Design Ideas From 2016’s Top 10 Rooms of the Day
This year’s favorite rooms offer design inspiration from the bathroom to the basement
Bryan Anthony
December 22, 2016
The Houzz Room of the Day series offers a wide range of advice and inspiration to help you update or transform rooms in your home. In reverse order, here’s a roundup of the 10 most popular Rooms of the Days from 2016 as measured by the number of people who viewed the stories. As you will see, bathrooms were heavy favorites with readers. Click on the links for a full tour of each room and additional ideas for your own place.
10. Basement Bliss
Design takeaway: Create a playroom that can easily transition as kids grow up.
To look at this basement in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, with its layered rugs, lived-in furniture and painted wood detailing, you’d never imagine that just two years ago a chimney and a water boiler were the only things down here. “Originally it was one room with a handful of random support beams,” designer Katie Hackworth of H2 Design + Build says.
The new playroom, the central room in the basement redesign, is where the family’s sons can play, work and explore. As the two boys grow, the room will evolve with them. “My clients are planning to replace the playroom’s worktable and toy bins with a pool table when the time is right,” Hackworth says.
Design takeaway: Create a playroom that can easily transition as kids grow up.
To look at this basement in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, with its layered rugs, lived-in furniture and painted wood detailing, you’d never imagine that just two years ago a chimney and a water boiler were the only things down here. “Originally it was one room with a handful of random support beams,” designer Katie Hackworth of H2 Design + Build says.
The new playroom, the central room in the basement redesign, is where the family’s sons can play, work and explore. As the two boys grow, the room will evolve with them. “My clients are planning to replace the playroom’s worktable and toy bins with a pool table when the time is right,” Hackworth says.
Next to the playroom, Hackworth created a second room for people to gather, relax and watch TV. The homeowners asked her to incorporate the sectional sofa, from Restoration Hardware, into the design. “I spruced it up a bit with a fun selection of pillows and the pouf of all poufs from Calypso Home,” she says.
Take the tour: A Renovated Basement With Room to Play
Take the tour: A Renovated Basement With Room to Play
9. Garden Delights
Design takeaway: Renovate a shed to enjoy outdoor activities all year long.
“This project was a real labor of love,” garden designer and landscaper Bob Trainor says. After he married and moved in with his wife, Lisa, the two poured passion into the garden. However, there was one bad apple in the mix: a dilapidated shed in the middle of everything that had become a magnet for junk. The couple saw the potential for a dreamy space. After an extensive renovation, it now serves as a cozy and light room where they soak in the hot tub and catch up on reading. As another part of the project, Bob fulfilled a dream of having a greenhouse, where the couple can enjoy plants all year long.
Weathered boards and vintage garden signs give the exterior and shed character. The couple got the signs, which came from a 100-year-old barn in Pennsylvania, from a local vendor.
Design takeaway: Renovate a shed to enjoy outdoor activities all year long.
“This project was a real labor of love,” garden designer and landscaper Bob Trainor says. After he married and moved in with his wife, Lisa, the two poured passion into the garden. However, there was one bad apple in the mix: a dilapidated shed in the middle of everything that had become a magnet for junk. The couple saw the potential for a dreamy space. After an extensive renovation, it now serves as a cozy and light room where they soak in the hot tub and catch up on reading. As another part of the project, Bob fulfilled a dream of having a greenhouse, where the couple can enjoy plants all year long.
Weathered boards and vintage garden signs give the exterior and shed character. The couple got the signs, which came from a 100-year-old barn in Pennsylvania, from a local vendor.
The spa space shares the light from the greenhouse and from two French doors leading to the garden. Two separate heating units allow the couple to keep the spaces at different temperatures.
The couple love to find salvaged architectural pieces. They backlit the stained-glass window so they could enjoy its cozy glow when they’re having a nighttime soak. They found the eyebrow window at an architectural salvage spot in New Hampshire.
Take the tour: An Old Shed Becomes a Spa and Greenhouse
The couple love to find salvaged architectural pieces. They backlit the stained-glass window so they could enjoy its cozy glow when they’re having a nighttime soak. They found the eyebrow window at an architectural salvage spot in New Hampshire.
Take the tour: An Old Shed Becomes a Spa and Greenhouse
8. Freshly Opened
Design takeaway: Consider removing a tub if you want a more open bathroom.
