Room of the Day: A Master Bathroom With Modern Farmhouse Style
A bright white and light gray palette gives this new bathroom a look that’s clean and serene
This 1970s ranch had a whole lot of “funkadoodle” going on. At some point the garage had been converted into a master suite with a clunky layout and a makeshift bathroom. Interior designer Rebecca Zajac was inspired by an outbuilding while completing the gut renovation. “The home has a barn out back, and it just seemed to call for a modern farmhouse aesthetic,” she says. The new master bathroom winks a little to the home’s 1970s roots and nods to the vintage aesthetic her clients love, yet has a fresh, updated look thanks to the copious use of bright white.
A rustic wooden stool brings in natural texture and a simple farmhouse touch. It’s also functional, providing a spot for soap, a novel and other bathtub needs.
“My client had a lot of vintage-inspired touches in her bathroom inspiration files,” Zajac says. “We chose the 2-inch hexagonal tiles because they were popular during that era yet they are timeless.” While the bathroom is mostly white, the light gray grout, walls, countertops and Turkish towels add subtle contrast.
Merola Tile Metro Hex 2-inch tile (similar to shown): Home Depot
“My client had a lot of vintage-inspired touches in her bathroom inspiration files,” Zajac says. “We chose the 2-inch hexagonal tiles because they were popular during that era yet they are timeless.” While the bathroom is mostly white, the light gray grout, walls, countertops and Turkish towels add subtle contrast.
Merola Tile Metro Hex 2-inch tile (similar to shown): Home Depot
The shower is large enough for two and has a rain shower head, a handheld shower head and a bench. “My clients also wanted some privacy around the shower, so I added the subway tile wall around it,” Zajac says. They also wanted the toilet out of the way, so she tucked it in past the shower stall and behind a door that opens into the room.
Handheld shower head (similar): American Standard, eFaucets.com; single-function round contemporary rain-head Katalyst spray shower head: Kohler
Handheld shower head (similar): American Standard, eFaucets.com; single-function round contemporary rain-head Katalyst spray shower head: Kohler
The designer placed a vintage Turkish kilim on the floor to shake things up and bring in some color. “It’s not your typical vintage piece. It feels eclectic and nods to the ’70s,” she says.
Zajac saved money by choosing ready-made cabinets for the vanity and spent the extra money on the upper cabinets. She custom-designed a cabinet wall that has his-and-her mirrored medicine cabinets and open shelves. Electric outlets are hidden in the vanity, as well as an electric toothbrush charger, which keeps the counters uncluttered and clean. The cabinets were crafted by Larry Olive.
The Caesarstone Alpine Mist countertops add subtle contrast. “This is a beautiful material. It looks like the reverse of marble — it’s gray with white veins,” Zajac says.
Lights: Pottery Barn
The Caesarstone Alpine Mist countertops add subtle contrast. “This is a beautiful material. It looks like the reverse of marble — it’s gray with white veins,” Zajac says.
Lights: Pottery Barn
The entire home remodel has classic Shaker elements throughout, seen here on the vanity cabinet doors. “The homeowner wanted to go more modern with the hardware; we needed something sleek and simple because there is a lot going on with the tile,” Zajac says.
Speaking of tile, she chose subway tiles in the brightest white possible to keep the room crisp and bright. While her clients had shown her many all-white bathrooms that they liked during the design phase, they got a touch of cold feet about the look at one point, worrying that it would be too white. “I told them, ‘You love white, and it just feels clean,’” the designer says. They are thrilled with the results.
Backsplash: Alpine White subway tile, Emser Tile
Contractor: Dan Jaggers of Jaggers Construction
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Speaking of tile, she chose subway tiles in the brightest white possible to keep the room crisp and bright. While her clients had shown her many all-white bathrooms that they liked during the design phase, they got a touch of cold feet about the look at one point, worrying that it would be too white. “I told them, ‘You love white, and it just feels clean,’” the designer says. They are thrilled with the results.
Backsplash: Alpine White subway tile, Emser Tile
Contractor: Dan Jaggers of Jaggers Construction
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Who lives here: A young couple, both firefighters, who wanted to complete a home renovation before they started a family
Location: Las Vegas
Size: 100 square feet (9.2 square meters); 7 by 14 feet (2.1 by 4.2 square meters)
Designer: Rebecca Zajac of Design by Numbers
During the gut renovation, Zajac had to reconfigure the entire master suite, moving the bathroom to a new spot and creating a walk-in closet. The biggest factor influencing the layout was the existing windows you see here. She found a free-standing bathtub with smaller-than-usual dimensions to fit into the narrow space. “My clients’ biggest desire was to have a large shower stall. The bathtub wasn’t as important to them,” she says. “However, the space really needed a tub.”
Wall paint: Nimbus, Benjamin Moore; Soho 5-foot center-drain soaking tub: Home Depot; kilim rug: antique, via Design by Numbers