Bathroom of the Week: Inspired by Japanese Craftsman Style
Cherry cabinets, watery accent tiles, a forest mural and garden views create a sense of calm
While many people are looking to brighten up their bathrooms, the large windows and a skylight in this Corvallis, Oregon, bathroom already provided plenty of natural light. So the homeowners and their designer, Anna Clink, decided that going dark and moody with the materials would be just fine. She combined cherry cabinets in a Japanese Craftsman-inspired style, slate-like floor tiles, a concrete countertop, watery glass accent tiles and a woodsy mural to give the space a natural and relaxing feel. G. Christianson Construction completed the design and build, including crafting the beautiful cabinetry in its in-house shop.
Before: Other issues the homeowners wanted to address included the hulking feel of the large linen cabinet on the left and the way the partial wall next to it blocked off part of the bathroom. They also wanted to get rid of a bulky soffit. Undertaking a full remodel also gave them the opportunity to install radiant-heat flooring and update the look of the room.
After: Japanese Craftsman style inspired the cabinetry. G. Christianson Construction completed not only the design and the build, but also crafted all the cabinetry. “They had some other cherry cabinets in the house inspired by Japanese Craftsman style that we looked to when designing these,” Clink says. The rich tones of the wood, the look of the dark hardware and the tapered lines nod to the style.
The firm also crafted the mirror in its shop. “My clients and I collaborated with the woodworker on this mirror to get the proportions just right,” Clink says. “It’s a beautiful focal point.” Two simple pendant lights complement the mirror. Recessed LEDs in the ceiling also provide light. “This bathroom gets so much wonderful southern light from the windows and light from the skylight that we felt comfortable going dark and moody with the finishes,” Clink says.
Pendant lights: Delta mini pendant, Quorum International
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The firm also crafted the mirror in its shop. “My clients and I collaborated with the woodworker on this mirror to get the proportions just right,” Clink says. “It’s a beautiful focal point.” Two simple pendant lights complement the mirror. Recessed LEDs in the ceiling also provide light. “This bathroom gets so much wonderful southern light from the windows and light from the skylight that we felt comfortable going dark and moody with the finishes,” Clink says.
Pendant lights: Delta mini pendant, Quorum International
Browse small pendant lights in the Houzz Shop
Bend, Oregon-based Cement Elegance custom-made the concrete countertop and sink. “This charcoal countertop with its integrated trough is a statement piece,” Clink says. The homeowners wanted to be able to use the sink at the same time, so Clink chose a large size for the trough and added two faucets. This left more counter space than installing two separate sinks would have.
Faucets: Ara single-handle channel bathroom faucet, Delta
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Faucets: Ara single-handle channel bathroom faucet, Delta
Shop for matte black bathroom sink faucets
“The old linen cabinet was too looming and bulky for the space,” Clink says. A new cabinet tower has smaller, more pleasing proportions. “The homeowners wanted to leave enough room underneath it to tuck away the products they use every day within easy reach,” Clink says.
The mural wallpaper was one of the last elements they chose. “We played around with paint colors for a while. They were wary of the repeating patterns of wallpaper, so I suggested a mural wallpaper,” the designer says. “One of the homeowners and I searched for wallpaper at the same time, and she was the one who found this woodsy paper for a really good price. I agreed it would be a great fit.”
Wallpaper: Foggy Forest, Signwin
The mural wallpaper was one of the last elements they chose. “We played around with paint colors for a while. They were wary of the repeating patterns of wallpaper, so I suggested a mural wallpaper,” the designer says. “One of the homeowners and I searched for wallpaper at the same time, and she was the one who found this woodsy paper for a really good price. I agreed it would be a great fit.”
Wallpaper: Foggy Forest, Signwin
The floor tile extends up around the long-awaited bathtub. It has the look of natural slate but is more durable porcelain that’s easier to maintain.
