Bathroom of the Week: Timeless Style With an Improved Layout
After a hurricane damages her family’s home, a designer rethinks her main bathroom and creates a timeless retreat
After Hurricane Florence damaged their North Carolina home in 2018, Stephen and Cassie Scaldaferri took the opportunity to upgrade the look and layout of their main bathroom. “The hurricane gave us the chance to truly think about what we wanted,” Cassie says.
Cassie, who owns an e-design business, realized that if she relocated a large walk-in closet to the other side of the room and removed a massive built-in tub, she could rejigger the layout and get a more substantial steam shower, a freestanding bathtub, a water closet and an overall breezier flow in the space. She then channeled a “modern classic” vibe in a white-and-gray color palette for a light and luxurious look.
Cassie, who owns an e-design business, realized that if she relocated a large walk-in closet to the other side of the room and removed a massive built-in tub, she could rejigger the layout and get a more substantial steam shower, a freestanding bathtub, a water closet and an overall breezier flow in the space. She then channeled a “modern classic” vibe in a white-and-gray color palette for a light and luxurious look.
The vanity features two center drawers, two cabinets and an open shelf that holds extra towels and baskets for supplies.
Polished chrome pulls and knobs coordinate with traditional-style widespread faucets, also in a polished chrome finish.
A Shadow Storm quartzite countertop continues the white and gray tones used throughout the room. A cream-and-gray area rug has a similar effect but also adds a bit of pattern. “It gives a touch of elegance and takes the space up a notch,” Cassie says. “Because it’s affordable, we don’t worry when we get out of the shower with wet feet.”
Custom vanity: FFT Cabinetry; faucets: Cassidy in polished chrome, Delta Faucet; rug: Brentwood in cream and gray, Safavieh
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Polished chrome pulls and knobs coordinate with traditional-style widespread faucets, also in a polished chrome finish.
A Shadow Storm quartzite countertop continues the white and gray tones used throughout the room. A cream-and-gray area rug has a similar effect but also adds a bit of pattern. “It gives a touch of elegance and takes the space up a notch,” Cassie says. “Because it’s affordable, we don’t worry when we get out of the shower with wet feet.”
Custom vanity: FFT Cabinetry; faucets: Cassidy in polished chrome, Delta Faucet; rug: Brentwood in cream and gray, Safavieh
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Cassie repurposed the thick-plated beveled chrome mirrors from the previous bathroom. They hang on wall brackets that allow the mirrors to tilt to a user’s preferred angle. “Part of it was about budget if I’m being honest, but they also work with the new style and were in good shape,” Cassie says. “I had my heart set on flanking sconces for the mirrors, but we didn’t have the space for that.”
The adjustable sconces above the mirrors have clear glass shades and a polished nickel finish. “Putting a pretty sconce above made me like my mirrors more,” Cassie says.
Additional lighting is provided by LED recessed lights in the ceiling of the main area of the room and inside the new steam shower.
A new water closet and linen closet stand opposite the vanity. (See “after” floor plan below.)
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The adjustable sconces above the mirrors have clear glass shades and a polished nickel finish. “Putting a pretty sconce above made me like my mirrors more,” Cassie says.
Additional lighting is provided by LED recessed lights in the ceiling of the main area of the room and inside the new steam shower.
A new water closet and linen closet stand opposite the vanity. (See “after” floor plan below.)
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The new shower has a steam option, which was a must-have for Stephen. Glass panels fully close off the shower to trap the steam inside.
Glossy white 4-by-16-inch ceramic tiles with warm gray epoxy grout cover the shower walls and ceiling. “I have a coastal modern farmhouse style for the rest of the house, so these subway tiles felt like the right fit,” Cassie says. “They keep things casual, but I also love that the larger scale of the tiles give a different dimension to the space.”
Tiles: Vitruvian, Daltile
Glossy white 4-by-16-inch ceramic tiles with warm gray epoxy grout cover the shower walls and ceiling. “I have a coastal modern farmhouse style for the rest of the house, so these subway tiles felt like the right fit,” Cassie says. “They keep things casual, but I also love that the larger scale of the tiles give a different dimension to the space.”
Tiles: Vitruvian, Daltile
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The steam outlets for the shower can be seen on the lower right side wall in this photo. The shower also includes a wall-mounted shower head, a hand shower and a rain shower head, all in a chrome finish.
Glass mosaic hexagonal tiles with gray and beige veining cover the floor and the back of the two storage niches on the half wall on the left. “They have a matte finish, so they’re not slippery,” Cassie says. “I wanted a smaller-scale pattern, and they were the best complement to the main floor tile.”
Shower fixtures: Cassidy Monitor 17 series in chrome, Delta Faucet
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Glass mosaic hexagonal tiles with gray and beige veining cover the floor and the back of the two storage niches on the half wall on the left. “They have a matte finish, so they’re not slippery,” Cassie says. “I wanted a smaller-scale pattern, and they were the best complement to the main floor tile.”
Shower fixtures: Cassidy Monitor 17 series in chrome, Delta Faucet
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Before: This floor plan of the previous bathroom shows the awkward layout. A built-in tub with a large deck (bottom left) ate up tons of square feet. The angular walk-in closet (top), corner shower (bottom right) and toilet behind a half wall (middle left) created a dysfunctional circulation path.
After: Cassie relocated the closet to the other side of the room and then moved things around to create a layout that made more sense. The more generously sized steam shower stands in one corner (top right) and the freestanding tub sits in another (top left). The water closet (middle left) adds privacy.
“We were able to create a brighter, spa-like space that feels more modern and reflects our style,” Cassie says.
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“We were able to create a brighter, spa-like space that feels more modern and reflects our style,” Cassie says.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom of the Week
Who lives here: Stephen and designer Cassie Scaldaferri Cassie Scaldaferri of Cass Design and their two children
Location: Hampstead, North Carolina
Size: 127 square feet (12 square meters)
To establish a timeless look, Cassie leaned into light gray walls (Silverpointe by Sherwin-Williams). “The pureness of that gray is what drew me to that color,” she says. “Since we were redoing everything, I wanted to go with cooler tones and a more modern look.”
The new furniture-style custom double vanity is a neutral gray (Stamped Concrete by Sherwin-Williams) that coordinates with the walls but offers a slight contrast.
Bright white ceiling and trim paint (Extra White by Sherwin-Williams) has a slightly cool undertone.
The 67-inch freestanding acrylic tub is larger than the homeowners’ previous tub, but it takes up less of a footprint because there’s no built-in deck. “It lends itself to that modern classic style I like,” Cassie says. An elegant chrome floor-mounted tub filler coordinates with other chrome finishes in the room. A whitewashed bead chandelier adds just a hint of coastal style.
The floor consists of 12-by-24-inch porcelain tiles that mimic the look of marble. “I’m so happy we went with the warm gray grout,” Cassie says. “It doesn’t darken the space, and it’s easy to keep clean.”
Tub: Serafina, Jacuzzi; tub filler: Cassidy, Delta Faucet; towel ring: Cassidy in chrome, Delta Faucet; floor tile: Florentine in Carrara, Daltile
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