Bathroom of the Week: Modern Style in White, Wood and Brass
A design and remodeling team helps an Illinois couple create a bright space with warm touches and pops of pattern
Ted and Lindsey Samawi were tired of the look and layout of their Naperville, Illinois, bathroom. A massive jetted tub ate up a lot of the floor space. And an abundance of beige produced a low-energy feel that they wanted to crank up.
Looking for a brighter, more open space, the couple turned to designer Ivonka Letocha and Barts Remodeling & Construction. The team gave them an airier layout that features a freestanding soaking tub, a mostly white palette and an upgraded frameless glass shower enclosure. A custom alder double vanity and brass fixtures add hefty doses of warmth, while a black-and-white wallpaper and other black details punch up the design.
Looking for a brighter, more open space, the couple turned to designer Ivonka Letocha and Barts Remodeling & Construction. The team gave them an airier layout that features a freestanding soaking tub, a mostly white palette and an upgraded frameless glass shower enclosure. A custom alder double vanity and brass fixtures add hefty doses of warmth, while a black-and-white wallpaper and other black details punch up the design.
Before: In the previous space, the Samawis disliked the basic dark brown vanity and granite countertop. They also felt the frameless mirror and the sconces dated the room.
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After: The new custom alder double vanity features legs for an appealing furniture-style look. An oyster stain finish gives the warm wood some radiance. Brass hardware adds more warmth and coordinates with the brushed brass faucets and other brass details used in the space. “They wanted more storage, so that’s why I proposed more drawers for this vanity,” Letocha says.
Aged brass sconces flank new thin-frame mirrors. Textured glass obscures the incandescent bulbs in the sconces. “We were trying to eliminate the shadowing problem with the lights they had above the vanity before,” Letocha says.
Sconces: Olivia, Mitzi by Hudson Valley; vanity hardware: Conga in Warm Brass, Atlas Homewares
Aged brass sconces flank new thin-frame mirrors. Textured glass obscures the incandescent bulbs in the sconces. “We were trying to eliminate the shadowing problem with the lights they had above the vanity before,” Letocha says.
Sconces: Olivia, Mitzi by Hudson Valley; vanity hardware: Conga in Warm Brass, Atlas Homewares
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A short partition wall provides privacy for the updated toilet.
Before: The built-in jetted tub took up substantial floor space and butted up against the shower stall. The homeowners felt the framed shower enclosure and its angled design dated the space. They were also sick of getting blasted with cold water whenever they reached in to turn on the shower.
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New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
After: A custom frameless tempered glass shower enclosure with matte black hardware gives the upgraded shower a more modern and open look. The shower floor and a niche for products feature 2-inch black marble hexagonal tiles with subtle white veining. “I wanted to create a contrast for the space since there’s so much white,” Letocha says. “Selecting the black tile and bringing it up for the niche creates some interest and drama.”
The valve controls are now mounted on the side wall, allowing the homeowners to turn on the shower without getting soaked. Brushed brass fixtures coordinate with other brass details, including a linear floor drain cover and brass towel hook just outside the shower.
The shower walls are white 8-by-24-inch ceramic tiles with an eye-catching diagonal design that coordinates with the sharp lines in the wallpaper behind the vanity.
The valve controls are now mounted on the side wall, allowing the homeowners to turn on the shower without getting soaked. Brushed brass fixtures coordinate with other brass details, including a linear floor drain cover and brass towel hook just outside the shower.
The shower walls are white 8-by-24-inch ceramic tiles with an eye-catching diagonal design that coordinates with the sharp lines in the wallpaper behind the vanity.
The shower tile extends to the wall behind the new freestanding soaking tub, which takes up much less floor space than the former built-in tub.
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A contemporary floor-mount tub filler with a single-lever handle and vibrant brushed brass finish includes a hand shower for rinsing off or for cleaning the tub. The tub sits a few inches from the bathroom wall so the homeowners can use a microfiber mop to clean behind it.
The door to the right opens to the couple’s walk-in closet, which features the same floor tile as the bathroom.
Tub: Rebecca, Wyndham Collection
The door to the right opens to the couple’s walk-in closet, which features the same floor tile as the bathroom.
Tub: Rebecca, Wyndham Collection
Before: This view from inside the former bathroom looking toward the couple’s bedroom shows how the built-in tub took up valuable floor space. “It was very massive,” Letocha says.
After: The freestanding tub and bright color palette lightened the look of the bathroom. A widened opening to the bedroom creates a roomier connection, and frosted glass panels provide some privacy while allowing light to be shared between the spaces.
“It felt so cramped before,” Lindsey says. “Now it’s much better for our family.”
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“It felt so cramped before,” Lindsey says. “Now it’s much better for our family.”
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Ted and Lindsey Samawi and their three small children
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Size: 115 square feet (11 square meters)
Design: Ivonka Letocha of Iv Design
Builder: Barts Remodeling & Construction
The design and remodeling team removed the main components of the previous bathroom but kept the new elements in the same location. Super bright white ceiling and walls (High Reflective White by Sherwin-Williams) and bright white trim with a slightly cool undertone (Extra White by Sherwin-Williams) create a clean backdrop for the updated design.
Large-format (12-by-24-inch) white porcelain floor tiles with white grout also help keep things bright. “I just wanted it to be more timeless,” Lindsey says.
She and Letocha found the black-and-white water-resistant vinyl wallpaper together and both fell in love with it. “This was the focal point of the bathroom,” Letocha says. “I wanted to create visual balance, combining the black tiles we used in the shower with the black lines of this wallpaper.”
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