Bathroom of the Week: Improved Style for Mom in 45 Square Feet
A roomy new low-curb shower provides a safe entry, while a palette of black, white and gold creates a glamorous look
When Mom comes over, you want to ensure your home is looking its best. So in preparation for having her mom move into their updated in-law suite, this homeowner and her husband set out to make the basic and boring 45-square-foot bathroom something Mom would be proud to use.
To do so, they hired designer Leah Velzen, who replaced an unsafe shower-tub combo with an easy-to-access low-curb shower. Black-and-white porcelain mosaic floor tile adds a punch of pattern and coordinates with a new soft black vanity, black penny tiles for the shower floor and other black elements. Brass details introduce a touch of glam.
To do so, they hired designer Leah Velzen, who replaced an unsafe shower-tub combo with an easy-to-access low-curb shower. Black-and-white porcelain mosaic floor tile adds a punch of pattern and coordinates with a new soft black vanity, black penny tiles for the shower floor and other black elements. Brass details introduce a touch of glam.
After: Velzen stripped the bathroom back and eliminated the shower-tub combo in favor of a new low-curb shower. “That opening to get in and out of the shower also gives the mother an ease of entry,” Velzen says. A frameless glass panel allows sightlines through to the white glazed ceramic tiles that wrap the shower walls. The design now helps emphasize the length of the room rather than its width.
Black-and-white mosaic porcelain floor tiles designed to look like aged Carrara marble add a dramatic look. They too help keep the eye moving toward the rear of the space. “We also chose this tile because it has a lot of grout lines that help give it slip resistance,” Velzen says. The tile’s matte finish also assists in creating a nonslip surface.
A new single-sink vanity in a soft black paint (Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams) coordinates with the floor tiles, as well as other black details in the room.
Bathroom floor: Cassettone in black, The Tile Shop; towel bar: Trinsic in matte black, 24 inches, Delta; paint colors: White Dove (walls) and Simply White (trim), Benjamin Moore; ceiling paint: CHB Interior Latex Flat Wall Paint, Sherwin-Williams
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Black-and-white mosaic porcelain floor tiles designed to look like aged Carrara marble add a dramatic look. They too help keep the eye moving toward the rear of the space. “We also chose this tile because it has a lot of grout lines that help give it slip resistance,” Velzen says. The tile’s matte finish also assists in creating a nonslip surface.
A new single-sink vanity in a soft black paint (Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams) coordinates with the floor tiles, as well as other black details in the room.
Bathroom floor: Cassettone in black, The Tile Shop; towel bar: Trinsic in matte black, 24 inches, Delta; paint colors: White Dove (walls) and Simply White (trim), Benjamin Moore; ceiling paint: CHB Interior Latex Flat Wall Paint, Sherwin-Williams
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The vanity has one large cabinet below the sink and three drawers to the right of the sink. “They wanted to have the drawers for storing makeup and hair products and have that cabinet with the door for storing cleaning products,” Velzen says. The 5-inch bar pulls have a hexagon shape and a backplate, both in a satin brass finish. The countertop and 4-inch backsplash are marble-look quartz. “The gray veining and warmer tones tie in with our black, white and gold theme,” Velzen says.
Vanity: Aria door style, Showplace Cabinetry; countertop and backsplash: Calacatta Vivo quartz, Lakeside Surfaces; hardware: Mod Hex and Modern backplate in satin brass, Emtek
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Vanity: Aria door style, Showplace Cabinetry; countertop and backsplash: Calacatta Vivo quartz, Lakeside Surfaces; hardware: Mod Hex and Modern backplate in satin brass, Emtek
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The sleek widespread faucet has a glamorous champagne bronze finish. “They wanted to have the three-hole faucet because it’s easier for their mom to turn off the hot and cold water,” Velzen says.
Faucet: Trinsic in champagne bronze, Delta
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Faucet: Trinsic in champagne bronze, Delta
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A 40-by-32-inch anti-rust black metal-framed mirror helps visually expand the space and complements other black details. An existing gold sconce coordinates with the faucet and vanity hardware. The rest of the couple’s house was updated to have those gold fixtures, Velzen says. “It also has a modern look, so we wanted to bring the gold accents and modern style to this bathroom as well.” A new exhaust fan with an LED light was installed in the center of the bathroom ceiling.
Towel ring: Trinsic in matte black, Delta
Towel ring: Trinsic in matte black, Delta
The new shower features 2½-by-8-inch white glazed ceramic tiles with a smooth gloss finish, variation in tone and gray grout. “The tiles themselves have a handcrafted look to them,” Velzen says. “They have a textured surface that reflects the light. They also have a color variation within the collection itself that adds visual depth. We did a vertical installation to give it a modern look instead of a traditional subway tile installation.” Round matte black porcelain penny tiles with gray grout form a nonslip surface on the shower floor. The same tile accents the shower niche.
Shower floor tile: Penny round matte black porcelain, The Tile Shop; shower wall tile: Cloe in white, 2½ by 8 inches, Bedrosians Tile & Stone
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Shower floor tile: Penny round matte black porcelain, The Tile Shop; shower wall tile: Cloe in white, 2½ by 8 inches, Bedrosians Tile & Stone
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A contemporary matte black square shower head and a hand shower provide options. A pressure-balanced valve ensures no sudden changes in water pressure or temperature.
“They have all said how much they love” the updated bathroom, Velzen says. “They love the modern look it has and how it now ties in with the rest of their home.”
Shower fixtures: Galeon Monitor 14 series (handheld shower and valve) and Pivotal (shower head), Delta
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“They have all said how much they love” the updated bathroom, Velzen says. “They love the modern look it has and how it now ties in with the rest of their home.”
Shower fixtures: Galeon Monitor 14 series (handheld shower and valve) and Pivotal (shower head), Delta
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: A husband and wife and the wife’s mother
Location: Hudsonville, Michigan
Size: 45 square feet (4.2 square meters)
Designer: Leah Velzen of Delight in Designs
Before: The former bathroom virtually disappeared in its plainness. A white fiberglass shower-tub insert blended with white walls, toilet and vanity. Wood-look vinyl flooring ran crossways, highlighting the room’s narrow width rather than its length. The tub portion presented an unsafe feature to navigate. “Their mother had actually fallen getting out of that bathtub,” Velzen says. “We knew we needed to create a safer bathroom.”