Bathroom of the Week: New Low-Curb Shower and a Soft Modern Look
Design-build pros give their 1960s bathroom an open feel with a large shower, a floating double vanity and warm finishes
Kaveh and Alena Zoghi own a design-build firm together, and they originally bought this 1960s house in Southern California to remodel and sell. Then they fell in love with the home and neighborhood and decided to move in.
But first they needed to update the home, especially the dated 77-square-foot primary bathroom with its basic white tile flooring, white square-tile walls and a decorative panel that supported curtains in front of a bulky built-in shower-tub combo.
Wanting a soft modern look with a warm color palette, the couple looked at inspiration photos on Houzz for ideas. They eliminated an extra bedroom closet to open up the bathroom and add 11 square feet, which allowed for a roomier layout with a wood-look double vanity and storage tower. They also ditched the tub for a spacious low-curb shower. And beige porcelain floor tile and warm white ceramic tile walls in the shower deliver the soft modern style they wanted.
But first they needed to update the home, especially the dated 77-square-foot primary bathroom with its basic white tile flooring, white square-tile walls and a decorative panel that supported curtains in front of a bulky built-in shower-tub combo.
Wanting a soft modern look with a warm color palette, the couple looked at inspiration photos on Houzz for ideas. They eliminated an extra bedroom closet to open up the bathroom and add 11 square feet, which allowed for a roomier layout with a wood-look double vanity and storage tower. They also ditched the tub for a spacious low-curb shower. And beige porcelain floor tile and warm white ceramic tile walls in the shower deliver the soft modern style they wanted.
After: Kaveh knocked the bathroom back to the studs and ditched the tub for a spacious low-curb shower setup. “The tub made the space feel small,” he says. With the new shower, “the bathroom feels much larger and spacious. We have another tub in the house, so we thought it was fine to eliminate the tub here.”
The luminous walls of the shower feature ivory-colored ceramic tiles with a gentle texture, a soft glaze and a range of tones. “We did a 90-degree herringbone pattern to do something interesting and modern,” Alena says. “The tile just spoke to us. We laid it out on the floor and loved it.”
Beige 10-by-11½-inch porcelain hex floor tiles in a matte finish complement the shower tile and add another pattern. “It makes the space feel nice and warm,” Alena says.
Warm off-white walls, ceiling and trim (Whitetail by Sherwin-Williams) in a flat finish and a flat-panel wood-look melamine vanity complete the soft modern look.
An added exhaust fan on the ceiling improves ventilation and features a motion and humidity sensor.
Shower tile: Flash in Ivory, Arizona Tile; floor tile: Makoto hex in Tatami Beige, 10 by 11½ inches, Bedrosians Tile and Stone
Find a bathroom designer near you
The luminous walls of the shower feature ivory-colored ceramic tiles with a gentle texture, a soft glaze and a range of tones. “We did a 90-degree herringbone pattern to do something interesting and modern,” Alena says. “The tile just spoke to us. We laid it out on the floor and loved it.”
Beige 10-by-11½-inch porcelain hex floor tiles in a matte finish complement the shower tile and add another pattern. “It makes the space feel nice and warm,” Alena says.
Warm off-white walls, ceiling and trim (Whitetail by Sherwin-Williams) in a flat finish and a flat-panel wood-look melamine vanity complete the soft modern look.
An added exhaust fan on the ceiling improves ventilation and features a motion and humidity sensor.
Shower tile: Flash in Ivory, Arizona Tile; floor tile: Makoto hex in Tatami Beige, 10 by 11½ inches, Bedrosians Tile and Stone
Find a bathroom designer near you
After: Kaveh incorporated the bedroom closet into the bathroom layout, increasing the space by 11 square feet, and used the extra space to relocate the toilet and add a storage tower.
The new floating wood-look vanity and tower help create visual openness. The vanity also features a marble-look porcelain countertop and backsplash and 4-inch flat black finger pulls. “We put all drawers on the vanity because it’s a better utilization of space,” Kaveh says.
Brushed black-and-brass contemporary sconces complement the brass wall-mounted faucets and brass mirror frames. “The round shape of the mirrors is a nice balance for the hard edges of the vanity,” Kaveh says.
Vanity hardware: Europa in flat black, 4 inches, Top Knobs
Shop from a curated collection of popular bathroom vanities
The new floating wood-look vanity and tower help create visual openness. The vanity also features a marble-look porcelain countertop and backsplash and 4-inch flat black finger pulls. “We put all drawers on the vanity because it’s a better utilization of space,” Kaveh says.
Brushed black-and-brass contemporary sconces complement the brass wall-mounted faucets and brass mirror frames. “The round shape of the mirrors is a nice balance for the hard edges of the vanity,” Kaveh says.
Vanity hardware: Europa in flat black, 4 inches, Top Knobs
Shop from a curated collection of popular bathroom vanities
The wall-mounted faucets coupled with the undermount sinks make wiping down the countertop easy. “When faucets come out of the countertop, they get a lot of hair and dust in them and they’re harder to keep clean,” Kaveh says. “And the wall-mounted faucets give us the modern style we wanted and look more chic.”
Sinks: Caxton, Kohler; sink faucet: Purist in Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass, Kohler
Sinks: Caxton, Kohler; sink faucet: Purist in Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass, Kohler
A frameless custom glass enclosure for the low-curb shower makes the updated bathroom look and feel more open and airy. “The shower door had to be custom-made due to the large size of the shower,” Alena says. “We did add a low-iron option for that ultra-clear glass, and brushed gold hardware.”
The shower floor and niche inside the shower feature 2-inch round matte white porcelain mosaic tiles with a cream-colored grout.
The shower also includes a floating built-in bench lined with the same tiles as the shower walls. A linear drain gives the couple another modern detail they wanted.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
The shower floor and niche inside the shower feature 2-inch round matte white porcelain mosaic tiles with a cream-colored grout.
The shower also includes a floating built-in bench lined with the same tiles as the shower walls. A linear drain gives the couple another modern detail they wanted.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
A pressure-balanced shower system in the same finish as the faucets (Kohler’s Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass) includes a wall-mounted shower head, hand shower and valve trim. “The whole bathroom is so warm and welcoming and feels like a sanctuary,” Alena says.
Shower fixtures: Purist, Kohler
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Shower fixtures: Purist, Kohler
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Kaveh and Alena Zoghi and their 4-year-old daughter
Location: San Clemente, California
Size: 88 square feet (8 square meters)
Designers: Kaveh and Alena Zoghi of Eskan Developers
Before: The couple thought the former bathroom felt cold and dated with its basic white tile, dark grout and standard wood vanity. Plus, the decorative panel that held curtains in front of the bulky built-in tub-shower combo really had to go.