A Mini Reveal of Our Incomplete Main Bathroom
What a title, huh? I really wanted it to say, “Our Main Bathroom Reveal”, but we aren’t quite to the finish line yet! It may be a few more weeks until we get there and I didn’t want to leave you hanging without a glimpse of this gorgeous new space. So, today, let’s call it a mini reveal of our new organic modern bathroom.
The Before-Before
When we bought this house in 2019, the bathroom was pretty rough. The oak wood, minty green walls, and flower-patterned tile just weren’t our style at all. However, we felt so excited that we had a bathroom right off of our bedroom and we knew we could renovate it eventually.
The Before
I replaced the mirrors and light fixtures, painted and stenciled the floors, painted the vanity, and added shelving. Those inexpensive touches really helped. Was it my dream bathroom? No, but it certainly looked a lot better and I could live with it for three years, while we saved up and planned our bathroom renovations.
The Design Plan
This blog post shared the design plan for the space, as well as all of the new layouts I considered. (There were a lot of ideas to consider!)
In the end, I landed on this layout…replacing the jetted tub with a larger shower and creating a built-in linen closet where the old shower used to be.
Our Organic Modern Bathroom – Now
As mentioned, the bathroom isn’t 100% complete. I’d say we’re about 90% there. We still need to build the large linen closet ourselves and you can read more about that below. We also have to add the glass door to the shower, and I’m waiting on these cute baskets to arrive to go underneath the vanity, for even more storage. Even without those additions, it’s still freakin’ gorgeous. Let’s dive into each area…
The Shower
Wowwwww. It’s so stunning and I can hardly believe it’s ours. (I’m so eager to actually use this thing once the glass is all in!) Our old shower was the pits. It was so tiny and it was impossible to shave in there. Finn refused to shower in it because his elbows would hit the sides from all directions. Not good.
Our new shower is much larger, with a bench, and we opted for a new waterproof window.
I also had a handheld sprayer installed, which will come in handy on the days when I don’t want to get my hair wet or just need to hop inside to shave my legs. Or perhaps even wash a dirty child!
The wall tile is really dreamy, with texture and a variety of cream colors. It adds so much warmth to the space. I ended up using the color “bone” for the grout, which is the same color as the grout in our first-floor bathroom. I also used a cream Schluter edging here, instead of bullnose tile.
For the floor, I opted for this warm gray mosaic tile. Mosaic is always a good call for a shower floor because it has lots of grout lines, which add traction. Using larger tile on a shower floor, like the 12×12 marble I used in the rest of the bathroom, would make it slippery and dangerous. For this grout, I went with the color “Delorean gray” which is very similar to the tile color.
In terms of the placement of the handles, niche, and handheld shower head, we had limited options, due to the plumbing stack, exterior wall, and interior wall for the pocket door. In the end, we had to go with a smaller niche than I wanted, but Finn and I are going to figure out a functional and aesthetically pleasing setup for our overflow of toiletries.
I adore the gold shower hardware we chose for the space (same as the kids’ bathroom) because it makes the space look extra glam. I’ll be eager to share the completed shower space once the glass doors are all in!
The Walls & Floors
I went with these 12×12 marble tiles for the rest of the space, with the color “mist” grout. Marble is just so incredibly beautiful and it makes the entire room feel luxe and high-end. We also opted for heated floors, so it’s so warm and toasty underfoot. I’ve never experienced anything like it!
I think it’s important to repeat elements from other spaces in your house to make your home feel cohesive. We have beadboard in our kitchen and I wanted to use it here too, to add some texture and interest to the walls. The beadboard is painted Benjamin Moore “Rockport Gray” and the top portion of the wall is painted Benjamin Moore “Ballet White”. (It is the same white we have throughout the rest of our house.) On the far wall, we have these black hooks, hung into the wood, as a focal point.
The Toilet Area
Thankfully, we were able to move the toilet away from the wall. (If you remember in this blog post, it was scrunched right up to the wall.) It took about an extra day of work for my contractor to re-route the plumbing stack, but it was well worth it to move it over. I went with the same toilet that we now have in the kids’ bathroom and I love the skirted toilet for easier cleanup. I even swapped out the toilet lever for this black one to match the other black finishes in the space.
