Bathroom of the Week: Fresh Style and Color in 70 Square Feet
A designer uses colorful glass tiles and a glossy blue-green vanity to add energy to a rejiggered guest bathroom
For years, a leak in the shower-tub combo in the only bathroom on their second floor forced this couple and their two teenagers to share a first-floor bathroom. Fed up with the arrangement, they hired designer Beth Rubin for help.
A second-floor addition provided space for a new primary bathroom for the couple, but they also set out to tackle that leaky bathroom so their teens and overnight guests could use it. Rubin extended the bathroom footprint slightly into the hallway and rejiggered the main components to create a more user-friendly layout. A glossy blue-green floating vanity pops against a gray quartz countertop and tub surround and light gray large-format porcelain wall tiles. Circular pattern tile in glossy blues, greens and translucent white adds vibrant color to one wall. And the new shower-tub features a soaking tub that, best of all, doesn’t leak.
A second-floor addition provided space for a new primary bathroom for the couple, but they also set out to tackle that leaky bathroom so their teens and overnight guests could use it. Rubin extended the bathroom footprint slightly into the hallway and rejiggered the main components to create a more user-friendly layout. A glossy blue-green floating vanity pops against a gray quartz countertop and tub surround and light gray large-format porcelain wall tiles. Circular pattern tile in glossy blues, greens and translucent white adds vibrant color to one wall. And the new shower-tub features a soaking tub that, best of all, doesn’t leak.
After: This photo was taken from about the same spot as the previous one. Rubin took the space down to the studs. The new shower-tub on the left now occupies the site of the former vanity and toilet. Rubin closed up the door connecting to the closet and bedroom and placed the new toilet there. She then shifted over the hallway door on the right to accommodate a new floating vanity along the former blank wall. “We didn’t add a lot of space, but it allowed us to completely reconfigure the bathroom,” Rubin says. “Nothing in the bathroom is in the same place.”
The vanity features a high-gloss lacquer finish in a deep blue-green (Grand Canal by Sherwin-Williams) that coordinates with the colors found in the glass circular pattern tile on the toilet wall (partially visible in the vanity mirror). Six soft-close drawers (four deep drawers and two that wrap around the sink plumbing) have large half circle pulls that form a full circle when closed, also complementing the circular pattern tiles.
The mitered-edge light gray quartz countertop waterfalls to form a barrier in the shower area. The same material forms the tub surround and apron front. Linen-look light gray 12-by-24-inch porcelain tiles in a matte finish wrap the walls while light beige non-slip porcelain tiles in the same size cover the floor. “We wanted something that would balance out the high gloss and color of the circle tiles,” Rubin says.
Wall tiles: Rhyme in Ivory Staccato, 12 by 24 inches, Florida Tile; floor tile: Reside in Beige, 12 by 24 inches, Arizona Tile; wall and ceiling paint: Aura Bath & Spa in Simply White, Benjamin Moore
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
The vanity features a high-gloss lacquer finish in a deep blue-green (Grand Canal by Sherwin-Williams) that coordinates with the colors found in the glass circular pattern tile on the toilet wall (partially visible in the vanity mirror). Six soft-close drawers (four deep drawers and two that wrap around the sink plumbing) have large half circle pulls that form a full circle when closed, also complementing the circular pattern tiles.
The mitered-edge light gray quartz countertop waterfalls to form a barrier in the shower area. The same material forms the tub surround and apron front. Linen-look light gray 12-by-24-inch porcelain tiles in a matte finish wrap the walls while light beige non-slip porcelain tiles in the same size cover the floor. “We wanted something that would balance out the high gloss and color of the circle tiles,” Rubin says.
Wall tiles: Rhyme in Ivory Staccato, 12 by 24 inches, Florida Tile; floor tile: Reside in Beige, 12 by 24 inches, Arizona Tile; wall and ceiling paint: Aura Bath & Spa in Simply White, Benjamin Moore
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
The 36-inch mirrored medicine cabinet includes an integrated electrical outlet, LED lighting, USB charging ports and magnetic storage strip. “They wanted to keep things off the counter, and having the electrical outlets inside there helped us reach the goal of keeping things clean,” Rubin says.
The bathroom also has new LED recessed ceiling lights and a new exhaust fan in the ceiling outside the shower-tub (not shown).
Medicine cabinet: AiO, 36 inches, Robern; sink: Myers rectangular porcelain undermount in white, Signature Hardware; faucet: Modulus in polished chrome, DXV; vanity top: 5000 London Grey, Caesarstone
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The bathroom also has new LED recessed ceiling lights and a new exhaust fan in the ceiling outside the shower-tub (not shown).
Medicine cabinet: AiO, 36 inches, Robern; sink: Myers rectangular porcelain undermount in white, Signature Hardware; faucet: Modulus in polished chrome, DXV; vanity top: 5000 London Grey, Caesarstone
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A custom tempered glass panel for the shower-tub keeps things feeling open and airy. “They didn’t want a door, and they wanted to have minimal glass,” Rubin says. “Just enough so the water doesn’t splash out.”
The rectangular drop-in white acrylic tub has LED lighting and a micro bubble system. A substantial tub deck doubles as a bench and offers a safe way to sit and rotate in and out of the tub. A removable panel on the lower left gives access to the tub’s plumbing components.
The shower includes a rain head and wall-mounted hand shower. A built-in niche on the right stores shower products. A new linear vinyl window lets in natural light and fresh air. A thermostatic valve diverter sits on the left below a circular niche. “We put it there so they don’t have to get in the tub to turn things on,” Rubin says.
Custom shower panel: California Reflections; tub: Lacey, Hydro Systems; window: V400 Tuscany series, Milgard Windows & Doors
10 Bathroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
The rectangular drop-in white acrylic tub has LED lighting and a micro bubble system. A substantial tub deck doubles as a bench and offers a safe way to sit and rotate in and out of the tub. A removable panel on the lower left gives access to the tub’s plumbing components.
The shower includes a rain head and wall-mounted hand shower. A built-in niche on the right stores shower products. A new linear vinyl window lets in natural light and fresh air. A thermostatic valve diverter sits on the left below a circular niche. “We put it there so they don’t have to get in the tub to turn things on,” Rubin says.
Custom shower panel: California Reflections; tub: Lacey, Hydro Systems; window: V400 Tuscany series, Milgard Windows & Doors
10 Bathroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
Opposite the shower, a large round niche is recessed into a bump-out. Its divided bleached rift-cut white oak shelf can hold bath and decorative items.
Tile: Moon Light in Multi, Artistic Tile
Tile: Moon Light in Multi, Artistic Tile
The wall behind the toilet area features the same circular tiles and bleached wood shelves. Another niche is recessed into the bump-out and stores rolls of toilet paper. “We wanted to tie the wood in somewhere else,” Rubin says.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Before and after: These floor plans show the former guest bathroom layout (left) and the updated space (right).
“I love that the homeowners were willing to take chances with the design and create something bold,” Rubin says. “We went bold but kept it sophisticated.”
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“I love that the homeowners were willing to take chances with the design and create something bold,” Rubin says. “We went bold but kept it sophisticated.”
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 two kids in high school
Location: Redondo Beach, California
Size: 70 square feet (6.5 square meters)
Designer: Beth Rubin of Custom Design & Construction
Before: The former bathroom had seen better days, but the basic style and finishes never dazzled. The leaky shower-tub combo sat across from the crammed-in toilet and vanity. This photo was taken from an entrance that connected the bathroom to a short hallway off a bedroom that included a closet and, strangely, a separate sink and vanity. To the right of the blank wall at the back of the photo was another doorway that connected the bathroom to the main second-floor hallway.