Room of the Day: Geometric Lines Lead to a Glamorous Master Bathroom
Bright lights, fresh paint and marble surfaces transform a Georgia couple’s 1990s bathroom
Shortly after purchasing their home, a Georgia couple brought in Meriwether and Kathryn McAdams, the mother-daughter team behind Meriwether Design Group, to update their master bathroom. The couple wanted to transform the dark 1990s room into a bright and glamorous retreat. After talking with the client and seeing the space, the designers came up with a design that included geometric lines to give the couple their upscale, hotel-style bathroom.
AFTER: The designers brought in light and luxury. They replaced the built-in bathtub with a free-standing one, accenting it with a vintage chair reupholstered in blue Kravet fabric.
Kathryn and Meriwether also played with 45-degree angles throughout the space. These geometric design decisions appear in the lattice-patterned wallpaper, floor tiles and window design.
“I don’t think people are aware of the angles until I point it out,” Kathryn says.
For the window, she gave the homeowners four options, and they chose a simple one that highlighted the angles throughout the room. The window has a type of textured glass called rain glass. “It provides privacy while still allowing a lot of light in,” Kathryn says.
Bathtub and faucet: Kohler
Kathryn and Meriwether also played with 45-degree angles throughout the space. These geometric design decisions appear in the lattice-patterned wallpaper, floor tiles and window design.
“I don’t think people are aware of the angles until I point it out,” Kathryn says.
For the window, she gave the homeowners four options, and they chose a simple one that highlighted the angles throughout the room. The window has a type of textured glass called rain glass. “It provides privacy while still allowing a lot of light in,” Kathryn says.
Bathtub and faucet: Kohler
BEFORE: Large mirrors and poor lighting dominated the bathroom’s two vanities. “The mirrors were nice,” Kathryn says, “but they weren’t ‘wow.’ ”
AFTER: The tray ceiling gave the designers the idea to use angles throughout the room for continuity. They echoed the angles in the ceiling on the top edge of the vanity mirror.
New vertical lights on the mirror give the homeowners great visibility, especially for applying makeup, Kathryn says.
Overhead, the designers wanted a chandelier that provided a lot of light around the room. They added shades to soften the light.
New vertical lights on the mirror give the homeowners great visibility, especially for applying makeup, Kathryn says.
Overhead, the designers wanted a chandelier that provided a lot of light around the room. They added shades to soften the light.
The designers altered the existing custom cabinets by adding new knobs and applying a fresh coat of paint. They worked with the clients to outline pieces of the room that had value, such as the cabinetry, and helped them prioritize their remodeling funds. In this case, it made sense to splurge on a luxury item like the marble countertops.
Cabinet, trim and door paint: Anew Gray, Sherwin-Williams; mirror lights: Circa Lighting; faucet: Kelston, Kohler; vanity top: Calacatta gold marble; cabinet hardware: Top Knobs
Cabinet, trim and door paint: Anew Gray, Sherwin-Williams; mirror lights: Circa Lighting; faucet: Kelston, Kohler; vanity top: Calacatta gold marble; cabinet hardware: Top Knobs
BEFORE: The shower and toilet rooms stood in opposite corners. The small spaces had 10-foot-high ceilings and lacked adequate lighting.
“When you have small rooms with tall ceilings, it can feel like you are in an elevator shaft,” Kathryn says.
“When you have small rooms with tall ceilings, it can feel like you are in an elevator shaft,” Kathryn says.
AFTER: To brighten up these corner spaces, the designers worked to bring everything down to an approachable scale with lots of light.
They gutted the shower and used five types of tile made from Calacatta gold marble. This gives the small space a variety of textures and colors, including hexagon tiles on the floor and ceiling.
They gutted the shower and used five types of tile made from Calacatta gold marble. This gives the small space a variety of textures and colors, including hexagon tiles on the floor and ceiling.
Inside, the shower contains a bench on each side, two niches for storage and new fixtures, including a rain shower head in the ceiling.
Having used the space for a while, the homeowners say the rain shower feature is their favorite part of the bathroom.
Read more stories about bathroom design
Having used the space for a while, the homeowners say the rain shower feature is their favorite part of the bathroom.
Read more stories about bathroom design
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two children
Location: Marietta, Georgia
Size: 300 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Meriwether and Kathryn McAdams of Meriwether Design Group
BEFORE: The traditional style of the master bathroom, from the fixtures to the tile, dated the well-laid out space, says Kathryn, interior design project manager at Meriwether Design Group.