Bathroom of the Week: Warm and Contemporary in 50 Square Feet
A designer uses beautiful finishes to bring sophistication and style to a 5-by-10 bathroom shared by two sisters
Designing a 50-square-foot bathroom for two sisters is no easy task. Finding room to hang multiple towels, providing ample storage for their personal items and making the space feel bigger were among the biggest challenges for interior designer and residential architectural designer Wendy Wilson. She renovated this entire midcentury-era house before the young family moved in, updating it with contemporary style that suited the family members’ tastes. The bathroom the teen and tween girls share is clean-lined and sleek and features a well-edited mix of beautiful finishes.
By replacing the shower curtain with a clear glass enclosure, Wilson made the room feel larger and lighter. She replaced an existing window with this operable awning window. And she added a skylight over the sink to let in additional natural light.
The jumping-off point for the style began with the clients’ desire for edge-grain bamboo cabinetry. “Bamboo is sustainable, and the verticality in the wood grain has a contemporary look,” Wilson says. The doors and drawers are bookmatched, which means the pattern is continuous across the vanity. Sleek drawer pulls add another contemporary touch.
The designer opted for a waterfall countertop in a subtly speckled quartz. “A waterfall is a nice way to terminate the end of a cabinet,” she says. “Especially in a wet area like a bathroom — it protects the cabinets, and it’s easy to clean.”
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The designer opted for a waterfall countertop in a subtly speckled quartz. “A waterfall is a nice way to terminate the end of a cabinet,” she says. “Especially in a wet area like a bathroom — it protects the cabinets, and it’s easy to clean.”
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Maximizing storage was a priority. The vanity has six large drawers as well as a cabinet door. Each sister has her own recessed mirrored medicine cabinet, and there’s a third one above the other end of the vanity. Wilson added mirrored panels with integrated lights on either end for a sleek look.
In a space where every inch counts, shaving a few inches off the vanity’s depth was an important space saver. By using a wall-mounted faucet, Wilson was able to design a vanity 19 inches deep, 2 inches less than the standard 21 inches.
In a space where every inch counts, shaving a few inches off the vanity’s depth was an important space saver. By using a wall-mounted faucet, Wilson was able to design a vanity 19 inches deep, 2 inches less than the standard 21 inches.
The watery glass mosaic tile used for the niche inside the tub-shower was picked out by the older sister and was another early choice. The niche has ample room for both girls to store all their bathing items. Wilson played off the colors in the niche by using light gray elongated glass subway tiles with pale green undertones on the walls. These tiles have a subtle pebble-like texture that bounces light around. She covered the side of the tub with the same quartz used on the countertop. The floor tile is gray porcelain in an understated pattern that doesn’t compete with the other elements.
Check out more alcove bathtubs in the Houzz Shop
Check out more alcove bathtubs in the Houzz Shop
The silhouettes of the polished nickel tub and shower fixtures are also sleek and contemporary. Another detail shown in this photo is the edge of the niche — Wilson loves the way the edges of glass tile look when cut precisely — no tile edging strips required.
Browse modern and contemporary wall-mounted tub faucets
Browse modern and contemporary wall-mounted tub faucets
The bathroom has plenty of room for both girls’ towels. In addition to the luggage rack over the toilet, a cleverly recessed towel bar niche keeps them out of the way. Recessing the bar means there’s no bumping into it in the tight space — another instance where eking out just a few inches made a big difference.
Another part of the renovation involved replacing all of the doors in the house with new white laminated glass doors. The natural wood on these doors has a custom satin stain. The glass allows light to move between spaces but also gives privacy.
Another part of the renovation involved replacing all of the doors in the house with new white laminated glass doors. The natural wood on these doors has a custom satin stain. The glass allows light to move between spaces but also gives privacy.
This plan shows the third medicine cabinet not visible in the photos.
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Two sisters, a teen and a tween
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters); 5 by 10 feet
Designer: Wendy Wilson & Associates
Before: Like most of the house, the bathroom was worn and dated. For example, the vanity was of a lower height that has fallen out of favor. The homeowners wanted to replace the more classic and traditional elements with contemporary, clean-lined ones. And the girls were outgrowing their love of cutesy decor.
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