Bathroom of the Week: Bringing Back a Brownstone Vibe
A designer creates a transitional space that suits her clients’ bohemian tastes and their 1931 home’s architecture
The modern bathroom in this 1931 Brooklyn brownstone felt out of place. “The weird thing about this house was that most of it felt like a traditional brownstone, but the bathrooms had undergone very modern renovations that didn’t make sense given what was going on everywhere else,” interior designer Paula Guzman says. Her clients wanted to remodel their master bathroom in a style more befitting the historic home’s architecture. The designer learned that they had fallen hard for a bright blue terra-cotta Moroccan tile and were drawn to transitional style with bohemian touches, and this became her jumping-off point. The renovated space now has a much more functional layout with smarter and more convenient storage than before.
After: The design began with a beautiful handmade, hand-glazed terra-cotta Moroccan tile. “They loved it but also wanted me to help them explore different options,” Guzman says. “So I showed them a lot of porcelain tiles in different colors and shapes because porcelain is more practical than terra cotta in a bathroom. But in the end they just really had to have this one. No two tiles look the same because they were handmade and hand-glazed.” The floor anchors the space in beautiful blue, and adds a bohemian flavor to the mix.
Changing the layout was another important factor, as the room lacked storage and had a lot of wasted space. “The layout change was prompted by the clients’ desire for a vanity sink with storage, and a proper shower-tub,” Guzman says. “I studied the space and tried a few different layouts in plan before we settled on this as the best option.”
The tub-shower combo was placed along the back wall of the bathroom. Both the tub and the sink plumbing fixture locations changed, but Guzman says that wasn’t a big deal because the plumbing for them was in the same wall. “Moving a toilet is the hardest thing to do in a bathroom remodel,” she says. Here, the toilet remained in the same place, to the right of the vanity.
A line of attractive wall hooks provides a spot for hanging towels.
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Changing the layout was another important factor, as the room lacked storage and had a lot of wasted space. “The layout change was prompted by the clients’ desire for a vanity sink with storage, and a proper shower-tub,” Guzman says. “I studied the space and tried a few different layouts in plan before we settled on this as the best option.”
The tub-shower combo was placed along the back wall of the bathroom. Both the tub and the sink plumbing fixture locations changed, but Guzman says that wasn’t a big deal because the plumbing for them was in the same wall. “Moving a toilet is the hardest thing to do in a bathroom remodel,” she says. Here, the toilet remained in the same place, to the right of the vanity.
A line of attractive wall hooks provides a spot for hanging towels.
Hire a local tile professional
Elements such as the traditional furniture-like vanity, a Carrara marble countertop, white subway tile, a pharmacy-style aged brass sconce and brass fixtures nod to the 1930s. The more streamlined mirrored medicine cabinet, the simple lines of the tub and the use of white bring more modern elements to the transitional mix. The floor tile, the figure drawing, the midcentury wire chair and other accessories add bohemian flair.
Choosing a vanity with six drawers and adding a recessed medicine cabinet gave the couple smarter and more convenient storage options. And opting for a single-sink vanity freed up counter space for items they use when getting ready.
Mirrored medicine cabinet: Kohler; light fixture: Waterworks
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Choosing a vanity with six drawers and adding a recessed medicine cabinet gave the couple smarter and more convenient storage options. And opting for a single-sink vanity freed up counter space for items they use when getting ready.
Mirrored medicine cabinet: Kohler; light fixture: Waterworks
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After: Guzman extended the traditional subway tile around the shower, the tub face and all the way across the vanity and toilet wall as wainscoting that serves as a backsplash. She topped it with a simple matching liner tile.
The brass fixtures weren’t just a nod to the 1930s, but also an item on the homeowners’ Moroccan-inspired wish list. The polished brass finish will patina to an aged look over time, but it can be shined up if the homeowners ever decide they prefer the polished look.
Faucet and handles: East Linear, Newport Brass
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The brass fixtures weren’t just a nod to the 1930s, but also an item on the homeowners’ Moroccan-inspired wish list. The polished brass finish will patina to an aged look over time, but it can be shined up if the homeowners ever decide they prefer the polished look.
Faucet and handles: East Linear, Newport Brass
Shop for faucets with a warm metal finish
The shower and tub fixtures are also polished brass that will develop a patina. Another nice finishing touch is the Carrara marble on the window ledge.
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Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a local bathroom remodeler
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple with two young daughters
Location: Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York
Size: 68 square feet (6.3 square meters)
Designer: Paula E Guzman Interiors
Before: The bathroom had a style Guzman describes as “uber modern,” which was incongruent with a 1931 Brooklyn brownstone. After trading inspiration photos and comments with her clients, the designer determined that they were drawn to transitional style with some bohemian eclecticism. At the same time, she needed to make the bathroom feel like it belonged in a traditional 1930s brownstone.
She also needed to make some major functional improvements. A tall freestanding cabinet provided all the storage for the room, and it wasn’t convenient to the wall-mounted sink. The minimalist sink didn’t even have a medicine cabinet above it. But the biggest issue? The master bath lacked a shower.
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