42-Square-Foot Bathroom With a Midcentury Modern Vibe
Warm wood, brushed gold, boho touches and lots of white create a bright, cheerful space
The homeowners: They are a creative couple with talents in visual arts, writing and music. They moved to east Vancouver to get more space and be closer to their friends. “They are midcentury modern enthusiasts and musicians, with a love of rock ’n’ roll,” says their friend and interior designer Tanya Mclean. This bathroom renovation was part of a larger lower-level renovation.
Must-haves: Big nods to midcentury modern style. And they wanted more storage and more light.
Must-haves: Big nods to midcentury modern style. And they wanted more storage and more light.
Before: “The existing bathroom was small, dark and stuck in a time warp. There were 4-inch square glossy black veined wall tiles over halfway up all four walls, the door opened onto the pedestal sink, and there was no storage,” Mclean says. The ceilings were only 7½ feet high to boot. While she’d hoped at first to work with the existing slate floor, it wound up having to be demolished due to structural changes. (She was able to save it in the foyer though.)
Needs: “Not only did we need to improve on this bathroom’s looks, but also our clients needed increased functionality and a brighter, lighter space,” she says.
Needs: “Not only did we need to improve on this bathroom’s looks, but also our clients needed increased functionality and a brighter, lighter space,” she says.
The layout: The designers were able to eke just a few more precious inches out of the floor plan by straightening out a little jog in the adjacent hallway, where it widened for no good reason. They gained some functional space by replacing the swinging door with a pocket door. The new bathtub is only 27½ inches wide, which also helps the room feel bigger. (Standard bathtub width is 32 inches.)
More space: A vanity replaced a pedestal sink to provide a lot more storage.
Bathtub surround: Teak and brushed gold suits the couple’s midcentury aesthetic. Mclean and Skladan custom-designed the teak tub apron as a flat panel with three-quarter-inch square trim all around and a 1½-inch base. It is sealed for water and moisture resistance.
Accessories: The artwork already belonged to the homeowners and gives a hint as to their style. Items like the paisley shower curtain, kilim rug and planters add a dose of boho flair.
Bathtub: Starck by Duravit, 63 inches long by 27½ inches wide, with integrated back rest; rug: Magical Thinking Hana kilim rug and Adelphi gold planter, Urban Outfitters
Browse flat-weave rugs
Accessories: The artwork already belonged to the homeowners and gives a hint as to their style. Items like the paisley shower curtain, kilim rug and planters add a dose of boho flair.
Bathtub: Starck by Duravit, 63 inches long by 27½ inches wide, with integrated back rest; rug: Magical Thinking Hana kilim rug and Adelphi gold planter, Urban Outfitters
Browse flat-weave rugs
Shower fixtures: The shower faucets are brushed gold. A gold planter in the window niche plays off the finish and adds life to the room.
Shower system: Stillness in Vibrant Moderne brushed gold, Kohler; valve trim and tub spout: Purist, Kohler
Shower system: Stillness in Vibrant Moderne brushed gold, Kohler; valve trim and tub spout: Purist, Kohler
Vanity: “It was on everyone’s wish list to find a vintage piece of midcentury furniture to convert into a vanity,” Mclean says. Not only would it add history and authenticity, but it also would mean one less item would have to be produced for the room, which suited their values. After a thorough search, they found a teak cabinet on Craigslist that felt just right.
Repurposing a piece of furniture into a vanity can add wonderful character to a bathroom, but it’s not the simplest option. “Upon inspection, the carpenter realized the sides and top were a thin veneer that couldn’t be refinished and the gables were edge-taped with plastic laminate. He ended up removing the top and gables and replacing them with solid teak. Then the whole piece was sanded, stained and sealed for water resistance,” Mclean says. He also added a bit of height to the legs to make it a comfortable vanity height.
Repurposing a piece of furniture into a vanity can add wonderful character to a bathroom, but it’s not the simplest option. “Upon inspection, the carpenter realized the sides and top were a thin veneer that couldn’t be refinished and the gables were edge-taped with plastic laminate. He ended up removing the top and gables and replacing them with solid teak. Then the whole piece was sanded, stained and sealed for water resistance,” Mclean says. He also added a bit of height to the legs to make it a comfortable vanity height.
“It’s not the first time we’ve done this and I’m sure it won’t be the last, but using found furniture as a vanity is not always the easiest process,” Mclean says.
Tips for converting a vanity: Mclean advises finding the piece of furniture you want to use and then designing the space around it. “It is very difficult to specify the appropriate sink and faucet when you don’t know the dimensions of the vanity,” she says. Sink dimensions in relation to the vanity and the faucet, and spout reach and faucet height are all factors you’ll need to know.
“In the end, it looks fantastic and definitely has the character we were after,” she says.
Faucets: Purist Vibrant Moderne brushed gold wall-mount faucets with cross handles, Kohler; Vero Washbasin: Duravit; Saber two-light wall sconce: George Kovacs for Minka
Tips for converting a vanity: Mclean advises finding the piece of furniture you want to use and then designing the space around it. “It is very difficult to specify the appropriate sink and faucet when you don’t know the dimensions of the vanity,” she says. Sink dimensions in relation to the vanity and the faucet, and spout reach and faucet height are all factors you’ll need to know.
“In the end, it looks fantastic and definitely has the character we were after,” she says.
Faucets: Purist Vibrant Moderne brushed gold wall-mount faucets with cross handles, Kohler; Vero Washbasin: Duravit; Saber two-light wall sconce: George Kovacs for Minka
Wall tile: “We used a simple, affordable subway tile to fit the theme and keep costs down as we were tiling the whole length of the wall as well as the wet zone,” Mclean says. They changed things up by composing it in a 90-degree herringbone pattern. “This made it a little edgier and less traditional than the usual running bond,” she says. They used a white grout on the walls to keep the pattern from looking too busy.
Wall tile: Spa white matte subway tile, Creekside Tile; wall grout: Avalanche No. 38, Mapei
Wall tile: Spa white matte subway tile, Creekside Tile; wall grout: Avalanche No. 38, Mapei
Floor tile: Three-quarter-inch hexagonal tiles are a classic geometric that work with many styles. Charcoal grout on the floor adds contrast and is much easier to keep looking clean than white grout.
In the end, every move they made proved well worth it. “The teak millwork and brushed gold details speak to their lifestyle and aesthetic, while the brightness and lightness of the space provides serenity,” Mclean says.
Floor tile: Three-quarter-inch hexagon in white matte, Creekside Tile; floor grout: Charcoal No. 47, Mapei
Contractor: Terris Lightfoot Contracting
More: Browse other bathroom guides
In the end, every move they made proved well worth it. “The teak millwork and brushed gold details speak to their lifestyle and aesthetic, while the brightness and lightness of the space provides serenity,” Mclean says.
Floor tile: Three-quarter-inch hexagon in white matte, Creekside Tile; floor grout: Charcoal No. 47, Mapei
Contractor: Terris Lightfoot Contracting
More: Browse other bathroom guides
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A creative couple
Location: East Vancouver, British Columbia
Size: 42 square feet (4 square meters)
Designers: Tanya Mclean and Nichole Skladan of Mango Design Co
Ceiling and wall paint: Cloud White, Benjamin Moore; toilet: Persuade elongated two-piece dual flush toilet with vibrant moderne brushed gold actuator, Kohler; shower curtain: Simons; see more dual-flush toilets