Bathroom Bonanza

Water closets. Powder room. The Lou. El Bano. Toilette. Poop Room. And my favorite, spoken with an old lady Filipino accent: comfort room (say: comb-fort rhhhoom). Bathrooms!

So many ways to say and so many ways to decorate!  Our Fairview Fixer came with two not-so-big bathrooms.  We knew they'd need an overhaul. The layouts were odd and they weren't really our style.  Definitely not a bad thing. That's the whole reason we went for a fixer: so we didn't have to pay for an updated house done in someone else's taste (often questionable). Here's what they looked like when we bought the house:

The itty-bitty master bath

The itty-bitty master bath

The hallway bath

The hallway bath

The master had an odd layout. My biggest issue was the first thing to greet you, when you opened the door, was the toilet.  And there was no storage - not even a vanity cabinet. The hallway bath was a touch bigger, but no storage either. But as they say, the past is the past - looking forward: here's where we're headed, design-wise, with the bathrooms.

Designing the Master Bath

  • Matte white subway tile on the floor and the shower walls and matte white hex tile on the shower floor.  
  • Matte black fixtures: shower hardware, wall-mount sink faucet, hooks, etc.
  • I'm most excited about two things in this bathroom: a vessel sink that sits above a Carrera marble countertop (sounds fancy!) and this handmade light fixture!
  • Instead of a pocket door, we're installing a barn door.

Then, that Hallway Bath.

Like the master, we're sticking with a B/W palette.  The house itself isn't huge so I didn't think we could really make these big decorative departures with the bathrooms (maybe I'm wrong here). 

  • Glossy white subway tile on the shower walls, matte black hex on the shower floor. The fish scale tile was actually my kid's request! At first I was hesitant, but now I'm super excited to see how it comes together.
  • Matte black fixtures similar to the master, but we're introducing brass here-and-there with these really pretty cabinet knobs, a classic over-the-mirror light fixture and hopefully that super cool toilet paper holder!

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER

Both bathrooms will be getting black wood vanities and a fresh coat of white paint (Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace and Benjamin Moore White for trim and ceiling. Trust that I looked at so many blogs for these picks - I think my eyes are still crossed). And we're not done yet! Here are a few things we're thinking about:

  • Mirrors: I'm leaning toward a brass-framed round mirror for the hallway bath and a simple medicine cabinet style mirror for the master. It would be nice to add those little magnifying mirrors like they have at hotels with an accordion arm. I could get lost in those when I travel. So. Much. Magnification!
  • Shower doors or curtains? Since these spaces are somewhat small, I've been reading about how shower doors can make a space feel smaller.  We might go with a 1/2 stationary glass wall. For now, we'll keep ruminating and use curtains in the mean time. 

Wow. Right? Someone sit me in a recliner and hand me a glass of Rose. Picking all of this stuff has been a lot more consideration than I thought! And guys: I. WENT. SIMPLE.  

Can you imagine what life would have been like if I wanted one bathroom to have powder pink, ornate, chinoiserie wall paper and then wanted the other to have op-art style floor tiles - the kind that made you second guess your footing as you stepped into the shower? The design process would have been a full on Yellow Wallpaper episode.  

And to think, I was so bold to request...a 3rd bathroom. Yes, we have definitely stepped into the 3rd tier of Dante's Inferno. More on that another time. Mama needs a nap and a break from Pinterest. XO