Bathroom of the Week: Designer’s Attic Master Bath

A Georgia designer matches the classic style of her 1930s bungalow with a few subtly modern updates

Becky Harris September 8, 2020

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

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Interior designer Amy Lind and her husband have an unusual setup for their new master bathroom: They sleep in a first-floor bedroom and ascend a staircase to get to the master bath in the renovated attic space, which also houses her design studio.

“We had lofty goals of one day remodeling our unfinished attic into a master suite, but we hadn’t had a reason to before,” Lind says. Then she lost her studio space and, instead of renting office space elsewhere, they decided to convert part of their Savannah, Georgia, home’s attic into a workspace. “The studio space will make a beautiful master bedroom someday,” Lind says.

They added the master bathroom as part of the remodel. Lind designed it in the classic style of their 1930s brick bungalow, with a few updates. The result is so lovely and functional that they don’t mind climbing the stairs off their bedroom to shower and get ready. “I know people will think it’s crazy, but for right now our bedroom is on the first floor so we can be close to our young children’s bedrooms,” Lind says. “It’s unconventional, but it works for us.”

Amy Lind Interiors

Photos by Amy Lind

Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Interior designer Amy Lind and her husband
Location: Savannah, Georgia
Size: 70 square feet (6.5 square meters)

Before the attic renovation, the home had three bedrooms and one bathroom on one floor. That bathroom has a tub-shower combo, so the couple wanted to create a spacious shower stall in the upstairs master bath.

Raising the roof wasn’t necessary, but they did have to add some floor joists for additional support, which raised the finished floor level and made the highest point of the vaulted ceiling just 8 feet high. Lind placed a rain shower head as close to the tallest part of the ceiling as possible. “My husband is tall so this was tricky,” she says.

Wall paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore

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Amy Lind Interiors

Because this was a full renovation of an unfinished space, it required more labor and materials than an average bathroom renovation would. So Lind was careful to keep a tight rein on the materials budget. She found a 72-inch vanity online for a steal, complete with a Carrara marble countertop. Knowing she wanted brass finishes in here, she swapped in new hardware.

“For our purposes, a 72-inch prefab vanity served our needs and saved us a lot of money,” Lind says. The piece sits on feet, which gives the room a more open look.

The large framed mirror was an optional add-on with the vanity that also saved them money — it just took a little ingenuity to make it work. “I knew I was going to want to cut the mirror down to accommodate the sconces, and I wound up having to make it shorter because of the lower ceiling height there,” Lind says. She took the frame off and painted it black with a satin finish. She had the mirror cut down by a local glass company, then cut down the frame and reattached it. “Doing that was much less expensive than ordering a big custom mirror and having it framed,” she says.

Lind painted the new pocket door black to match. “I just love that classic contrast of black and white,” she says. The new door is solid-core and the paneling matches the existing 1930s doors on the main level of the house.

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Amy Lind Interiors

Lind placed the vanity between two sets of open shelves that have history. She had the attic’s original unfinished wide-planked pine floorboards taken up, cleaned and planed to serve as the finished studio floors. She used leftover pieces for the shelves.

Sometimes implementing ideas like this means going with the flow. “I wanted them to be modern floating shelves with hidden supports, but we didn’t have enough leftover wood,” Lind says. So she painted the supports white to blend in with the walls.

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Amy Lind Interiors

Lind loves to decorate with vintage items that have patina and personality. Here she framed a vintage fern flash card. She had some fun playing off it by placing a live fern two shelves below.

The containers are great for storing jewelry. “My advice is to go to estate sales, garage sales, thrift shops and flea markets and look for things like artwork, glass jars and brass canisters,” Lind says. “These things bring so much charm, character and texture to bathroom shelves.”

Amy Lind Interiors

On the vanity counter, another patinaed brass container can be used to hold rings or other small items.

Amy Lind Interiors

One splurge in the bathroom was the Schoolhouse sconces. The polished and aged brass finishes around the room vary, which adds to the charm and makes the decor look as though it has evolved over time.

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Amy Lind Interiors

“I wanted the space to be traditional and classic but also have a few things that updated it here and there,” Lind says. For example, the subway tile on the walls and hexagonal floor tiles nod to the 1930s. Matte black touches such as the shower door handle, towel bar and toilet paper holder lend an updated look.

Tip: Using a gray grout like Lind did makes upkeep easier.

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Amy Lind Interiors

Lind chose a toilet style that she describes as “totally traditional and classic with just a hint of modernity.”

In this area she also added more texture and character with a wicker wastebasket, a little shower stool and artwork. “The marble and the white tile are cold and smooth surfaces. Bringing in warmth was important,” Lind says.

Amy Lind Interiors

The designer-homeowner is especially fond of this vintage bird print. “When I found this, I knew it was just what the space needed. It brings in a beautiful aged creamy tone that adds warmth. I loved the tones of the cerused frame and I’m a huge fan of teals and blue-greens,” she says. The faded print looks like it’s been hanging in the house for decades.

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