June 13, 2019

A New Look for the Master Bath

I want to invite you in to have a look at our new master bath! You may recall that we renovated our kitchen last fall/winter. What I didn't mention is that we gutted the master bath at the same time. I know! How crazy is that? We did it to save on labor costs by bringing the various trades to the house fewer times. (At least in theory... with renovations that lasted from the end of October through the beginning of April, it's hard to tell.)

To start at the beginning, we built our house 22 years ago. We loved our bath from the start. It was spacious and boasted two vanities and a closet for each of us. Our house was semi-custom, in that we were able to modify some aspects of the house including placement of walls and expansion of the back of the house with changes in the roofline. We also specified the flooring and cabinet choices.

Nonetheless, 22 years can take quite a toll on rooms as heavily used as bathrooms and kitchens. The bath had reached the point where it was no longer functioning, and we were using the guest bath instead. So a complete renovation was in order, and we thought long and hard about the features we wanted.

Now onto the photos! We chose large porcelain tiles that mimic marble for the floor. What you can't see is that the floor is heated! The bath is above the garage and was unbearably cold in the winter, even with the portable heaters we dragged in each year. We replaced the wall-to-wall mirrors with smaller, prettier ones, and flanked them with sconces. 

The bathroom remained the same size and we kept the fixtures in the same locations. Instead of the garden tub we had, we splurged on a comfortable soaking tub and added plantation shutters behind it. One of the focal points in the bath is the tile medallion that centers the room. Its intricate pattern is classic in design, and modern in execution. The tiles are 22 inches square. Rectangular tiles that match the floor tiles surround the tub and extend into the shower.

I have to mention the wall color. It's a pale shade of Tiffany blue that is difficult to capture in photos. The bathroom windows are on the north side and no matter how many pics I took, the color was a chameleon. While it doesn't change in person, in the photos it takes on blue, gray and green tones.

The shower enclosure expanded by 12 or so inches, and we raised the height of the shower head, which is now a rain shower. We also added body sprays and a hand-held spray. The tile design on the back wall complements the pattern in the floor medallion.

On the opposite wall is the larger of the two vanities. The cabinets are stained a shimmering gray and are topped by marble.

By the smaller vanity is a tall glass-and-chrome shelf that is both functional and pretty. A large wicker basket provides more storage. The flowers that graced the tables for our daughter's graduation party have found a temporary home on the vanities.

While this tub is smaller than the previous one, my 6-foot husband fits comfortably. The water now actually stays very warm throughout an entire restful bath. And there's enough hot water to fill it!


We also increased the height of the shower enclosure to 7 feet. The ceiling extends to 11 feet here and above the larger vanity, but is lower above the window and the other vanity. The ceiling has a number of angles and with the varying heights, it can be a challenge to handle decoratively, so we just use paint and forget about it.

The chandelier is centered directly above the medallion. The lines of the chandelier and sconces are a modern interpretation of a classic design. The polished chrome dances the light around the room.

I love the unusual pattern of this marble!

Partly functional, partly decorative!

This is a hand-crafted metal plate that replicates the design of the medallion. The thing is, I bought this plate in Gatlinburg before we married! Funny how perfectly it fits in!

High on our want list was cabinetry that looked more like furniture. I love the column detail, the inset side drawers, the curve of the base, and the illusion of feet.

The design on the drawer pulls mimics the medallion tiles.

Had to sneak in one photo of the demolition, lol!

These are 'before' pictures. The walls were sage green, the fixtures gold/brass, the floor tiles were beige/tan with interesting texture that suggested travertine. About 12 years ago we painted the builder white cabinets a taupe/tan and added decorative onlays to dress them up. One of the sinks dripped incessantly regardless of our attempts to fix it.

The countertops, tub and shower surround were cultured marble. We had built a wooden panel to hide the front of the tub. Although the tub had been useless for taking baths for some time, it was perfect for watering house plants! The shower valve had fallen out and couldn't be fixed; the tub's hot water handle spun but gave no water.

We had installed a floor medallion when we moved in. I loved it still. If it had been possible to keep it and the floor tiles, we would have. But we wanted a heated floor more. (You used to feel the temperature drop about 10 degrees when you entered the bathroom in the winter.)

We are enjoying our new bathroom immensely. I'm looking forward to finding some artwork for the walls, but I'll take my time.


