Coming Soon: Developing a bathroom design
New owners of a home in Jamaica Plain love the location of their early 1900s house but realize that the one full bathroom needs an update, especially with a toddler and a baby on the way. They need a space that is functional and easy to clean, but that also fits within their clean-lined, modern-on-the-inside aesthetic.
We met to discuss their vision for the project and talked about what they don’t like about the current bathroom. Next, I measured. The new bathroom will be 41 square feet, expanding from the existing 37 square feet by using space from a hallway linen closet.
A pocket door, rather than a traditional swing door, will also save floor space. Those four square feet from the hall closet will be put to great use containing the valves and plumbing for the shower/tub combination, plus storage accessible from the bathroom. Inside the shower, there will be a niche for shampoos, soap, and bathtub toys.
By moving everything off of the floor with a wall-hung toilet and a wall-hung vanity, every square inch of the bathroom will be optimized, with plenty of space to bathe their young children. A tall cabinet will provide storage next to the sink for linens and other items used at the vanity. Finally, a recessed medicine cabinet over the vanity will provide even more storage for bathroom necessities.
In the before and after floor plans, you can see that although most of the elements remain in their original place, the additional square footage allows for a larger tub/shower combination.
Selecting a palette
The husband liked the cool palette featuring grey concrete with warm woods, similar to one designed for a client in Boston. However, the wife wondered if it made sense to use warmer tones along with a colorful light fixture since the bathroom doesn’t have a lot of natural light.
The tie-breaker came when we found the Waterworks Terrazzo tile for the new bathroom floor. It will be the star of the show in this bathroom with an otherwise monochromatic warm palette. See the inspiration Cool and Warm Palettes below and stay tuned for the final images coming later this year.
Planning for the future
Although the homeowners hope to do a few additional renovations to their new home, they plan to phase the projects over time. However, by making some smart decisions now while renovating the family bath, we are preparing for a future primary bath; the toilet wall could become where the primary bath toilet would be placed, thereby sharing the main disposal stack. By preparing the main stack for another toilet someday, the clients will be in a position to start that next project whenever they are ready.