white grout.
A square bronze drain in the center of the shower floor coordinates with the fixtures.
The sides of the shower curb have the same 2-by-5-inch matte ceramic tiles seen on the shower walls and backsplash, while the top of the curb has the same quartz as the vanity countertop.
Shower floor tile: Color Wheel Mosaic collection in Arctic White, Daltile
A square bronze drain in the center of the shower floor coordinates with the fixtures.
The sides of the shower curb have the same 2-by-5-inch matte ceramic tiles seen on the shower walls and backsplash, while the top of the curb has the same quartz as the vanity countertop.
Shower floor tile: Color Wheel Mosaic collection in Arctic White, Daltile
A new white one-piece compact elongated dual-flush toilet has a sleek skirted trapway for easy cleaning.
A pair of modern matte black hooks keep robes and towels close to the shower door. “The bathroom is not only fun to be in, it functions much better,” Siemer says.
Robe hooks: Lexia in matte black, Signature Hardware; toilet: Reach in white, Kohler
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A pair of modern matte black hooks keep robes and towels close to the shower door. “The bathroom is not only fun to be in, it functions much better,” Siemer says.
Robe hooks: Lexia in matte black, Signature Hardware; toilet: Reach in white, Kohler
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 retired empty-nest couple
Location: Imperial Beach, California
Size: 45 square feet (4 square meters)
Designers: Lynn Siemer of Blythe Interiors and her former colleague Liz Langley
Before: The former guest bathroom was a relic of a 1980s second-floor bedroom and bathroom addition to the home. Beige tile flooring, basic cabinets and gold accents were the extent of the style. “It was very utilitarian,” Siemer says, adding that the prefabricated corner shower wasn’t making the most of the space available.