Bathroom of the Week: Spa Feel With Marble and an Airy Layout
Design-build pros create a relaxing retreat with an open plan, a hardworking vanity and a calming white-and-blue style
This Massachusetts couple wanted to transform their basic beige bathroom into a relaxing and luxurious spa-like retreat. But they faced several challenges, including a complicated layout and exposed pipes from a previous remodeling project that carried plumbing to the attic for a planned future update.
They looked at inspiration photos on Houzz and, realizing they needed professional help, hired design-build pros Jason and Megan Hoffman. The Hoffmans rerouted the pipes, freeing up room for a hardworking new double vanity with a countertop storage tower. They worked within the existing footprint but ditched the shower-tub combo and water closet, then rejiggered the layout to free up space for an airy arrangement with a curbless shower and a freestanding tub. For style, a blue-gray color on the vanity complements elegant tones in honed marble tiles of different sizes. Meanwhile, sky blue fish-scale accent tiles add a touch of whimsy.
They looked at inspiration photos on Houzz and, realizing they needed professional help, hired design-build pros Jason and Megan Hoffman. The Hoffmans rerouted the pipes, freeing up room for a hardworking new double vanity with a countertop storage tower. They worked within the existing footprint but ditched the shower-tub combo and water closet, then rejiggered the layout to free up space for an airy arrangement with a curbless shower and a freestanding tub. For style, a blue-gray color on the vanity complements elegant tones in honed marble tiles of different sizes. Meanwhile, sky blue fish-scale accent tiles add a touch of whimsy.
After: The Hoffmans stripped the bathroom back to the studs and rerouted the pipes to free up wall space for the double vanity in a custom blue-gray color. “Our client’s inspiration came from the marble tiles she found, so we let the tile dictate the rest of the finishes,” Megan says. “She wanted a nonwhite vanity and pulled the inspiration from the tile for this custom color.”
The white walls (Distant Gray by Benjamin Moore) have a complementary blue-gray undertone.
The storage tower on the marble-look quartz countertop has a cabinet with an electrical outlet inside and a drawer for makeup and accessories.
Vanity: Manchester door style in custom color Dover Castle, Candlelight Cabinetry; sinks: Verticyl in white, Kohler
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The white walls (Distant Gray by Benjamin Moore) have a complementary blue-gray undertone.
The storage tower on the marble-look quartz countertop has a cabinet with an electrical outlet inside and a drawer for makeup and accessories.
Vanity: Manchester door style in custom color Dover Castle, Candlelight Cabinetry; sinks: Verticyl in white, Kohler
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Typically, many top drawers you see on vanities are actually just false fronts because the position of the sink plumbing within the cabinet prevents an actual drawer from sliding in and out. For this vanity, Jason specified two wide functional drawers on the bottom to maximize storage.
The cabinet pulls feature glass handles set in golden champagne mounts. The finish coordinates with gold frame mirrors, aged brass sconces and widespread faucets and hand towel bar in a Luxe Gold finish.
Sconces: Mid-Century 2 Light Vanity in aged brass, Capital Lighting Fixture Co.; faucets: Litze Widespread Lavatory, Brizo; vanity hardware: Glacio cabinet pull in Clear/Golden Champagne, Amerock Hardware
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The cabinet pulls feature glass handles set in golden champagne mounts. The finish coordinates with gold frame mirrors, aged brass sconces and widespread faucets and hand towel bar in a Luxe Gold finish.
Sconces: Mid-Century 2 Light Vanity in aged brass, Capital Lighting Fixture Co.; faucets: Litze Widespread Lavatory, Brizo; vanity hardware: Glacio cabinet pull in Clear/Golden Champagne, Amerock Hardware
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Before: A water closet with a cramped second sink stood across from the vanity. “She knew she wanted to try and fit a freestanding tub somewhere in the bathroom but didn’t know where,” Jason says of the client. “She had been thinking about this for a while. She knew she didn’t want to change or move windows and wanted to work with what was already there.”
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After: The remodeling team removed the water closet and sink and relocated the toilet to another part of the bathroom. (See “after” floor plan below.) This opened up room for a 59-inch freestanding acrylic tub in a matte white finish.
The single-handle floor-mount tub filler is from the same line as the sink faucets and features the same Luxe Gold finish.
For the flooring, 4-by-12-inch honed White Venatino marble tiles run in a herringbone pattern throughout the entire space. “Because it’s marble, it’s a subtle look that allows other tiles in this bathroom to shine,” Jason says.
The wall behind the tub features the same honed marble tiles as the floor but in a 12-by-24-inch size.
