Bathroom of the Week: Private Refuge With a Light and Luxe Look
A design-build team found on Houzz gives a couple a stylish new bathroom that they don’t have to share with the kids
Sharing a small hall bathroom with their two kids was fine in the early days. But after seven years, Kyle and Holly Allen’s family morning routine became increasingly difficult to manage. With visions of a private bathroom off their bedroom and a new bathroom for the kids, they searched Houzz for a remodeling team and found designer Shelley Vilov and project manager David Jordan.
The team created a new bathroom for the kids in an unused playroom. It then incorporated a small reach-in closet into the former shared bathroom to create an airy new primary bathroom with a spacious low-curb shower and a double vanity. Meanwhile, the Allens drew style inspiration from Houzz photos and landed on a light and luxe look with oversize marble-look tiles for the walls and main floor and real marble mosaic tiles for the shower floor. Matte black accents bring a touch of luxury and drama. And a rich cherry vanity base adds a generous dose of warmth.
The team created a new bathroom for the kids in an unused playroom. It then incorporated a small reach-in closet into the former shared bathroom to create an airy new primary bathroom with a spacious low-curb shower and a double vanity. Meanwhile, the Allens drew style inspiration from Houzz photos and landed on a light and luxe look with oversize marble-look tiles for the walls and main floor and real marble mosaic tiles for the shower floor. Matte black accents bring a touch of luxury and drama. And a rich cherry vanity base adds a generous dose of warmth.
After: The team kept the window in the same place but removed all the former elements. A new low-curb shower now sits where the shower-tub combo had been. “We originally wanted to put a tub in there but realized after a couple of different designs that we would rather have a large shower,” Kyle says.
And by knocking down a wall and stealing space from the former closet, they were able to create a new layout with a double vanity perpendicular to the former single-sink vanity. An unused sitting room off the bedroom became a new walk-in closet. The playroom became the new kids bathroom.
Large-format marble-look porcelain tiles cover the main floor, shower walls and window wall. Real marble hexagonal tile shower flooring, white walls and a white quartz vanity countertop help create a light and luxurious style. A fixed frameless glass shower panel keeps sightlines open to visually expand the space. “And the single pane of glass makes this shower easy to clean,” Kyle says.
The cherry vanity in a hand-wiped cinnamon-colored stain adds warmth, and matte black hardware and other details give a sophisticated edge to the style.
Double vanity: Madison in cherry with cinnamon stain and low-luster finish, Woodharbor Custom Cabinetry; vanity pulls: Freestone in flat black, Emtek; shower wall and main floor tile: EON collection in Carrara, Atlas Concorde
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And by knocking down a wall and stealing space from the former closet, they were able to create a new layout with a double vanity perpendicular to the former single-sink vanity. An unused sitting room off the bedroom became a new walk-in closet. The playroom became the new kids bathroom.
Large-format marble-look porcelain tiles cover the main floor, shower walls and window wall. Real marble hexagonal tile shower flooring, white walls and a white quartz vanity countertop help create a light and luxurious style. A fixed frameless glass shower panel keeps sightlines open to visually expand the space. “And the single pane of glass makes this shower easy to clean,” Kyle says.
The cherry vanity in a hand-wiped cinnamon-colored stain adds warmth, and matte black hardware and other details give a sophisticated edge to the style.
Double vanity: Madison in cherry with cinnamon stain and low-luster finish, Woodharbor Custom Cabinetry; vanity pulls: Freestone in flat black, Emtek; shower wall and main floor tile: EON collection in Carrara, Atlas Concorde
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The main matte black shower control is located on the back wall within easy reach of the entrance. “You can step in, turn it on and the water doesn’t get to you,” Kyle says. “That’s also why we have the robe hooks over there, because they don’t get wet.”
Using 4-inch hexagonal marble floor tiles created numerous grout lines that provide a nonslip surface. “We liked the idea of not being too busy with the tiles for the walls, and then the smaller shower floor tiles that have almost a vintage modern look,” Kyle says.
A niche keeps shower products off the floor.
The window includes top-down, bottom-up white shades that provide privacy when desired. “It gives you a feel of even more spaciousness when you’re in the shower and you can see out,” Kyle says.
