Bathroom of the Week: Fresh, Bright Look With More Breathing Room
An airy layout with a curbless shower and light finishes helps open and brighten a once-dark primary bathroom
This couple loved the light and airy feel of their midcentury modern home in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. So stepping into their primary en suite bathroom and encountering lots of muddy-brown tile and two circular black vanities felt like a serious disconnect.
Wanting a lighter space with a more sophisticated yet playful style, they turned to designer Kara Piepmeyer for help. Piepmeyer created more breathing room in the layout by designing a curbless shower with a frameless glass enclosure and replacing the built-in tub with a freestanding model. Glossy handmade tiles in a watery blue wrap two walls floor to ceiling and reflect light. White clay brick floor tiles in a herringbone pattern and a lilac marble countertop also brighten the room and add visual interest. A custom white oak vanity anchors the updated space in warmth and style.
Wanting a lighter space with a more sophisticated yet playful style, they turned to designer Kara Piepmeyer for help. Piepmeyer created more breathing room in the layout by designing a curbless shower with a frameless glass enclosure and replacing the built-in tub with a freestanding model. Glossy handmade tiles in a watery blue wrap two walls floor to ceiling and reflect light. White clay brick floor tiles in a herringbone pattern and a lilac marble countertop also brighten the room and add visual interest. A custom white oak vanity anchors the updated space in warmth and style.
Before: Opposite the large tub and corner shower sat these circular black vanities, which lacked adequate storage and countertop space. “The vanities were just not functional,” Piepmeyer says. A slim storage tower, round framed mirrors and half-moon sconces didn’t fit the proportion of the wall.
After: Piepmeyer removed the vanities, tub, shower and flooring. She wrapped two walls floor to ceiling with 3-by-6-inch glossy handmade ceramic field tiles in a soft blue, immediately brightening the room and creating a serene atmosphere. “Each tile is unique and has a watercolor appearance up close and lots of variation,” Piepmeyer says. “[The homeowner] fell in love with them, and that was a great starting point for me.”
The flooring is 2½-by-11½-inch white clay brick tiles with a custom dark taupe grout. “We wanted to keep the floor more neutral but chose the herringbone pattern to elevate the space,” Piepmeyer says.
A freestanding white acrylic tub and a new curbless shower with a frameless glass enclosure enhance the airy feel. “Disconnecting the tub and shower helped create a feeling of spaciousness,” Piepmeyer says. A new custom double vanity in white oak veneer balances all the cool tones with warmth.
Wall tile: Claypaper handmade field tile in Sea Glossy, 3 by 6 inches, Waterworks; floor tile: Norman Brick in Olympic, 2½ by 11½ inches, Fireclay; wall, ceiling and trim paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
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The flooring is 2½-by-11½-inch white clay brick tiles with a custom dark taupe grout. “We wanted to keep the floor more neutral but chose the herringbone pattern to elevate the space,” Piepmeyer says.
A freestanding white acrylic tub and a new curbless shower with a frameless glass enclosure enhance the airy feel. “Disconnecting the tub and shower helped create a feeling of spaciousness,” Piepmeyer says. A new custom double vanity in white oak veneer balances all the cool tones with warmth.
Wall tile: Claypaper handmade field tile in Sea Glossy, 3 by 6 inches, Waterworks; floor tile: Norman Brick in Olympic, 2½ by 11½ inches, Fireclay; wall, ceiling and trim paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
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The vanity has a honed lilac marble countertop with a 4-inch mitered edge that gives it a hefty look. A backsplash in the same marble adds to the stone’s prominence. “The client just loves color and wanted some kind of additional color in the space,” Piepmeyer says. “I had seen this lilac marble and fell in love with it. It has an elegant and chic feel. The tones of the marble play so nicely with the blue tile we have in there.”
Cabinets with pullouts provide plenty of storage, and the horizontal drawer sections fold down to reveal organizers for small items like toothpaste and toothbrushes. Aged brass knobs add a touch of warmth. A makeup area with a woven stool sits between the two sinks. “It was something the client felt she wanted and would get use out of,” Piepmeyer says. “We also liked how it broke up the vanity and gave extra counter space. It was worth sacrificing a bit of storage for the function.”
