Bathroom of the Week: Airy and Elegant in Walnut and Light Gray
A designer reimagines a busy 1990s bathroom with a streamlined layout, a low-curb shower, a large tub and a fresh look
This Minnesota couple liked the size of their 110-square-foot primary bathroom. But orange-colored walls, blue blinds, a white tile floor and a crowded layout with a built-in corner tub, narrow shower stall and separate vanities overwhelmed the look and feel. “They just tolerated the bathroom as long as they could,” says designer Mary Maney, whom the couple hired to update the space.
Maney rearranged the layout and installed a spacious glass-enclosed low-curb shower and a 5-foot jetted tub along one wall, which freed up room for a new double vanity along another wall. Those moves lightened the footprint and allowed Maney to add some privacy to the new toilet location with an extra storage cabinet that doubles as a partition wall. Meanwhile, walnut cabinets, trim and tub deck; light soapstone-look porcelain tiles; and nickel finishes lend the room an elegant style.
Maney rearranged the layout and installed a spacious glass-enclosed low-curb shower and a 5-foot jetted tub along one wall, which freed up room for a new double vanity along another wall. Those moves lightened the footprint and allowed Maney to add some privacy to the new toilet location with an extra storage cabinet that doubles as a partition wall. Meanwhile, walnut cabinets, trim and tub deck; light soapstone-look porcelain tiles; and nickel finishes lend the room an elegant style.
After: Maney knocked the former bathroom back to the studs and removed everything except the windows.
She rejiggered the layout to place the new 5-foot drop-in jetted tub along the back wall next to a new low-curb shower with a frameless glass enclosure. That allowed her to create a more efficient double vanity along the left wall, giving the space a lighter footprint.
The new toilet area is in the corner across from the vanity and shower, behind a cabinet (partially seen on the right) that acts as a partition wall for privacy.
Light soapstone-look, large-format porcelain tiles cover the floors and shower walls and coordinate with pale gray walls that have a hint of green in them (Moonshine by Benjamin Moore). The shower flooring is the same tile in a 2-by-2-inch size for better grip.
Walnut cabinets, trim and tub deck add warmth and a sophisticated look. And a decorative band of 1-inch blue-green hexagonal glass tiles in the shower provides a touch of whimsy. “They kind of shimmer with the light,” Maney says. “They add a calming feel and the color of water.”
Double vanity: Walnut with Sand Dune stain and Danbury door style, Crystal Cabinets; tub: Archer in white, Kohler
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She rejiggered the layout to place the new 5-foot drop-in jetted tub along the back wall next to a new low-curb shower with a frameless glass enclosure. That allowed her to create a more efficient double vanity along the left wall, giving the space a lighter footprint.
The new toilet area is in the corner across from the vanity and shower, behind a cabinet (partially seen on the right) that acts as a partition wall for privacy.
Light soapstone-look, large-format porcelain tiles cover the floors and shower walls and coordinate with pale gray walls that have a hint of green in them (Moonshine by Benjamin Moore). The shower flooring is the same tile in a 2-by-2-inch size for better grip.
Walnut cabinets, trim and tub deck add warmth and a sophisticated look. And a decorative band of 1-inch blue-green hexagonal glass tiles in the shower provides a touch of whimsy. “They kind of shimmer with the light,” Maney says. “They add a calming feel and the color of water.”
Double vanity: Walnut with Sand Dune stain and Danbury door style, Crystal Cabinets; tub: Archer in white, Kohler
Find a bathroom designer near you
The double vanity features a marble-look quartz countertop and short backsplash, as well as brushed satin nickel pulls that complement the widespread brushed nickel faucets and shower and bathtub fixtures. Three blue glass pendant lights hang over the vanity. “They kind of look green in the photo, but when lit they’re blue,” Maney says.
The device on the wall to the left above the light switches is a control panel for the radiant-heat flooring.
Pendant lights: 301 Lucent in Steel Blue, Bicycle Glass; faucets: Parallel in vibrant brushed nickel, Kohler; vanity hardware: Lynwood collection in brushed satin nickel, Top Knobs
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
The device on the wall to the left above the light switches is a control panel for the radiant-heat flooring.
Pendant lights: 301 Lucent in Steel Blue, Bicycle Glass; faucets: Parallel in vibrant brushed nickel, Kohler; vanity hardware: Lynwood collection in brushed satin nickel, Top Knobs
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
A center pullout on the vanity has stainless steel organizers for hair tools and storage below for products. “We have a display in our showroom with one similar to this, and when the homeowner saw that she wanted one,” Maney says. “The storage they have now is more thoughtful.”
10 Bathroom Vanity Features Pros Always Recommend
10 Bathroom Vanity Features Pros Always Recommend
Before: In the former bathroom, a dated and moldy shower stall stood next to the bathroom entrance, preventing the door from swinging all the way open.
The toilet sat right next to the shower.
The toilet sat right next to the shower.
After: After relocating the shower, Maney repositioned the new toilet in the former shower space. A cabinet and custom hanging pipe shelf add storage and privacy. “Having the cabinet there without the hanging shelf above would feel like it was just out there,” Maney says.
A new space-saving paneled pocket door stained to match the vanity now connects the bathroom to the primary bedroom.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
A new space-saving paneled pocket door stained to match the vanity now connects the bathroom to the primary bedroom.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Before: This floor plan of the former bathroom shows the crowded layout with the corner tub (top left) crammed between two vanities (bottom left and top right). The toilet sat floating in the room (center right) between a vanity and the shower stall (bottom right).
After: The updated layout gives the homeowners a much cleaner look and feel. A new double vanity (lower left) spans one wall. The larger bathtub and shower (top) span the back wall. And the toilet (bottom right) enjoys some privacy with the new cabinet and floating shelf (bottom middle). “The bathroom feels so much bigger in this new layout,” Maney says.
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Plymouth, Minnesota
Size: 110 square feet (10 square meters)
Designer: Mary Maney of Crystal Kitchen + Bath
Before: The 1990s bathroom had a cramped layout with a corner tub jammed between two vanities. Cinnamon-colored walls and blue window blinds added to the overwhelming look.
The white ceramic tile flooring had seen better days and was cold to stand on. And the toilet (not visible here) seemed to float out in the open between one of the vanities and the tight shower stall. “It just felt so crowded in there,” Maney says.