Room Tour: A Gloomy 1980s Bathroom is Given a Stylish Refresh
Changing the finishes totally transformed this dated washroom into a crisp, light-filled space
Becky Harris
19 January 2022
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
This bathroom, principally used by 14-year-old Abby, was functional but very dated and rather dark. Luckily, her mum, Megan Brakefield, is an interior designer and her dad’s an architect. The project to update the space gave Megan the opportunity to test out some favourite finishes and colours she’d never had the chance to use in her clients’ homes. The result is a room that’s light, fresh and teen-friendly.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here? Megan and Cleve Brakefield and their teenage daughter, Abby
Location Wisconsin, USA
Size Around 5.6 sq m
Designer Megan Brakefield of Brakefield Design Collective
“After” photos by Meghan Mehan
The family had been renovating the home for two years and revamped this bathroom towards the end of the process. The room had a typical layout within a roughly 3m x 1.8m space – toilet and bath-shower on one side, vanity unit on the other. While the bathroom was functional, the dated finishes darkened the space.
“Our faux Colonial house was built in the mid-1980s and a lot of it looked like this,” Megan says. “It was very dark in spite of all the windows and great light because of the way it was finished.” Plus two clunky soffits were bringing down the 2.4m-high ceiling.
Megan set out to lighten up the space and tailor it to her daughter in a versatile way. “This was designed for Abby but in a way that was cohesive with the style and quality of the rest of the house,” she says.
Find a local interior designer on Houzz and read reviews from previous clients.
Who lives here? Megan and Cleve Brakefield and their teenage daughter, Abby
Location Wisconsin, USA
Size Around 5.6 sq m
Designer Megan Brakefield of Brakefield Design Collective
“After” photos by Meghan Mehan
The family had been renovating the home for two years and revamped this bathroom towards the end of the process. The room had a typical layout within a roughly 3m x 1.8m space – toilet and bath-shower on one side, vanity unit on the other. While the bathroom was functional, the dated finishes darkened the space.
“Our faux Colonial house was built in the mid-1980s and a lot of it looked like this,” Megan says. “It was very dark in spite of all the windows and great light because of the way it was finished.” Plus two clunky soffits were bringing down the 2.4m-high ceiling.
Megan set out to lighten up the space and tailor it to her daughter in a versatile way. “This was designed for Abby but in a way that was cohesive with the style and quality of the rest of the house,” she says.
Find a local interior designer on Houzz and read reviews from previous clients.
Megan had the room’s oppressive soffits demolished and fully renovated the space. However, she retained the architraves around the door and window to keep that cohesive feel with the rest of the house.
“I’d always wanted to try some version of pink and green,” she says. “This wall colour is pinky-beige and the vanity unit paint is grey-green. I’d been playing around with the vanity colour for a while and this project gave me a chance to use it.” By bringing in the subtle pink through the wall colour and accessories, she made it easy for any future owners to change the colour scheme.
When running her design ideas by Abby, Megan was thrilled that her daughter gave a favourite floor tile the thumbs-up. “Every time I was in the Tile Shop I admired this marble hexagonal tile,” Megan says. “I’d picked up a sample, but hadn’t had a chance to use it on any of my projects. It has all this beautiful variation in it; it picked up a little bit of the pink and green hues, and the hexagonal shape is classic. It was the jumping-off point for the design.”
Walls painted in Unfussy Beige; vanity unit painted in Unusual Gray, both Sherwin-Williams. Woodwork painted in Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore.
“I’d always wanted to try some version of pink and green,” she says. “This wall colour is pinky-beige and the vanity unit paint is grey-green. I’d been playing around with the vanity colour for a while and this project gave me a chance to use it.” By bringing in the subtle pink through the wall colour and accessories, she made it easy for any future owners to change the colour scheme.
When running her design ideas by Abby, Megan was thrilled that her daughter gave a favourite floor tile the thumbs-up. “Every time I was in the Tile Shop I admired this marble hexagonal tile,” Megan says. “I’d picked up a sample, but hadn’t had a chance to use it on any of my projects. It has all this beautiful variation in it; it picked up a little bit of the pink and green hues, and the hexagonal shape is classic. It was the jumping-off point for the design.”
Walls painted in Unfussy Beige; vanity unit painted in Unusual Gray, both Sherwin-Williams. Woodwork painted in Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore.
With the floor tiles and colours chosen, the next decision Megan made was the vanity unit design. Cleve drew up the cabinetry plan, which includes a dressing table area in the centre.