Thanks for joining me on the tour!



32 comments:

  1. Sandra, your master bath Reno is fabulous. The soaking tub, the floor medallion, shower, chandelier and cabinetry are all stunning. Thanks so much for sharing, it is truly beautiful!

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    1. Thank you, Pam. We spent months going to showrooms and perusing online to find the things we wanted that felt they went together. A long process, but well worth it!

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  2. Beautiful new bath! Reminds me of the one totally renovated in 2017. I think it's what sold our house! We are now in an urban loft after downsizing. Great job. The heated flooring is so awesome in winter, you will love it.

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    1. Thanks, Rita! I think everyone wants baths that are both functional and beautiful. An urban loft is quite a change! I lived in a densely populated urban area for a while, but traded the excitement and the noise for a garden and quiet street. Who knows what we'll do next!

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  3. Stunning new bathroom renovation ! You did an amazing job. I will save it for when we do renovate ours. The floor heating is a fabulous idea, very practical and you will be very warmed during the Winter months.
    My husband loves his Italian pure silk ties too, but he was so generous to lend them to me for the pictures of my Father's Day post, they aren´t to use them "for real, lol"
    Fabby

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    1. My husband will breathe a sigh of relief!! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your sweet comments, Fabby. This coming winter will tell how well the heated floor works, though everyone we consulted said they wished they did it sooner.

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  4. Your bathroom is stunning. I love how big and that tub and two vanities are a dream.

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    1. Thanks, Marty! Two vanities make life so much simpler when two people are trying to get ready at the same time. He has his paraphernalia and I have my stuff. And we don't have to contend with the other person's!

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  5. Sandra, your reno is amazing. What a lovely change...and I adore heated floors so you will always be glad you worked that into your remodel. You know what they say, the best investments for resale on your home is updated kitchens and baths. Plus if it is your forever home, you will get to enjoy it! The choices you made are perfect!

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    1. Thank you, Kari! We talked briefly about whether it was time to move since our daughter graduated college, but we really like our house and the area and decided we were going to stay for another 5-10 years. So we renovated it the way we wanted it to be.

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  6. Wow! Love everything about this remodel. Gorgeous!!!!

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    1. Thanks so much, Wendy! I'm glad you stopped by!

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  7. Sandra,
    Congrats, you are being featured on Thursday Favorite Things. https://eclecticredbarn.blogspot.com/2019/06/thursday-favorite-things_19.html
    Hugs,
    Bev

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  8. Congrats on your renovation, Sandra! I've always heard bathrooms are a bear to remodel. Thanks for joining us at Tuesday Turn About!

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    1. Thanks, Crissy! We were lucky that we had another bathroom to use through it all.

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  9. Sandra, talk about gorgeous! Love the medallion in the floor, as well as the pulls and the decor that mimic it. And the vanities are gorgeous, as well! The reno and decor is just lovely! Glad to have you at Tuesday Turn About!

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    1. Julie, thanks so much for your lovely comments! Can't wait to share them with my husband

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  10. Your newly renovated master bathroom turned out lovely.

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    1. Thank you, Kiki! I's so glad you stopped by and left a sweet comment.

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  11. Wow what a beautiful bathroom Sandra! Very elegant!
    Thanks so much for sharing at All About Home!

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    1. Thanks, Amber! We are enjoying the new bath very much.

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    1. Thank you, Natasha! It has been well worth it!

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  13. Beautiful bathroom! I'm jealous of that tub! Dreaming of my own master bath remodel one day. Thanks for sharing some great inspiration. #HomeMattersParty

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    1. Thank you, Donna! We dreamed, and planned, and dreamed some more. And then decided what we had to have and added some extras.

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  14. Your bathroom is stunning Sandra! I have fallen in love with your tub! Thank you for sharing with Charming Homes and Gardens!

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    1. Thanks, Kim, I'm glad you liked it! The reno/gut was well worth it! And water stays so much warmer in the new tub.

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  15. Your bathroom is gorgeous! I love all of the details you gave so much thought to. Just beautiful!!!

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    1. Thank you, Debbie! We spent about 18 months discussing what we liked and didn't like about our old bathroom and the inspiration photos we found, compromised some, and spent a couple months shopping for what we wanted. The time spent in the planning stage was worth it!

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