“The homeowners want this to be their forever home, so we put a lot of thought into making it safe to get in and out of the tub,” Clink says. This soaking tub has two grab bars mounted within the basin, and Clink had a grab bar that looks like and functions as a towel bar installed over the other end of the tub. In addition, she made sure the surround included a ledge that would be wide enough for the homeowners to sit on, then pivot into the tub safely.
The design-build firm installed cherry trim around the windows to match the cabinetry. Because this is a very private lot surrounded by woods, the couple opted to leave the windows unadorned by shades. And because they wanted to enjoy the views of their beloved garden, they didn’t use frosted glass.
Flooring: Modtique Salon 12-by-24-inch porcelain tile, Florida Tile
New to home remodeling? Click here to learn the basics
“The homeowners want this to be their forever home, so we put a lot of thought into making it safe to get in and out of the tub,” Clink says. This soaking tub has two grab bars mounted within the basin, and Clink had a grab bar that looks like and functions as a towel bar installed over the other end of the tub. In addition, she made sure the surround included a ledge that would be wide enough for the homeowners to sit on, then pivot into the tub safely.
The design-build firm installed cherry trim around the windows to match the cabinetry. Because this is a very private lot surrounded by woods, the couple opted to leave the windows unadorned by shades. And because they wanted to enjoy the views of their beloved garden, they didn’t use frosted glass.
Flooring: Modtique Salon 12-by-24-inch porcelain tile, Florida Tile
New to home remodeling? Click here to learn the basics
After: Now there’s a clear view into the shower from across the room and from the shower to the large windows. The shower is curbless, which will make it easier to enter as the homeowners age in place here. Other aging-in-place elements include a built-in bench and a grab bar.
The slate-like porcelain tile continues up the shower walls. But it’s a stunning glass mosaic tile that steals the show in here. “My clients wanted a tile that would look like a stream of water,” Clink says. They purchased this tile from Houzz. “We worked on the proportions a lot. We wanted it to stand out but not be distracting as a texture,” Clink says. The lines of the glass tile continue from the wall down onto the bathroom floor, breaking up the composition of the large-format tiles.
Wall tile: Surfz Up hand-painted linear glass mosaic tile, Rocky Point Tile
The slate-like porcelain tile continues up the shower walls. But it’s a stunning glass mosaic tile that steals the show in here. “My clients wanted a tile that would look like a stream of water,” Clink says. They purchased this tile from Houzz. “We worked on the proportions a lot. We wanted it to stand out but not be distracting as a texture,” Clink says. The lines of the glass tile continue from the wall down onto the bathroom floor, breaking up the composition of the large-format tiles.
Wall tile: Surfz Up hand-painted linear glass mosaic tile, Rocky Point Tile
A long shower niche backed by the glass mosaic tile intersects the vertical “stream.”
Shower head: Eco-Performance handheld shower in matte black, Moen; shower valve: Genta valve trim in matte black, Moen
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Shower head: Eco-Performance handheld shower in matte black, Moen; shower valve: Genta valve trim in matte black, Moen
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The renovation plans show that the wall was removed and that the shower stall is partially open. It also shows the tub where the homeowners can finally enjoy the views of their garden while having a good, long soak.
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
Size: 115 square feet (11 square meters)
Designer: Anna Clink of G. Christianson Construction
“The homeowners had lived with this bathroom for about 25 years,” Clink says. “There was a big empty spot under the windows where they’d always intended to place a soaking tub but never had.” By the time they got around to hiring someone to install it, they figured they might as well renovate the whole room.
“My clients are very well traveled and they had been especially struck by gardens they saw in Japan,” Clink says. They brought the inspiration home, putting countless hours of work into a Japanese-style garden in their backyard, and they wanted to look out over it while taking a soak. “They wanted the room to feel Zen and calming in the same way the garden does,” Clink says. The idea of a stream running through a forest inspired the material palette. They shared photos they found on Houzz to help communicate their ideas.
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