“I’d used this arched profile once before on a client’s project and I loved it,” Megan says. “It softens the space and isn’t overly specific or typical. And using inset cabinetry rather than overlay gave it a high-quality look.” Note the way the base of the vanity unit lines up perfectly with the existing skirting boards.
Another cool detail is the Art Deco-style vent cover. “I usually try to make these disappear into the floor, but here it was so in-your-face that it was a chance to turn it into a design opportunity,” Megan says.
“I’d used this arched profile once before on a client’s project and I loved it,” Megan says. “It softens the space and isn’t overly specific or typical. And using inset cabinetry rather than overlay gave it a high-quality look.” Note the way the base of the vanity unit lines up perfectly with the existing skirting boards.
Another cool detail is the Art Deco-style vent cover. “I usually try to make these disappear into the floor, but here it was so in-your-face that it was a chance to turn it into a design opportunity,” Megan says.
Before, the cabinets and busy worktop pattern made the room feel dark and dated.
Now, a quartz worktop with subtle grey marble-like veining and polished nickel taps and hardware are classic choices that won’t go out of style.
“I’d picked one of my go-to quartzes, but then my contact at the stone yard told me they had another, similar option that was much less expensive,” Megan says. “I headed out there with my floor tile sample and it was a great match. The veining is really gentle and the vanity between the counter and the floor breaks things up, so it’s not too busy. It’s so good to have great contacts who know what you’ll like.”
All the plumbing fixtures in the bathroom are by Brizo. “They do a great job of taking something a little traditional or with a vintage vibe and pushing it forwards a bit, like the cross handles on these,” Megan says.
“I’d picked one of my go-to quartzes, but then my contact at the stone yard told me they had another, similar option that was much less expensive,” Megan says. “I headed out there with my floor tile sample and it was a great match. The veining is really gentle and the vanity between the counter and the floor breaks things up, so it’s not too busy. It’s so good to have great contacts who know what you’ll like.”
All the plumbing fixtures in the bathroom are by Brizo. “They do a great job of taking something a little traditional or with a vintage vibe and pushing it forwards a bit, like the cross handles on these,” Megan says.
Tall, narrow mirrors with polished nickel frames flank the window. “There wasn’t that much space on either side of the window and the ceiling isn’t that high,” Megan says. “I didn’t want to clog things up with mirrors that were too wide.”
Simple globe sconces were another item the designer had been wanting to use for a while but hadn’t had the chance to. “The lighting in here was so unflattering before,” she says. “These emit light all around rather than straight down and it’s such a nice light.”
You might also enjoy How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity Unit.
Simple globe sconces were another item the designer had been wanting to use for a while but hadn’t had the chance to. “The lighting in here was so unflattering before,” she says. “These emit light all around rather than straight down and it’s such a nice light.”
You might also enjoy How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity Unit.
The toilet was tucked into an alcove next to the shower.
Megan placed the new toilet in the same location, but she removed the dado rail that broke up the space.
The old combination bath and shower had sliding doors and the tub was low.
Megan chose a bath that was taller and slimmer than the existing one. A clear glass door maintains the open and light feeling of the space.
“The glass panel is on hinges and swings open. We ordered it online and Cleve installed it,” Megan says. “I always love using a glass panel whenever I can, because it keeps things feeling larger, more open and brighter.”
“The glass panel is on hinges and swings open. We ordered it online and Cleve installed it,” Megan says. “I always love using a glass panel whenever I can, because it keeps things feeling larger, more open and brighter.”
“I didn’t want to do typical white [metro] tiles in here,” the designer says. “These tiles have an artisanal look that’s so pretty. It had the right subtle variation that leans warm and cool. And it worked well with the floor tiles.” The zellige-inspired glazed ceramic tiles are handmade in Spain.
Tell us…
What do you like about this bathroom makeover? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What do you like about this bathroom makeover? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments.
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I do love what has been achieved here. I'm really glad that designers are beginning to move away from the all black/grey/white interiors. Incorporating colour doesn not have to mean that everything is in bold shades of vivid yellows, post-box reds, lime greens, strong purples and similar. The arch-fronted cabinets are very elegant. This is very subtle and restful, and the bathroom will now be a joy to use.
Lovely bathroom and I like the fact that a transformation was achieved without major structural changes thus keeping the budget at the realistic level that most of us have to contend with. The room looks so fresh and timeless.
@Megan Brakefield - Your bathroom is stunningly simple. Please do let me know the name/make of the Spanish-made zellige inspired shower tiles used? Love zellige tiles but didn't think they could be used in a shower/wetroom!
Love to also know what type of marble the hexagon floor tiles are…