master bathroom transformation

Today I wanted to share the before and after of Eric and my bathroom. This one was a beast! We were really excited to transform this space from an outdated, closed off space, to a bright and open one.

Skip on down to see the pictures and find direct links to everything.

(or click here for links to all items)

Stick around here for the process.

Our home was built in 1988-1989, so it had a lot of the trends of that time. One of them being a big ole whirlpool jet tub. This particular tub was so large, it probably could have seated 7 people comfortably😉. The shower was closed in and very dark. The vanity needed an overhaul, and the lighting was no bueno. The bathroom itself had great bones though. That was the theme of this house – it had great bones that we knew we could transform into being what we wanted. I’ve always kinda dreamed of having a chandelier in my bathroom, and with the vaulted ceiling, we knew that could be possible. We loved the openness that the skylight and large window brought to the room and felt that with the right selections, this room could be light, bright and airy, and feel even more open.

Let’s talk details.

We went with a grey finish (color “cloud”) on the vanity cabinets and we selected a quartz (“fairy white”) countertop that’s pretty white with slight grey veining in it (and the shower seat also has the same quartz). The cabinets needed updated and we had them custom made to fit the space. I have always wanted a sit down vanity in our bathroom, so when designing the cabinet layout, that was an absolute must. And because of that, we needed to have mirrors that made sense. I searched and searched online and couldn’t find mirrors that fit the vanities, with a longer one in the middle. So I ended up having those made by a local mirror shop and went with the oval shape for more character and design detail. Alongside the mirrors are the double light sconces. I wanted sconces that were unique and loved the effect of the double globes of these with the gold finish. The acrylic handles/knobs on the drawers and cabinets are one of my favorite little details in the bathroom because they’re clear with just a touch of gold on them.

We went with gold for all of our fixtures, including the tub filler and shower fixtures. Speaking of the tub, we decided on a free standing one that raises up on the ends for optimal comfort. Let me tell ya, bathtub shopping while pregnant is something interesting! Getting in and out of tubs to gauge comfort levels and length, with a belly and a toddler in tow, is a sight for sore eyes. I went to multiple stores but ended up ordering this one online because of the price and it seems to be just as nice as the ones that I tried in store (that were 3-5x the price).

For the shower, we extended it out so we could have room for a seat in it and we kept it super open by running the glass all the way down to the seat. Originally, our GC had it built up a bit above the shower (as that’s how most tend to be built), but after looking at it for a day, I asked them to knock it down and just have the glass run all the way down to the seat. I’m so happy that we went that way because it makes it super open and airy feeling between the tub and the shower. Additionally, in the shower, we went with a large cubby and ran that same accent tile on the floor of the shower.

The floors of the actual bathroom are a large ceramic tile that is white with minimal veining and those run throughout the bathroom hallway as well. We went with a white raw edge larger subway tile for the shower and tub surround. We wanted something with some depth and texture to it, and these tiles aren’t flat (like normal subway tile) so they definitely create texture. We chose a light grey grout for the white subway tiles and used the same color of grout on the floor tile. New white trim and window blinds, as well as baseboards complete the light and bright look of the bathroom.

Finally, I added in some more earthy elements to the space to give it a little warmth. I went with a whicker 3 tiered shelf by the tub, a whicker waste basket, a wooden framed picture, some plants, and a little wooden crate near the tub. I think it definitely helps ground the space and give it that warmth that it needed.

Wall Color (same as we did in 90% of our house) is Sherwin Williams “agreeable grey” @ 50%. What that means: Paint formulas start out as a base, and drops of color tint are added. A 50% formula means only half as many drops of each color are added. For practical purposes, the other half could be construed as “white”.

Without further ado, here are the pics and the direct links!