Sky blue fish-scale, or scallop, tiles accent a niche behind the tub, adding a sense of fun. “The client was inspired by photos she saw on Houzz, but didn’t know how to execute it,” Megan says. “We were able to design the statement niche behind the tub with this tile.”
Niche tile: Precious Gems Essentials Glass collection in Sky Scallop, Best Tile
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The single-handle floor-mount tub filler is from the same line as the sink faucets and features the same Luxe Gold finish.
For the flooring, 4-by-12-inch honed White Venatino marble tiles run in a herringbone pattern throughout the entire space. “Because it’s marble, it’s a subtle look that allows other tiles in this bathroom to shine,” Jason says.
The wall behind the tub features the same honed marble tiles as the floor but in a 12-by-24-inch size.
Sky blue fish-scale, or scallop, tiles accent a niche behind the tub, adding a sense of fun. “The client was inspired by photos she saw on Houzz, but didn’t know how to execute it,” Megan says. “We were able to design the statement niche behind the tub with this tile.”
Niche tile: Precious Gems Essentials Glass collection in Sky Scallop, Best Tile
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Before: This view of the former bathroom shows the aging shower-tub combo in an alcove. “For the caliber of the house, the old shower-tub combo didn’t fit the rest of the home from an aesthetic point,” Jason says.
A linen closet stood to the left. This photo also gives a peek into the water closet with the second sink.
A linen closet stood to the left. This photo also gives a peek into the water closet with the second sink.
After: A toilet with bidet function now sits where the water closet stood, and a new linen closet stands to the left of the toilet. “The homeowner liked the idea of having a water closet, but there wasn’t really room for it if we were adding the shower and separate tub,” Jason says. “We were able to create an alcove for the bidet by using the half wall from the shower and the new linen closet on the other side. If you can’t have a separate water closet, this at least provides some privacy.”
The spacious curbless shower offers a soothing spa-like experience. The fish-scale tiles accent two niches and the shower sprayer wall. “That was the homeowner’s personal favorite tile and she wanted to incorporate it,” Jason says. “There was some geometry and architecture at work to balance out the wall behind the tub with the inside of the shower.”
The shower also includes a tile-faced linear drain along the long wall seen here.
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The spacious curbless shower offers a soothing spa-like experience. The fish-scale tiles accent two niches and the shower sprayer wall. “That was the homeowner’s personal favorite tile and she wanted to incorporate it,” Jason says. “There was some geometry and architecture at work to balance out the wall behind the tub with the inside of the shower.”
The shower also includes a tile-faced linear drain along the long wall seen here.
10 Bathroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
“The homeowner also wanted the same floor tile for the main bathroom and shower floor, to create a seamless look,” Megan says.
The shower includes a rain shower head and handheld sprayer, both in the same Luxe Gold finish as the other fixtures in the bathroom.
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The shower includes a rain shower head and handheld sprayer, both in the same Luxe Gold finish as the other fixtures in the bathroom.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
The shower controls are mounted in the knee-high wall so the homeowners can turn on the water without getting wet.
Before: This floor plan shows the awkward location of the exposed plumbing (top right). The water closet with its cramped secondary sink are at top left. The shower-tub combo (bottom left) and linen closet (bottom right) added to the complicated layout.
After: Replumbing the pipes allowed wall space for the longer double vanity (top right), while placing the new freestanding tub where the water closet once stood (top left) made better use of all available space.
Moving the tub also created space for the large curbless shower (bottom left). The toilet (bottom center) sits between the shower knee wall and new linen closet.
The homeowners, who also worked with the Hoffmans on the renovation of their laundry room and powder room, now have the calm and luxurious spa-like retreat they wanted. “We were able to peel back the layers of the onion, so to speak, to give her what she was going for,” Jason says.
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Moving the tub also created space for the large curbless shower (bottom left). The toilet (bottom center) sits between the shower knee wall and new linen closet.
The homeowners, who also worked with the Hoffmans on the renovation of their laundry room and powder room, now have the calm and luxurious spa-like retreat they wanted. “We were able to peel back the layers of the onion, so to speak, to give her what she was going for,” Jason 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: A couple with young kids
Location: Needham, Massachusetts
Size: 130 square feet (12 square meters)
Design-build pros: Jason and Megan Hoffman of J.P. Hoffman Design Build
Before: The former bathroom presented a bland feel with lots of beige and brown tones and basic elements. In the corner, the exposed plumbing pipes added during a previous basement renovation in anticipation of a future attic remodel gave the space an incomplete look.