The large custom mirror has a clean look and spans the length of the vanity. Three white arc sconces with wood backplates provide warm, flattering light to the area. The bathroom also has new LED recessed ceiling lights that were digitally removed from these photos by the photographer to help highlight other design features.
Cabinet knobs: Blair in aged brass, Rejuvenation
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Cabinets with pullouts provide plenty of storage, and the horizontal drawer sections fold down to reveal organizers for small items like toothpaste and toothbrushes. Aged brass knobs add a touch of warmth. A makeup area with a woven stool sits between the two sinks. “It was something the client felt she wanted and would get use out of,” Piepmeyer says. “We also liked how it broke up the vanity and gave extra counter space. It was worth sacrificing a bit of storage for the function.”
The large custom mirror has a clean look and spans the length of the vanity. Three white arc sconces with wood backplates provide warm, flattering light to the area. The bathroom also has new LED recessed ceiling lights that were digitally removed from these photos by the photographer to help highlight other design features.
Cabinet knobs: Blair in aged brass, Rejuvenation
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White undermount sinks pair with widespread faucets in a brushed brass finish that complements other warm metal finishes in the bathroom. “We wanted to choose something that walked the line between feeling elevated and modern,” Piepmeyer says. “These have clean lines but also feel sophisticated. I think it would have felt really cold if we went with chrome or nickel.”
Sinks: Verticyl, Kohler; faucets: Purist in Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass, Kohler
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Sinks: Verticyl, Kohler; faucets: Purist in Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass, Kohler
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The single-function shower head with pressure-balancing valve has the same brushed brass finish as the vanity faucets. A niche keeps bathing products off the floor and has the same glossy blue tiles as the shower walls. The flooring is handmade white ceramic tile in a 2-by-2-inch size, which helps create a nonslip surface.
Floor tiles: Frost, Fireclay; shower fixtures: Purist in Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass, Kohler
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Floor tiles: Frost, Fireclay; shower fixtures: Purist in Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass, Kohler
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The white oval freestanding tub, made of nonporous Lucite acrylic, maximizes comfort and offers a sleek look. “The client really loves to take a bath, so having this freestanding tub created a feeling of a luxurious retreat,” Piepmeyer says. The upgraded fixed picture window offers a more expansive view outdoors.
Bathtub: Chloe, Vintage Tub & Bath
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Bathtub: Chloe, Vintage Tub & Bath
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A floor-mounted tub filler with a modern minimalist style coordinates with the vanity and shower fixtures and includes a built-in diverter and hand shower. “It just added to a feeling of sophistication, and we liked creating some space between the tub and the wall for a stool with a plant or a place for a book,” Piepmeyer says.
Tub filler: Purist in Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass, Kohler
Tub filler: Purist in Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass, Kohler
The updated water closet includes a custom cabinet with adjustable shelves. Gray-and-white wallpaper in a simple pattern adds personality.
This floor plan of the updated bathroom shows the airy layout with the freestanding tub (top middle) and frameless glass curbless shower (top right). The double vanity (bottom right) sits across from the shower and tub. The entry (bottom left) connects the bathroom to the primary bedroom. The water closet (top left) was also updated during the remodel. “I think by putting tile on two walls from floor to ceiling and one expansive vanity top, we were able to make the whole space feel more cohesive,” Piepmeyer says.
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young kids
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 140 square feet (13 square meters)
Design: Kara Piepmeyer of Studio Kosma
Before: In the former bathroom, brown tile covered the floor, large tub deck and shower walls. “It’s a good-size bathroom with pretty high ceilings but felt so small,” Piepmeyer says. “It was very busy, dark and chopped-up.”
Two casement windows over the tub (what looks like a third is a reflection on the glass shower enclosure) offered limited views of the backyard. The owners wanted to keep the water closet, which is to the left of the tub.