So I’ve whined (wined?) enough about it. I’ve moved on to that phase in which my head starts spinning and mulling over tile and finishes. Still haven’t determined a great floorplan, but I’m not too worried about that because I’m pretty happy with the general layout of the bathroom. Aside from a larger shower stall and smaller tub, most of the room will require no major structural work (God I hope that’s true). Of course, the plan is to completely gut this room and start fresh. You never know what will be uncovered once drywall is removed. But for now, I’m choosing optimism. 

Before I get too far into my pitch, I just wanted to show you this lovely bathroom that features a grid pattern beneath a chair rail. I know I’m going to say something like “I love a white bathroom” and you’re going to see my mood board and think “That’s not white” and that’s true. Just imagine all of the items I’m about to talk about in a room with a chair rail, similar to this, flanking everything. Now, with that in mind, realize that the items I’m about to discuss are accent pieces. They’ll be used sparingly and incorporated into a very light (probably white) backdrop. That’s where you should always start when designing any room. Choose your accent pieces first. Then fill in with neutrals that compliment, but don’t compete with, the finishes you want to feature.  If every item you choose takes center stage, your room will be too chaotic to the eye and will appear unfinished. 

Let’s start with my biggest design inspiration for this bathroom – The floor tile. I found this lovely floor tile from Somertile and I just can’t stress enough how absolutely happy it makes me feel. I love the characteristic of the rough edges with the juxtaposition of the Art Deco style starburst detail. I’m 85% positive this will be a major feature in the bathroom. I’ve ordered samples and am eager to verify my instinct that the yellowish brown undertones will be a lot more subtle in person. 

You can click the image to see this tile in person. It’s currently on Amazon, but to order a sample, I had to contact the manufacturer. I plan to upload a video to my Instagram when the sample arrives so I can show you all how it really looks in person. If you want to keep updated, you can follow me on Instagram here:

I actually really love the way it looks in this little cafe (it would be even better with dark walls and polished brass lighting, but let’s not nitpick). I do think it’s a little too busy for use in an entire room. At least, for use in one of my rooms. If a client wanted it, we could make it work. I just prefer a little less pattern in my own spaces. So I’m planning to use this tile as a centerpiece in the direct center of the room. Imagine a room with all white tile and a pretty patterned runner down the center. Only the runner is actually also tile and never has to be taken to the cleaners.  

Like this stunning master bathroom which was featured on Curated Interior. The accent tile here is very small and larger slabs fill the remainder of the room. I’m going for the opposit look. Bordering the starburst tile, I envision a stripe of light grey or tan and marble hexagonal tiles would occupy the remaining floorplan. Which sounds busy, and to be honest, looks a little busy too. 

Thank goodness for samples. The good news is that I can see this tile in person before I buy it. And scale is going to be very different. Plus, if you order a few samples, there’s nothing keeping you from picking exactly which tile you love and installing them on a mock board to choose a grout color. This is my plan. I’m definitely going to take my time here and make sure I’m in love with everything before it gets installed in the room. I’m only doing this once. So bear with me. Be patient and trust that I’ll make only good decisions (HA!!!!!). Really, I want to show that a bathroom can be both tranquil and moody. I know that sounds impossible, but look at this room inspiration. 

There’s definitely a mood set here, but even so I want to climb into that chair and red my favorite book with a glass of wine in hand. 

There are so many white bathrooms. SO MANY WHITE BATHROOMS. While white is definitely tranquil, it can also read a little stark. I’m already working with stark in this house. Since this house isn’t historic (a first for me!), I want to give it an update that will instill some character for the generation who resides here after us. Suburban homes date so easily. It just feels like a huge waste of our resources to update rooms with trendy materials that will require another update in ten years. 

I’m feeling pretty inspired right now. I’ll be back with more Master Bathroom plans soon. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this question: What era is this bathroom from? 

Good design can stand the test of time. This bathroom will be around long after we’ve succumbed to whatever horrible disease du jour New Channel 4 is warning us about today. 

xoxo
Teri