Designer Christa Pirl says two main factors drove the design of this Salt Lake City master bathroom. One: making sure her clients could age in place — they wanted a shower that would be easy to use should they have any mobility problems in the future. Two: creating a space that was light and bright. “The best way to accomplish this was to remove the bulky tub and divider wall and add a larger glass shower stall,” Pirl says. Her clients had no interest in keeping a tub since they already had one in another part of the house.
Design takeaway: Consider removing a tub if you want a more open bathroom.
Designer Christa Pirl says two main factors drove the design of this Salt Lake City master bathroom. One: making sure her clients could age in place — they wanted a shower that would be easy to use should they have any mobility problems in the future. Two: creating a space that was light and bright. “The best way to accomplish this was to remove the bulky tub and divider wall and add a larger glass shower stall,” Pirl says. Her clients had no interest in keeping a tub since they already had one in another part of the house.
Pirl layered in a mix of elements from the first few decades of the 20th century. “The pedestal sink, black and white floor tile and white subway tile are classic early 20th century; the wood elements, like the wainscot, window mullions and custom built-in medicine cabinet, fit in really well with the Craftsman style of the house, and the vanity mirror and chrome cabinet hardware reference the 1920s and Art Deco style,” she says.
Take the tour: Craftsman Bathroom Gets Its Good Looks Back
Take the tour: Craftsman Bathroom Gets Its Good Looks Back
7. Whimsical Laundry Room
Design takeaway: Add color and whimsy to workspaces to lighten the load.
“This is Minnesota! We have a lot of winter gear,” says Tamatha Miller, who helped this family reconfigure several inefficient and disjointed spaces involving an entry, mudroom-laundry area and office. While improving the flow, adding a powder room and providing ample and much-needed storage, she captured the spirit of the midcentury modern home through playful, bright colors and fun details like star-shaped cabinet hardware.
Design takeaway: Add color and whimsy to workspaces to lighten the load.
“This is Minnesota! We have a lot of winter gear,” says Tamatha Miller, who helped this family reconfigure several inefficient and disjointed spaces involving an entry, mudroom-laundry area and office. While improving the flow, adding a powder room and providing ample and much-needed storage, she captured the spirit of the midcentury modern home through playful, bright colors and fun details like star-shaped cabinet hardware.
The multicolored floor also nods to the home’s era. “I had fun with that floor — we wanted to be intentional with the desire for color pops and also pull off of the midcentury modern sensibility,” Miller says. White cabinets make the floor stand out, while the bright green paint behind the cubbies ties back into it.
The floor is Marmoleum. “It is made with natural ingredients without any harmful VOCs or other toxic chemicals, and the sheet goods are installed with solvent-free adhesives,” Miller says. This particular floor is Marmoleum Click, which was installed without any adhesive.
Take the tour: A Colorful Place to Whiten Whites and Brighten Brights
The floor is Marmoleum. “It is made with natural ingredients without any harmful VOCs or other toxic chemicals, and the sheet goods are installed with solvent-free adhesives,” Miller says. This particular floor is Marmoleum Click, which was installed without any adhesive.
Take the tour: A Colorful Place to Whiten Whites and Brighten Brights
6. Studious Style
Design takeaway: Use architectural windows to create a shower enclosure.
Taking your work home is usually no fun, but for this college administrator, a favorite aspect of her work environment played a key role in her master bathroom remodel. The steel-framed casement windows that line the corridors of her university inspired the design for the shower enclosure that now highlights this bold, spa-like retreat just outside Boston.
The shower enclosure was custom made by a window company that specializes in steel casement windows for colleges and other institutional facilities. It’s similar to the large steel casement windows the homeowner sees every day at work as she walks the hallways of her university administration building.
Design takeaway: Use architectural windows to create a shower enclosure.
Taking your work home is usually no fun, but for this college administrator, a favorite aspect of her work environment played a key role in her master bathroom remodel. The steel-framed casement windows that line the corridors of her university inspired the design for the shower enclosure that now highlights this bold, spa-like retreat just outside Boston.
The shower enclosure was custom made by a window company that specializes in steel casement windows for colleges and other institutional facilities. It’s similar to the large steel casement windows the homeowner sees every day at work as she walks the hallways of her university administration building.
