How to Design a Beautiful Bathroom
Hey y’all! Two posts in one week? You bet. I got my wisdom teeth out yesterday and I gave myself the rest of the week off to rest. Our culture in this country promotes sacrificing mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing for our work. We’re taught to believe that the harder you work and the more you give up for it, the higher you rise in the ranks of the morally upstanding citizens. I think we have this really, really backwards. I think the truth of the matter is that we will do our very best work when we’re rested. When we’re happy and fulfilled, creativity and solutions naturally flow from us.
Naturally I can’t actually relax (hi anxiety), so writing a blog post seems like a decent way to pass the time. Practicing what you preach is no joke. Considering I’ve been up since 5 AM and already watched an entire repeat season of Stranger Things, it was probably the right move.
Recently I was shown some photos from a contractor, of bathrooms they had completed for clients. Despite the excellent craftsmanship I noticed that the selections (made by the homeowners) were very, very lacking. I’m not judging, as everyone has their own style, but it was a little depressing to know how much these people had paid for their new bathrooms, only to have them be a mismatched hodgepodge that didn’t feel good.
So I figured maybe I could put some basic tips out there on the internet for anyone designing their own bathroom. Of course, things like layout, plumbing, ADA accessibility, etc. should be left to the professionals, but I do believe if you know a few basic principles, you can make your own selections and design a beautiful bathroom.
Choose the Right Tiles
Let’s start with the biggest part of most bathroom renovations. Most often, you’ll need to make 3 different selections: floor tile, shower floor tile, and wall tile. There may be more or less, but that would typically include a more intricate design and installation and therefor usually a professional is included in those decisions. So let’s stick with the 3.
Floor Tile
Honestly, my only rule for floor tile is to pick one that IS NOT SLIPPERY. Make sure the tile is advertised as floor tile. It needs to be slightly thicker than wall tile, and should have more grip. If you’re dead set on a slippery tile, get it in mosaic format. That way there’s plenty of rough grout under your feet to keep you out of the hospital.
Shower Floor Tile
Mosaic tile is really the move here. Because the shower needs to drain, the floor is pitched (constructed at an angle) so that it sends the water towards the drain. It’s realllllyyyy difficult to install large scale tiles on a standard shower floor. Of course there are ways around this that will allow you to use large tiles or slab, but it will likely cost more. The mosaic is more flexible, and is more easily installed on those angles. Also, more grout = less slip.
Wall Tile
Here’s where you finally get to have a little fun. There are way less safety requirements for wall tiles (unless you're Spiderman, or possessed - in which case, nonslip is still extremely important). Crazy colors, patterns, stone, glass… it’s all fair play. I like to start with the wall tile, then plug in the other two to create a cohesive look.
Scale
All humans have an innate sense of scale and proportion. It’s how we manage to navigate through the world. Pay attention to the sizes of your tiles. I don’t consider there to be a hard and fast rule regarding size combinations. You may Google it and find others giving their advice on this, but I just think the area is way too grey to form a steadfast opinion. If you’re able to get full size samples of your tiles, look at them all together. Maybe that extra large modern one doesn’t really vibe with your penny tile. Maybe you’ve chosen two tiles that are really similar in size, but they don’t look super good together. Take notes. Make revisions. Do your best!
Color Palette
While you may not be blessed with an intrinsic understanding of color theory, there is a basic strategy that should help you out here. Two words: materials palette.
It might be annoying to find samples of everything you’re using in the bathroom, and you might have to pay a little money for them, but I cannot stress this enough. You need to see the materials together. This gives you the opportunity to assess your gut feelings about what you’ve selected. Maybe you actually don’t like one of the tiles, or you feel like the paint color could be better. Don’t just throw in the fluffy bath towel. Take the time to figure it out. It could cost you thousands of dollars and a whole lot of regret.
Here are the things you should try to get a sample of:
All tiles + stones
Vanity finish
Plumbing fixture finish
Paint colors
Put them together and let your intuition do it’s work!
Invest in a Good Vanity
My advice is to dedicate a large portion of your renovation budget to your vanity. If you feel like you have to cheap out on it, maybe you should wait to renovate (unless of course your bathroom is unusable as is). I know that sucks to hear, but what sucks even more is the absolute trash selection of discount vanities out there. For a double vanity, you should expect to spend anywhere from 2-4k.
If this is just not realistic for you, there are two other solutions:
Find one used! Estate sales, Facebook Marketplace, Restore, and Salvation Army stores all offer used vanities. These tend to have a ton of character and are made of lasting materials. I found one today at Restore for $200 that is absolutely stunning.
Try Allen and Roth at Lowe’s. I’ve spent countless hours scouring the internet for budget vanities for my clients. This is pretty much the only brand that offers low priced vanities that gets my designer stamp of approval. Obviously the materials aren’t great, but they look and feel pretty good.
W A R M T H
What I noticed in every single photo I saw of the homeowner-designed bathrooms was a complete and utter lack of warmth. White and black. White and grey. Chrome fixtures. Matte black fixtures. And nothing else.
It takes a LOT of vision to successfully execute a design like that. And even if it does end up looking balanced, it will likely lack any real sense of home for you. It will feel sterile and void of a connection with who you are at heart. People are warm. People have oodles of character, charm, and quirks. Our houses need these things to feel like home!
Some great ways to add warmth include:
1.Use cream or off-white paint instead of pure white
2. Add color! There are plenty of colors that still act neutral. Rose, blush, greens, and beige feel wonderful in contemporary bathrooms
3. Use interesting textiles, like towels and rugs, or even furniture!
4. Wood. Add wood. Lots of wood. A little wood. Doesn’t matter as long as you just. Add. Wood.
5. Mix your metals. Please, for the love of god, let’s dismantle this belief that every single metal thing in your bathroom has to match. Get creative! Polished nickel and aged brass are an especially charming combination.
I can’t find a good picture of this one, but I’ll add one soon! My Hudson House project features mixed metals in the powder room to keep things fresh.
I hope this helps and inspires you! Of course, I always recommend hiring a designer if you can afford it. Considering I can’t afford to hire one myself, I completely understand that’s not realistic for most people. If you have any specific questions about your bathroom renovations, feel free to drop them below!
Until next time,
Nicki