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Using 4-inch hexagonal marble floor tiles created numerous grout lines that provide a nonslip surface. “We liked the idea of not being too busy with the tiles for the walls, and then the smaller shower floor tiles that have almost a vintage modern look,” Kyle says.
A niche keeps shower products off the floor.
The window includes top-down, bottom-up white shades that provide privacy when desired. “It gives you a feel of even more spaciousness when you’re in the shower and you can see out,” Kyle says.
10 Bathroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
The double vanity has Shaker-style doors and slab-front drawers. “We also added a hidden electrical outlet inside the sink base on one side,” Vilov says.
Recessed medicine cabinets provide additional storage. “The goal was to get as much storage space as we could out of the medicine cabinets,” Kyle says. “We wanted to keep the countertop clear.”
Single-handle faucets make the counter easier to wipe clean.
A white elongated toilet with a bidet seat sits opposite the vanity beneath a black wall-hung storage shelf, partially seen on the right. A pocket door connects the bathroom to the new walk-in closet.
Faucets: Align in matte black, Moen; paint colors: Passive (walls), Extra White (ceiling) and Emerald Urethane in Hi-Hide White (trim), Sherwin-Williams
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Recessed medicine cabinets provide additional storage. “The goal was to get as much storage space as we could out of the medicine cabinets,” Kyle says. “We wanted to keep the countertop clear.”
Single-handle faucets make the counter easier to wipe clean.
A white elongated toilet with a bidet seat sits opposite the vanity beneath a black wall-hung storage shelf, partially seen on the right. A pocket door connects the bathroom to the new walk-in closet.
Faucets: Align in matte black, Moen; paint colors: Passive (walls), Extra White (ceiling) and Emerald Urethane in Hi-Hide White (trim), Sherwin-Williams
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
This view shows the bathroom from inside the walk-in closet. “Having a walk-in closet next to the bathroom is always convenient,” Vilov says. “Pocket doors in these tight spaces are key too. It eliminates the space you need for a swing door.”
A closet system gives the couple flexible storage for clothing and accessories. “It makes life easier,” Kyle says. “We knew we would be walking through this every time we used the bathroom, so we wanted it to be organized and as pleasing as possible. Having that area between the bathroom and the bedroom also makes the bathroom feel more private.”
A closet system gives the couple flexible storage for clothing and accessories. “It makes life easier,” Kyle says. “We knew we would be walking through this every time we used the bathroom, so we wanted it to be organized and as pleasing as possible. Having that area between the bathroom and the bedroom also makes the bathroom feel more private.”
Before and after: These floor plans show the original bathroom layout (top) and the updated layout (bottom).
In the former space, the hall bath (top center) sat crammed between the playroom (top right) and reach-in closet and sitting area (top center left) off the primary bedroom (lower left).
In the updated space, the new hall bath (top right) now occupies the former playroom. The new primary bathroom (top center) incorporated the former closet and features a new shower and double vanity. The former sitting area became the new walk-in closet.
“It was amazing how much more we got from the existing space just by rearranging it,” Kyle says.
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In the former space, the hall bath (top center) sat crammed between the playroom (top right) and reach-in closet and sitting area (top center left) off the primary bedroom (lower left).
In the updated space, the new hall bath (top right) now occupies the former playroom. The new primary bathroom (top center) incorporated the former closet and features a new shower and double vanity. The former sitting area became the new walk-in closet.
“It was amazing how much more we got from the existing space just by rearranging it,” Kyle says.
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: Kyle and Holly Allen and their two kids
Location: Arlington, Virginia
Size: 80 square feet (7.4 square meters)
Remodeling team: Designer Shelley Vilov and project manager David Jordan of Jordan Design-Build Group
Before: The family of four shared this compact hall bathroom, which had a single sink, a shower-tub combo and dated finishes. “Their kids were getting older and it was time to upgrade,” Vilov says.
On the other side of the vanity wall was the couple’s small reach-in closet and a sitting room off their bedroom. “We did nothing with that sitting room,” Kyle says. “It just collected stuff.”
On the other side of the shower-tub wall was a playroom that the kids had outgrown. The couple and the remodeling team knew they could make better use of all that square footage.