The soapstone sinks topping the reclaimed-barn-wood vanities dictated the color scheme for the entire space. “The white veins in the soapstone make a dramatic contrast against the black; repeating this black and white color combo unified the room,” architect Jonathan Chace says.
Take the tour: Master Bath With an Educated Palette
Take the tour: Master Bath With an Educated Palette
5. Classically Chic
Design takeaway: Wainscoting and wallpaper add classic character to a bathroom.
The new tile design is the star of this Texas master bathroom. White and black ceramic tiles form a basket-weave pattern on the floor, with bright white grout and a border of black subway tiles. For the wainscoting, glossy white subway tiles join two rows of glossy black pencil tiles, with a black chair rail at the top. “It just looks brighter and more classic, and that’s what we wanted,” homeowner Greg Ellis says.
Design takeaway: Wainscoting and wallpaper add classic character to a bathroom.
The new tile design is the star of this Texas master bathroom. White and black ceramic tiles form a basket-weave pattern on the floor, with bright white grout and a border of black subway tiles. For the wainscoting, glossy white subway tiles join two rows of glossy black pencil tiles, with a black chair rail at the top. “It just looks brighter and more classic, and that’s what we wanted,” homeowner Greg Ellis says.
The shower was updated and modernized with dual shower heads, a user-friendly pull-down folding teak seat with chrome brackets, new lights, a built-in niche for shampoo and body-care products featuring the same basket-weave tile design as the floor, and a frameless frosted-glass door with chrome handle. “It’s a more clean and updated look without the frame, and makes the shower feel even larger,” Amanda Jones of Hatfield Builders & Remodelers says. “The frosted glass also allows for some privacy but still lets light come inside.”
Take the tour: Master Bath Gets an Elegant Remake
Take the tour: Master Bath Gets an Elegant Remake
4. Indoor-Outdoor Connection
Design takeaway: Consider adding an outdoor shower in warmer climates.
“Because my client wanted to bring natural elements inside, I chose pebble tiles and wanted them to represent a creek or a river that cascades down the walls and connects from indoors to out,” Luz Marina Selles of Allure Designs says. They begin on the backsplash and then spill down the wall on the left onto the floor.
The designer also included a lower counter with a stool for doing makeup.
Design takeaway: Consider adding an outdoor shower in warmer climates.
“Because my client wanted to bring natural elements inside, I chose pebble tiles and wanted them to represent a creek or a river that cascades down the walls and connects from indoors to out,” Luz Marina Selles of Allure Designs says. They begin on the backsplash and then spill down the wall on the left onto the floor.
The designer also included a lower counter with a stool for doing makeup.
“Because of the climate in Arizona, you can use a shower like this nine to 10 months out of the year,” Selles says. She insisted on saving the locust tree you see here, incorporating it into the design and supervising construction to make sure the contractors were careful of the roots when installing the footings. Potted plants add more greenery on the patio, and there are views of the tops of palm trees and a grapefruit tree over the walls.
Take the tour: A River of Stone Runs Through It
Take the tour: A River of Stone Runs Through It
3. Warm It Up With Wood
Design takeaway: Use wood and warm metals to keep a bathroom from feeling too sterile.
Interior designer Paul Stewart limited his palette to three primary materials — wood, white tile and beige tile — to maintain the contemporary, pared-down look he and the homeowners wanted. “It keeps things consistent with the aesthetic of the entire home,” he says. Wood and textured warm neutrals keep the bathroom from appearing too stark and also appeal to the homeowners’ traditional tastes.
Design takeaway: Use wood and warm metals to keep a bathroom from feeling too sterile.
Interior designer Paul Stewart limited his palette to three primary materials — wood, white tile and beige tile — to maintain the contemporary, pared-down look he and the homeowners wanted. “It keeps things consistent with the aesthetic of the entire home,” he says. Wood and textured warm neutrals keep the bathroom from appearing too stark and also appeal to the homeowners’ traditional tastes.
Storage is generally one of the biggest issues in small bathrooms, Stewart says. The design challenge is how to add storage that doesn’t take over the room. In this bathroom, he streamlined storage by concealing it.
The 33-inch-wide vanity has two wood-faced drawers with interior compartments to organize bathroom essentials, and the new sink has ample counter space. The “floating” vanity allows the eye to follow the flooring to the wall and also makes the floor easier to clean.
