Bathroom of the Week: Modern Farmhouse Meets Coastal Style
A designer found on Houzz brings a 1980s bathroom up to date while keeping it light, bright and budget-friendly
Nothing about this Broomfield, Colorado, 1980s bathroom was working for this single dad. So he searched Houzz for help and found interior designer Hope Pinc. The two browsed her website and Houzz for inspiration and so she could get a better sense of his preferences. “We selected materials and finishes from there that resonated with the aesthetic style he gravitated toward,” says Pinc, who uses Houzz Pro software. “We landed on modern farmhouse meets coastal on a budget.”
After: The room is clean and white. The original glass block windows were in good shape and keeping them helped with the budget. Warmth comes in through the wood-look ceramic tile floor, the wire-brushed white oak vanities, the woven pendant light and the orange towels.
“I do love mixing warm and cool to create balance in a space,” Pinc says. “I like to incorporate warmth because it often has a more timeless and classic feel. Warm colors tend to make you feel more relaxed and tranquil, which are such nice qualities for a primary bath space.” The flooring and vanities anchor the room in warmth, while the crisp white walls and tiles lend the bright and airy feel.
“Cool finishes such as the glass and the sleeker surfaces really pull the more modern and versatile aspects into the design,” Pinc says. “We went cooler with the walls and tile in the shower area to create a clean, bright look against the warmer elements.”
Faucets: Nicoli, Delta
“I do love mixing warm and cool to create balance in a space,” Pinc says. “I like to incorporate warmth because it often has a more timeless and classic feel. Warm colors tend to make you feel more relaxed and tranquil, which are such nice qualities for a primary bath space.” The flooring and vanities anchor the room in warmth, while the crisp white walls and tiles lend the bright and airy feel.
“Cool finishes such as the glass and the sleeker surfaces really pull the more modern and versatile aspects into the design,” Pinc says. “We went cooler with the walls and tile in the shower area to create a clean, bright look against the warmer elements.”
Faucets: Nicoli, Delta
The modern farmhouse style the homeowner liked comes in through the rectilinear lines and the combination of white, black and wood tones. Finding attractive readymade vanities helped Pinc stay within budget. They came with marble-look quartz countertops, matte black cabinet hardware and sinks. She added the matte black faucets with simple silhouettes to tie in with the hardware and to keep a clean, modern look. The floor tile and shower pan tile were also budget-friendly choices.
Another budget saver was opting for primed MDF tongue-and-groove paneling instead of tile for the wall behind the vanities. Despite its lower material and labor costs, it still adds an interesting texture that suits the modern farmhouse style. The paint color is Sherwin-Williams’ Eider White in a satin finish.
Browse vanities in the Houzz Shop
Another budget saver was opting for primed MDF tongue-and-groove paneling instead of tile for the wall behind the vanities. Despite its lower material and labor costs, it still adds an interesting texture that suits the modern farmhouse style. The paint color is Sherwin-Williams’ Eider White in a satin finish.
Browse vanities in the Houzz Shop
A ladder-like towel bar plays off the wall-mounted style of the pivot mirrors.
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Before: This photo shows the awkward dust-collecting soffit over the vanities and the enormous size of the tub surround. The faucets, light fixtures and finishes had seen their heyday during the era of big hair and parachute pants.
After: With the tub surround and soffit gone, there’s a much more open and airy feeling to the room. The new finishes and fixtures updated the style. “I like mixing metals to add visual interest,” Pinc says. “In this client’s case, we wanted to stay on the darker side for all hardware and plumbing fixtures. We popped in some brass at the light fixtures above the vanity to tie into the warmer finishes of the vanities and flooring. It was a nice contrast against the black fixtures.”
Also adding visual interest are the mirrors. The round shapes add some contrast to all the straight lines in the room. Also, the pivot mounting that places them out from the walls adds dimension to the room.
Also adding visual interest are the mirrors. The round shapes add some contrast to all the straight lines in the room. Also, the pivot mounting that places them out from the walls adds dimension to the room.
Playing with the idea of mixing up dimensions in the shower, Pinc chose 4-by-12-inch subway tiles and had them laid in a herringbone pattern. This tile continues along the wall behind the bathtub. The dark gray of the porcelain penny mosaic tiles on the shower floor adds deep contrast to the white. “The round mirrors and penny tile really softened the angular lines of the tongue-and-groove paneling and herringbone tile in the shower and tub areas,” Pinc says.
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Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
The woven globe pendant the homeowner was drawn to during the design process was another element that added some curves to the bathroom. “He loved the natural material and round shape of the light fixture. This was where the coastal aspect came in,” Pinc says.
Browse white freestanding bathtubs
Browse white freestanding bathtubs
The tub area contains most of the nods to coastal style, with its ocean artwork, woven elements, glass block windows and plants. Both the bathtub and tub filler have minimalist, sculptural shapes.
The toilet room was not photographed. The only changes made to that space were new flooring to match the rest of the bathroom, a new toilet and new paint.
Cost-effective choices in this renovation included:
Tub filler: Trinsic floor-mounted with hand shower, Delta
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The toilet room was not photographed. The only changes made to that space were new flooring to match the rest of the bathroom, a new toilet and new paint.
Cost-effective choices in this renovation included:
- Saving the original windows
- Opting for readymade vanities
- Paneling rather than tiling the vanity wall
- Sourcing budget-friendly tile options
Tub filler: Trinsic floor-mounted with hand shower, Delta
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a local painting company
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A single dad
Location: Broomfield, Colorado
Size: 200 square feet (19 square meters)
Designer: Hope Pinc
Before: The bathroom hadn’t been remodeled since the house was built in the 1980s. Things that weren’t working included the curved soffit above the sinks that broke up a large wall, the space hog of a built-in tub and the dated shower stall. “All the finishes had seen better days,” Pinc says.
While those elements weren’t great, the layout of the room worked. Pinc was able to keep the shower, tub and vanities in approximately the same spots. The existing bathroom also had a toilet room, seen here to the left of the shower.
The homeowner’s wishes for the bathroom were simple: He wanted it to be functional, visually appealing and cost-effective. “My client wanted his primary bathroom to feel like a sanctuary that was warm and inviting but also bright and airy,” Pinc says. She knew this meant striking the right balance between warm and cool tones.
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