Room Tour: Modern Country Bathroom
Contemporary fixtures and tiles provide a versatile base for fun vintage details
When designer Kelley Motschenbacher and her husband moved from their beach house in Corona del Mar to this '50s ranch in Ojai, Calif., they knew they had their work cut out for them. Inspired by the surrounding citrus farms, they decided to go for a modern country look, which she describes as "contemporary details with country thrown in."
First on the project list: gutting and renovating two bathrooms. "In renovating older bathrooms, we had to go down to the studs and install new plumbing, new wiring and new insulation," Motschenbacher says. The work was worth it. Now that they are done with this phase and are moving on to the kitchen, we can take a detailed look at the guest bath, a room where the smallest of details count more than in any other place.
You may remember the beach house; to refresh your memory, their Houzz Tour is here.
First on the project list: gutting and renovating two bathrooms. "In renovating older bathrooms, we had to go down to the studs and install new plumbing, new wiring and new insulation," Motschenbacher says. The work was worth it. Now that they are done with this phase and are moving on to the kitchen, we can take a detailed look at the guest bath, a room where the smallest of details count more than in any other place.
You may remember the beach house; to refresh your memory, their Houzz Tour is here.
Instead of spending $3,000 on a vanity from a catalog, Motschenbacher repurposed a $300 antique farm table full of peeling-paint character. She also found a relatively inexpensive rectangular vessel sink and faucet combo from Kraus for around $200.
Sconces: Schoolhouse Electric
Sconces: Schoolhouse Electric
With a little TLC, this medicine cabinet's peeling gray-green paint made a perfect match for the Carrara tiles used around the bathroom.
Before the corner cabinet: As for bathroom items that don't fit into pretty glass jars, Motschenbacher says, "I knew I'd need more storage for the kinds of things I didn't want to leave out in the open, like extra toilet paper, Band-aids and extra bottles of shampoo. I thought I'd find an apothecary-style cabinet at some point."
However, when she came across this odd-shaped door, she knew she had her cabinet. It's 7.5 feet tall and only 26 inches wide. By the way, this is Dave, a member of the team who helped build the bathroom.
The inside of the corner cabinet is a simple pickled pine, and provides plenty of room for bathroom items that should be kept out of site.
Because the door was a $60 salvage score, there was money in the budget for some fun details. Motschenbacher added this darling woodpecker doorknocker to the cabinet. When you twist the knob, it makes him peck.
In this picture you can see how playing with tile scale created consistency. The single pane of clear stationary glass allows continuity from the shower stall to the rest of the bathroom.
There is a rectangular detail in the smallest Carrara tiles on the floor, and the same size tiles were used to cover the shower floor. The chair-rail height detail in a larger size of the same tile continues from the shower around the rest of the bathroom.
There is a rectangular detail in the smallest Carrara tiles on the floor, and the same size tiles were used to cover the shower floor. The chair-rail height detail in a larger size of the same tile continues from the shower around the rest of the bathroom.
The top of the shower uses the same Carrara in an even larger tile. "The whole thing is a play on scale," Motschenbacher says. "A great trick is to use repetitive details in different scales so that things don't look too busy."
The white subway tiles are by Daltile, available at Home Depot; the Carrara tiles are a mix of tiles from Home Depot and from DEKO Tile.
The white subway tiles are by Daltile, available at Home Depot; the Carrara tiles are a mix of tiles from Home Depot and from DEKO Tile.
Motschenbacher loves to collect and display vintage signs; this one accentuates the country character of this bathroom.
This bathroom's contemporary bones, including the tile, fixtures and clear glass shower panel, make it a versatile room that can take on lots of personalities.
"It would be easy to change the feel of this bathroom, perhaps going more nautical by replacing the antique baskets with L.L. Bean canvas totes," Motschenbacher says. Here's how she switched up a few small accessories on the shelf.
"It would be easy to change the feel of this bathroom, perhaps going more nautical by replacing the antique baskets with L.L. Bean canvas totes," Motschenbacher says. Here's how she switched up a few small accessories on the shelf.
Here you can see how she switched things up by replacing a basket with a folding chair (a $9 garage-sale score). Galvanized tin buckets for towels and minimal accessories could lend a more industrial look. The possibilities are endless.
More:
Houzz Tour: Warm Country Charm
Houzz Tour: A Sweet Southern Makeover
Get the Look: Sophisticated Country Style
More:
Houzz Tour: Warm Country Charm
Houzz Tour: A Sweet Southern Makeover
Get the Look: Sophisticated Country Style
Although you can't see it, she had the top panel of this door removed and replaced with opaque glass to let light in from other rooms.