Take the tour: A Bathroom That’s Simply Efficient
The 33-inch-wide vanity has two wood-faced drawers with interior compartments to organize bathroom essentials, and the new sink has ample counter space. The “floating” vanity allows the eye to follow the flooring to the wall and also makes the floor easier to clean.
Take the tour: A Bathroom That’s Simply Efficient
2. The Zen Factor
Design takeaway: Create a calming atmosphere through paint and tile color.
“These clients wanted their master bath to be a place that would make them say, ‘Ahhhhhh’ at the end of the day,” interior designer Gail Jamentz of Soul Interiors Design says. The renovated space has a transitional style with a color palette inspired by the nearby ocean. Breezy blue walls and watery blue mosaic tiles gave the homeowners the kind of room that can lower blood pressure. White vessel sinks and tubular horizontal sconces add sculptural touches, while a deep espresso stain creates contrast. The mirrored doors lead to the walk-in closet and help bounce the light around.
Design takeaway: Create a calming atmosphere through paint and tile color.
“These clients wanted their master bath to be a place that would make them say, ‘Ahhhhhh’ at the end of the day,” interior designer Gail Jamentz of Soul Interiors Design says. The renovated space has a transitional style with a color palette inspired by the nearby ocean. Breezy blue walls and watery blue mosaic tiles gave the homeowners the kind of room that can lower blood pressure. White vessel sinks and tubular horizontal sconces add sculptural touches, while a deep espresso stain creates contrast. The mirrored doors lead to the walk-in closet and help bounce the light around.
The field tile around the tub and shower stall is a 4-by-16-inch white matte tile that provides a subtle background for the blue accent tile.
“Eliminating the original shower chrome frame helped achieve a visually seamless look,” the designer says. She replaced it with a frameless ⅜-inch Starphire glass surround, which makes the room feel more open and keeps the view to the beautiful glass mosaic accent clear.
Take the tour: Breezy Colors Soothe and Relax in a Master Bath
“Eliminating the original shower chrome frame helped achieve a visually seamless look,” the designer says. She replaced it with a frameless ⅜-inch Starphire glass surround, which makes the room feel more open and keeps the view to the beautiful glass mosaic accent clear.
Take the tour: Breezy Colors Soothe and Relax in a Master Bath
1. L.A. Looks
Design takeaway: Lay similar tile in different directions to break up the look.
Ninety square feet isn’t a pocket-sized bathroom, but that doesn’t mean designer Lindsay Chambers didn’t need to be creative with space, given that homeowner Andrea Harrison wanted a large bathtub, shower and dual vanity in her master bathroom.
Part of an overall remodel of a 1919 Craftsman home in the historic Spaulding Square neighborhood of Los Angeles, the bathroom feels fresh and airy while also checking off every box on Harrison’s wish list. “She wanted an elegant, cohesive aesthetic that gave a nod to the rural Craftsman look of the exterior of the house while feeling modern and built today,” Chambers says.
Design takeaway: Lay similar tile in different directions to break up the look.
Ninety square feet isn’t a pocket-sized bathroom, but that doesn’t mean designer Lindsay Chambers didn’t need to be creative with space, given that homeowner Andrea Harrison wanted a large bathtub, shower and dual vanity in her master bathroom.
Part of an overall remodel of a 1919 Craftsman home in the historic Spaulding Square neighborhood of Los Angeles, the bathroom feels fresh and airy while also checking off every box on Harrison’s wish list. “She wanted an elegant, cohesive aesthetic that gave a nod to the rural Craftsman look of the exterior of the house while feeling modern and built today,” Chambers says.
Chambers gutted the bathroom and rebuilt it with a mostly white and gray color palette, contrasted with some rustic modern pieces. Carrara marble tiles on the floor and walls contribute to the clean, spa-like aesthetic Harrison wanted, while still tying in with the home’s history. The arabesque pattern on one wall, running brick on the other and larger-format tile on the floor keep the eye moving through the space but also give each wall a distinct character.
Take the tour: A Dream Bathroom in 90 Square Feet
Browse more Rooms of the Day
Take the tour: A Dream Bathroom in 90 Square Feet
Browse more Rooms of the Day
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I love how 7 of the Top 10 are bathrooms!
I love #6. Does anyone know what you call the plaques hanging on the wall? Are they architectural salvage? I saw a cute idea in a store using old wrought iron squares (open work not solid) repurposed as coat rack but I don't even know what to look for.