Bathroom Design
Bathroom of the Week: A Stylish Mix of Walnut and White
This 60-square-foot room mixes marble veining and warm wood, as well as brushed brass and matte black metal finishes
This hip young couple’s hall bathroom was well past its prime. The room was used on a daily basis by their two young daughters but also needed to serve as a more grown-up space for guests. “They wanted a clean and simple space that would be fashionable, functional and durable,” says Doug Kiser, principal at design-build firm d KISER design.construct.
The walnut is the star of the room, appearing on the vanity, other cabinetry and the mirror frame. Kiser finished the wood with a modified urethane clear finish that stands up to moisture and stains.
The custom vanity is topped with a remnant piece of quartz, chosen for its durability and the marble look that works well with the floor and wall tile. The mirror is also custom and the center piece conceals a recessed medicine cabinet that contains an outlet for electric toothbrushes. Simple matte black round knobs complement the walnut.
Browse brass tub and shower faucet sets in the Houzz Shop
The custom vanity is topped with a remnant piece of quartz, chosen for its durability and the marble look that works well with the floor and wall tile. The mirror is also custom and the center piece conceals a recessed medicine cabinet that contains an outlet for electric toothbrushes. Simple matte black round knobs complement the walnut.
Browse brass tub and shower faucet sets in the Houzz Shop
The floor and wall tile is digitally printed porcelain. It looks like Carrara marble but is more durable, requires less maintenance and isn’t slippery. The large-format (12-by-24-inch) tiles continue from the floor up the walls of the shower and serve as wainscoting around the rest of the room. This makes the space feel larger and creates a cohesive look.
For the finishes, the homeowners decided to mix matte black and brushed brass. The brass was inspired by the clean-lined globe pendant lights they liked. And Kiser knew from experience that a pleasing mix of metal finishes was a good solution to the challenge of matching up brass finishes from different manufacturers.
“Kohler makes a shower trim kit in brass but no tub drain — and it is very difficult to mix brass finishes from different manufacturers, as they never match,” he says. He had not had luck matching brass finishes with custom plating, either. But because the cabinet hardware is matte black, using drains powder-coated with a flat black finish works well as part of the mix. The homeowners also chose a simple black-and-white shower curtain that picks up on the black finishes.
Faucet sets: Purist, Kohler
Shop for globe lights
“Kohler makes a shower trim kit in brass but no tub drain — and it is very difficult to mix brass finishes from different manufacturers, as they never match,” he says. He had not had luck matching brass finishes with custom plating, either. But because the cabinet hardware is matte black, using drains powder-coated with a flat black finish works well as part of the mix. The homeowners also chose a simple black-and-white shower curtain that picks up on the black finishes.
Faucet sets: Purist, Kohler
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Kiser removed the framing and original cabinets and replaced them with new walnut cabinetry that extends all the way to the ceiling to maximize space.
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Here’s a closer look at the beautiful graining of the walnut.
Kiser’s Tips for Planning a Bathroom Remodel
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Kiser’s Tips for Planning a Bathroom Remodel
- Hire a licensed professional and don’t think it can be done in a week or over a couple of weekends.
- Expect the unexpected, such as concealed conditions like rot or termite damage.
- Make sure your contractor has created a schedule that shows the expected time line and has subcontractors lined up accordingly.
- Choose materials that are in stock or readily available. Items such as custom-made faucets will throw off the entire schedule.
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Two young girls
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Size: 60 square feet (5.6 square meters)
Designer: Doug Kiser of d KISER design.construct
Kiser collaborated with the homeowners on the down-to-the-studs renovation. They were lucky they decided to remodel when they did, as he discovered substantial rot in the floors during demolition.
The 60-square-foot room has a straightforward layout, and all of the fixtures and plumbing remained in the same place. Though Kiser describes the renovation as “a basic remove-and-replace job,” the new contemporary look that contrasts walnut wood with white is anything but basic.
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