Bathroom of the Week: Clean, Contemporary Style for Empty Nesters
Marble tiles, a spacious low-curb shower and a coffee station create a welcoming new en suite bathroom
Designing a new-build home gave this empty-nest couple the opportunity to create the spa-like bathroom of their dreams. To carry out their vision of a clean, crisp, contemporary space, they worked with interior designer Sharon Kory.
A spacious low-curb shower and large built-in soaking tub give the couple luxe bathing experiences. Large-format marble tiles in two styles — one light, one dark — bring elegant, contemporary style. Meanwhile, a coffee niche energizes the couple’s morning routine.
A spacious low-curb shower and large built-in soaking tub give the couple luxe bathing experiences. Large-format marble tiles in two styles — one light, one dark — bring elegant, contemporary style. Meanwhile, a coffee niche energizes the couple’s morning routine.
The gray double vanity features high-gloss acrylic drawer and door fronts. “We needed to have the double doors under the sinks,” Kory says. “To give them drawer storage, we did a center bank of drawers. All the doors and drawers are soft-close.”
The widespread faucets have a polished nickel finish that coordinates with the polished nickel cabinet pulls and the widespread deck-mounted polished nickel faucet for the 32-by-60-inch white soaking tub.
Vanity: South Beach door style in Flint high-gloss finish, UltraCraft Cabinetry; vanity hardware: Holland pull in polished nickel, Top Knobs; tub: Underscore, Kohler; tub faucet: Levoir in polished nickel, Brizo
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The widespread faucets have a polished nickel finish that coordinates with the polished nickel cabinet pulls and the widespread deck-mounted polished nickel faucet for the 32-by-60-inch white soaking tub.
Vanity: South Beach door style in Flint high-gloss finish, UltraCraft Cabinetry; vanity hardware: Holland pull in polished nickel, Top Knobs; tub: Underscore, Kohler; tub faucet: Levoir in polished nickel, Brizo
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The solid bright white quartz slab countertop has no pattern or veining, giving the couple the clean, contemporary look they wanted. A 3-inch-tall piece of the same quartz forms the backsplash.
Contemporary rectangular mirrors with thin polished nickel frames coordinate with the other finishes used in the room, including three tall polished nickel pivoting wall sconces. “In a bathroom, you need adequate lighting,” Kory says. “We also liked the look and style.”
Additional lighting is provided by recessed LED lights in the ceiling and one inside the shower. Exhaust fans are located in the bathroom’s water closet and on the ceiling near the shower (seen here in the reflection in the mirror).
Sconces: Keeley in polished nickel, Visual Comfort
Contemporary rectangular mirrors with thin polished nickel frames coordinate with the other finishes used in the room, including three tall polished nickel pivoting wall sconces. “In a bathroom, you need adequate lighting,” Kory says. “We also liked the look and style.”
Additional lighting is provided by recessed LED lights in the ceiling and one inside the shower. Exhaust fans are located in the bathroom’s water closet and on the ceiling near the shower (seen here in the reflection in the mirror).
Sconces: Keeley in polished nickel, Visual Comfort
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Dark marble tiles cut in large hexagons define the spacious low-curb shower, offering a dramatic counterpoint to the light tones used elsewhere in the room.
The custom tempered glass enclosure features polished nickel hardware. The door can swing in or out, which allows the couple to easily turn on the water without getting wet.
A built-in coffee niche on the left has a drawer for coffee supplies. The area was originally designed to be a linen closet. “But we didn’t need that much linen storage,” Kory says. “We retrofitted it to accommodate a coffee maker, with towel storage above.”
The space-saving pocket door between the tub and shower opens to the water closet.
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The custom tempered glass enclosure features polished nickel hardware. The door can swing in or out, which allows the couple to easily turn on the water without getting wet.
A built-in coffee niche on the left has a drawer for coffee supplies. The area was originally designed to be a linen closet. “But we didn’t need that much linen storage,” Kory says. “We retrofitted it to accommodate a coffee maker, with towel storage above.”
The space-saving pocket door between the tub and shower opens to the water closet.
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The shower includes a fixed shower head and a sliding hand shower from the same polished nickel line as the vanity sink faucets and tub faucet.
The shower floor is the same marble tile as the main bathroom floor but cut to a 3-by-3-inch size for better grip and to allow for a slope for drainage.
The white paneled pocket door on the left connects to the couple’s main closet.
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The shower floor is the same marble tile as the main bathroom floor but cut to a 3-by-3-inch size for better grip and to allow for a slope for drainage.
The white paneled pocket door on the left connects to the couple’s main closet.
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A built-in bench features a solid white quartz top that coordinates with the vanity countertop. “The curb where you enter the shower is also the same white quartz,” Kory says.
A tall niche above the shower bench has two shelves for bath products.
A tall niche above the shower bench has two shelves for bath products.
A peek into the couple’s bedroom shows its cohesive look with the bathroom.
The bath’s functional layout and elegant style give the couple the spa-like space they’d dreamed about. “We were able to fit in everything they wanted,” Kory says.
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The bath’s functional layout and elegant style give the couple the spa-like space they’d dreamed about. “We were able to fit in everything they wanted,” Kory says.
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: An empty-nest couple
Location: Birmingham, Michigan
Size: 130 square feet (12 square meters)
Designer: Sharon Kory Interiors
The first thing one notices in the bathroom is the clean, elegant white-and-gray palette, which is flooded with light from a wall-to-wall window above the built-in tub. Large-format (12-by-24-inch) marble tile with white and gray striations runs on the floor, up the tub deck and onto the rear wall, helping to visually lengthen the room and provide captivating visual texture. “They wanted that very elegant feel,” Kory says. “Using the same tiles pulled the palette through the floor to the tub deck and up the wall, to keep that flow. We were able to elongate the bathroom by doing that.”
Bright white walls (Extra White by Sherwin-Williams) and a white quartz countertop further brighten the room.
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