Above the toilet, I hung art that I found a few years back at a flea market, along with a framed piece of extra wallpaper from our bedroom ceiling. It ties in that gorgeous blue and gold pattern that you’ll find right outside the bathroom doors. If you have extra wallpaper from a past project, I highly recommend framing it for easy and free art!
The Double Vanity
Okay, onto my favorite area…the vanity! I keep saying it over and over, but it feels like a fancy hotel. I’ve shared glimpses of the space on social media and I’ve gotten a few comments asking where I am. Ha! I’m in MY bathroom. (I can hardly believe it either!)
We went with this black vanity with a marble top and these gold faucets. The combo of the black, marble, and gold really gives it that high-end and luxurious feel.
Above the vanity, we now have medicine cabinets that are recessed into the wall. Holy smokes, friends. I’ve never understood the appeal of medicine cabinets until now. They provide so much upright storage at eye level. It’s an organizer’s dream! Finn and I each have a mirror and I can store all of my goodies right in here. And we even had our contractor add outlets to each of them, so we can charge our electric toothbrushes out of sight.
One of my big conundrums for this space was the sconce placement. You’ll notice that the sconces aren’t equidistant from the mirrors. The outside ones are close to the mirrors and the middle one is much farther away. I considered going with four sconces (with two in the middle) or just placing the sconces above the mirrors. I hemmed and hawed over this and told my contractor I would make the final decision once the walls were opened up. He and I drew on the walls and mapped it out and I pulled the trigger on only doing three.
I think it was the right call for our space and I absolutely adore the sconces. I placed them on a dimmer switch (I highly recommend this for all bathroom lighting) and they’re so elegant at night.
The Big Blank Area…
Obviously, we have a big gaping hole in the bathroom and that’s where our new linen closet will eventually live. My cleaner came, once the new bathrooms were in, and with a strange look on her face, she asked me, “What’s with the big open area in the bathroom?” Ha! It does feel a bit weird without it!
I’ve had the linen closet planned out for months now, but I didn’t want to go ahead and buy all of the supplies until I had the final measurements for the walls. Once my contractor was finished in here, I finalized my order, only to find that the main cabinet I need (from IKEA) is out of stock, basically everywhere. Ugh. I ordered all of the other pieces, but I keep waiting for that cabinet to come back in stock. (There has been a lot of online stalking happening!)
Once it comes in, Finn and I will plan to take a weekend and build our custom linen closet so we can finally call this space done. I’ll share the plans for the linen closet in an upcoming blog post so you can see how it will look and function for us. (We’ll have so much storage!)
My Overall Thoughts
This is definitely my new favorite room in the house. I’m so happy with how it turned out. It’s honestly better than anything I imagined in my head. I’m excited to get to the finish line with the extra touches, but for now, I’m enjoying our new space.
I’ve gotten a few inquiries as to what I would name the style of this space, and I’m going with my tried and true term of “Organic Modern” to describe it. I’ve incorporated organic colors and elements (earth tones and stone) with straight modern lines.
Organic Modern Bathroom Sources
Benjamin Moore “Rockport Gray” (lower wall) // Benjamin Moore “Ballet White” upper wall // Shower Wall Tile with “Bone” grout // Shower Floor Tile with “Delorean gray” grout // Marble Floor Tile with “Mist” grout // Shower Hardware // Wood Stool // Black Hooks // Favorite White Towels // Medicine Cabinet Mirrors // Sconces // Black Vanity // Gold Faucets // Sink Drain // Toilet // Toilet Lever // Bathroom Fan // Trash Can // Flushmount Light // Black Frame // Wallpaper // Match Striker // Black Marble Canister // Faux Plant // Black Tray // Q-Tip Storage // Soap Dispenser
What’s Next?
In my next bathroom post, I’ll share our plans for the new linen closet. And then cross all of your fingers and toes that the one piece we’re missing for the cabinet comes in stock soon. C’mon IKEA!! Once the linen cabinet is in, I’ll take the final pictures of this space for the “real reveal” and all of the big before and afters – my favorite part. I can’t wait for this space to officially be 100% done!
Casey
If you need to catch up on all of our bathroom renovations, here are all of the blog posts I’ve published so far…
Catch Up On The Bathroom Renovation
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Hey there!
I’m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.
