Bathroom of the Week: Light and Airy With a Warm White Oak Vanity
A designer and a builder loosen up a layout with a freestanding tub, bright palette and glass-enclosed low-curb shower
At first glance, this young couple’s primary bathroom looked and functioned OK. But a deeper consideration revealed many pain points that frustrated them. A massive built-in jetted tub ate up way too much floor space. A standard white vanity with a muddled beige granite countertop lacked storage and style. An enclosed shower stall with beige tile felt dark and dated. And light blue walls, basic white wainscoting and a dysfunctional barn door seemed like spiritless attempts at a farmhouse look.
Wanting a brighter space with an open and airy feel, the couple turned to designer Lana Nguyen and builder Stephen Miskell for help. To add much-needed breathing room, the remodelers replaced the built-in tub with a freestanding model and took down a shower wall to create a two-sided frameless glass enclosure. Mostly white finishes also lighten the look. And a custom white oak double vanity adds improved storage and warmth.
Wanting a brighter space with an open and airy feel, the couple turned to designer Lana Nguyen and builder Stephen Miskell for help. To add much-needed breathing room, the remodelers replaced the built-in tub with a freestanding model and took down a shower wall to create a two-sided frameless glass enclosure. Mostly white finishes also lighten the look. And a custom white oak double vanity adds improved storage and warmth.
After: Nguyen and Miskell removed the former components and added a new custom German white oak double vanity built by a local cabinetmaker. The vanity features improved storage with full-overlay Shaker-style doors and drawers and matte black hardware. “We wanted it to have a freestanding vanity style instead of built-in,” Nguyen says. “When you enter the bathroom, you want a focal point that’s welcoming, and this vanity sits directly across from the entry door. We centered the vanity and created symmetry using the vanity, mirrors and wall sconces above.”
The mirrors have slim gunmetal frames that coordinate with black wall-mounted faucets and black sconces with seeded glass shades. Elsewhere, Nguyen used polished chrome for the towel bar, bathtub plumbing and shower fixtures. “A mix of plumbing fixtures and finishes in the bathroom keeps it more playful and creates focus for a special area,” Nguyen says. “In this case, the vanity.”
A laundry hamper handcrafted with seagrass and rattan sits to the right. “They wanted to keep costs down, and the location of the vanity allowed for having the hamper in that location,” Nguyen says.
Bright white walls and trim (Super White by Benjamin Moore) and a marble-look quartz countertop and backsplash establish a light and airy look.
Shop from a curated collection of popular bathroom vanities
The mirrors have slim gunmetal frames that coordinate with black wall-mounted faucets and black sconces with seeded glass shades. Elsewhere, Nguyen used polished chrome for the towel bar, bathtub plumbing and shower fixtures. “A mix of plumbing fixtures and finishes in the bathroom keeps it more playful and creates focus for a special area,” Nguyen says. “In this case, the vanity.”
A laundry hamper handcrafted with seagrass and rattan sits to the right. “They wanted to keep costs down, and the location of the vanity allowed for having the hamper in that location,” Nguyen says.
Bright white walls and trim (Super White by Benjamin Moore) and a marble-look quartz countertop and backsplash establish a light and airy look.
Shop from a curated collection of popular bathroom vanities
The wall-mounted faucets feature an angled spout and cross handles. “The faucets added a bit of that modern farmhouse aesthetic to the design and also a focal point for the sinks,” Nguyen says.
Faucets: Purist in matte black, Kohler; sinks: Ladena in white, Kohler
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Faucets: Purist in matte black, Kohler; sinks: Ladena in white, Kohler
Find a bathroom designer near you
Before: In this panoramic view of the former bathroom, the massive built-in jetted tub with tiled deck fills a bay window area and sits crammed against the vanity on the right, taking up valuable floor space and creating a heavy look.
After: The new 60-inch white acrylic freestanding tub loosens up the layout. “It makes the room look much more luxurious and open,” Nguyen says.
White hexagonal floor tile enhances the light and adds a subtle pattern. A semi-flush-mount ceiling light has an antique black finish and glass shades that coordinate with the vanity lights.
A sleek floor-mount bath filler with a hand shower features a polished chrome finish that complements the towel hooks and towel bar in the same finish.
Bath filler: Purist in polished chrome, Kohler
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White hexagonal floor tile enhances the light and adds a subtle pattern. A semi-flush-mount ceiling light has an antique black finish and glass shades that coordinate with the vanity lights.
A sleek floor-mount bath filler with a hand shower features a polished chrome finish that complements the towel hooks and towel bar in the same finish.
Bath filler: Purist in polished chrome, Kohler
Shop for a bathtub
Before: The former shower had beige tile that gave the three-sided stall a dark feel. The nearby water closet also felt unwelcoming. “It was not put together very thoughtfully,” Nguyen says.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
After: Nguyen and Miskell removed a wall between the water closet and low-curb shower to open up the area. A two-sided frameless glass enclosure creates an airy effect. White square ceramic tiles wrap the shower walls and extend into the toilet area, creating a cohesive design that visually enlarges the shower and brightens the room.
The shower features a 10-inch rain head and a hand shower in polished chrome. Honed 1-by-1-inch white Carrara marble tiles provide a nonslip surface on the shower floor.
A new white paneled pocket door that matches doors throughout the home now connects the bathroom and primary bedroom. “Previously there was a barn door there that was not very functional at all, so we went with the pocket door,” Nguyen says.
Shower: Contemporary round single-function rain head in polished chrome and Purist hand shower in polished chrome, Kohler; glass enclosure: Shower Door and Window
7 Stylish New Bathrooms With Low-Curb Showers
The shower features a 10-inch rain head and a hand shower in polished chrome. Honed 1-by-1-inch white Carrara marble tiles provide a nonslip surface on the shower floor.
A new white paneled pocket door that matches doors throughout the home now connects the bathroom and primary bedroom. “Previously there was a barn door there that was not very functional at all, so we went with the pocket door,” Nguyen says.
Shower: Contemporary round single-function rain head in polished chrome and Purist hand shower in polished chrome, Kohler; glass enclosure: Shower Door and Window
7 Stylish New Bathrooms With Low-Curb Showers
The upgraded toilet alcove has the same white porcelain hexagonal floor tiles. A new two-piece high-efficiency elongated white toilet with soft-close seat has a sleek, skirted design.
A custom floating white oak shelf coordinates with the double vanity and provides storage for decorative items and small plants. “I think what we were able to achieve with this bathroom was a beautiful, calm and luxurious bathroom that our clients love, with minimal changes,” Nguyen says.
Toilet: Gleam comfort-height elongated in white, Kohler
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A custom floating white oak shelf coordinates with the double vanity and provides storage for decorative items and small plants. “I think what we were able to achieve with this bathroom was a beautiful, calm and luxurious bathroom that our clients love, with minimal changes,” Nguyen says.
Toilet: Gleam comfort-height elongated in white, Kohler
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 young professional couple
Location: Killingworth, Connecticut
Size: 120 square feet (11 square meters)
Designer: Lana Nguyen of Design by the Jonathans
Builder: Stephen Miskell of WestWay Construction
Before: This photo of the former bathroom was taken with a phone camera’s panorama setting. The basic white vanity with beige countertop was lacking in storage and style.
The couple felt uninspired by the look of the beadboard detailing on the vanity and standard white wainscoting paired with light blue walls. And the barn door (not shown) connecting the bathroom to the bedroom and a pair of octagonal mirrors did little to perk up the style.