Bathroom Design
A Designer Tests Ideas in Her Own 38-Square-Foot Bathroom
Balancing classic, modern and rustic elements results in a space that welcomes guests
Photos by Meagan Larsen
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Jena Bula of Delphinium Design
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Size: 38 square feet (3.5 square meters)
We might think of interior designers’ own homes as being perfectly put together. But the truth is that designers are often so busy working for their clients that they put off working on their own spaces. “Our guest bathroom was so old and disgusting that we didn’t let our guests use it. We had them use our master bath instead,” says interior designer Jena Bula of Charlotte, North Carolina, who recently carved out some time to complete a full renovation of her family’s guest bathroom. At just 38 square feet, the space presented a compact challenge, one she was ready to embrace and conquer.
“I wanted to go more modern and take some risks in here,” she says. “But I like to go classic with the permanent things, like tile, and take risks with elements that are easier to swap out, like a shower curtain, mirror and artwork.”
Bula often looks to Houzz photos for inspiration, to see what other designers are up to and to pick up certain design elements. She also has clients make their own ideabooks to share rooms they like.
“For the vanity I wanted to go with something that brought in a natural material,” Bula says. “And it needed to be extra slim to fit the small space.” She elevated the look of this one with a few custom upgrades. “I wanted to add some organic touches — in this case, the natural pine wood and green elements. But I didn’t want it to skew too rustic.” She added black hairpin legs with midcentury modern flair to the piece; they also open up the view of the floor, which makes the room feel more spacious.
Bula swapped out the faucet the vanity came with for an oil-rubbed bronze version, and she dressed the doors up with some whimsical green cabinet pulls.
Faucet: Delta
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Jena Bula of Delphinium Design
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Size: 38 square feet (3.5 square meters)
We might think of interior designers’ own homes as being perfectly put together. But the truth is that designers are often so busy working for their clients that they put off working on their own spaces. “Our guest bathroom was so old and disgusting that we didn’t let our guests use it. We had them use our master bath instead,” says interior designer Jena Bula of Charlotte, North Carolina, who recently carved out some time to complete a full renovation of her family’s guest bathroom. At just 38 square feet, the space presented a compact challenge, one she was ready to embrace and conquer.
“I wanted to go more modern and take some risks in here,” she says. “But I like to go classic with the permanent things, like tile, and take risks with elements that are easier to swap out, like a shower curtain, mirror and artwork.”
Bula often looks to Houzz photos for inspiration, to see what other designers are up to and to pick up certain design elements. She also has clients make their own ideabooks to share rooms they like.
“For the vanity I wanted to go with something that brought in a natural material,” Bula says. “And it needed to be extra slim to fit the small space.” She elevated the look of this one with a few custom upgrades. “I wanted to add some organic touches — in this case, the natural pine wood and green elements. But I didn’t want it to skew too rustic.” She added black hairpin legs with midcentury modern flair to the piece; they also open up the view of the floor, which makes the room feel more spacious.
Bula swapped out the faucet the vanity came with for an oil-rubbed bronze version, and she dressed the doors up with some whimsical green cabinet pulls.
Faucet: Delta
Before: The bathroom was past its prime.
Designer’s Home as Laboratory
“I wanted to have a little fun with this space and go unexpected rather than totally classic,” Bula says. While many of her clients are opting for subway tile in the shower, she went with 4-by-4-inch square tiles in a running bond pattern for a more modern look. And rather than using bullnose trim tile or Schluter strips to finish the edges, she used dark grout for an edgier look. “Luckily my tile installer is really good and he was able to do this in very straight lines. I’d never done this before, and I like to test things in my own house before trying it with a client,” Bula says.
Champagne gold faucets from Delta add warmth to the room, while the shower curtain adds a bold touch. “The room really needed a print,” Bula says.
Another space-saving move was eschewing an elongated toilet seat for a round one. “It saved just a few inches, but a few more inches sticking past the vanity would have been more visually intrusive, and it makes a difference in a small space,” Bula says.
The Perfect Finish for Your Tile
Browse shower curtains on Houzz
“I wanted to have a little fun with this space and go unexpected rather than totally classic,” Bula says. While many of her clients are opting for subway tile in the shower, she went with 4-by-4-inch square tiles in a running bond pattern for a more modern look. And rather than using bullnose trim tile or Schluter strips to finish the edges, she used dark grout for an edgier look. “Luckily my tile installer is really good and he was able to do this in very straight lines. I’d never done this before, and I like to test things in my own house before trying it with a client,” Bula says.
Champagne gold faucets from Delta add warmth to the room, while the shower curtain adds a bold touch. “The room really needed a print,” Bula says.
Another space-saving move was eschewing an elongated toilet seat for a round one. “It saved just a few inches, but a few more inches sticking past the vanity would have been more visually intrusive, and it makes a difference in a small space,” Bula says.
The Perfect Finish for Your Tile
Browse shower curtains on Houzz
For the floor tile, Bula went with a classic in a pattern that’s not as common: black marble in a small-scale herringbone pattern. “This scale was just right for the small room,” she says. “You get to see the right amount of the repeat.” While the material was a splurge, the small footprint of the room means it didn’t cost a fortune.
Find the right basket for your towels
Find the right basket for your towels
Praise for Local Art
One of the most important elements that gives the room personality is the painting of succulents by local artist Megan Welsh. “I love to source local art for my clients and for my own home,” Bula says. “It really resonates when you’ve met the artist and when you know it was created in your own city. It’s so much more personal than buying a piece at a big-box store.” Bula works on many of her projects with local gallery Art House Charlotte, which she says promotes fantastic local art at accessible price points.
A mirror with a deep frame adds depth and a graphic touch and provides a spot for toothbrushes, other toiletries and a few eucalyptus leaves. (Eucalyptus makes the perfect bathroom greenery: Crush a leaf every now and then to fill the room with a relaxing scent.) Overhead, a brass light fixture from Barn Light Electric draws the eye and plays off the champagne gold shower fixtures. Finally, Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore on the walls is a warm counterpoint to all the black and white in the room.
Bula estimates the budget for the bathroom remodel was about $10,000. She notes that not moving any of the plumbing and refinishing the existing cast-iron tub were big savers and that the cost doesn’t include designer fees since she designed it herself.
The investment was well worth it, she says. Now, rather than keeping the door to the bathroom firmly closed, Bula and her family have a space they’re happy to show their guests.
Takeaways
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Bathroom
Look for a bathroom designer
Shop for bathroom products
One of the most important elements that gives the room personality is the painting of succulents by local artist Megan Welsh. “I love to source local art for my clients and for my own home,” Bula says. “It really resonates when you’ve met the artist and when you know it was created in your own city. It’s so much more personal than buying a piece at a big-box store.” Bula works on many of her projects with local gallery Art House Charlotte, which she says promotes fantastic local art at accessible price points.
A mirror with a deep frame adds depth and a graphic touch and provides a spot for toothbrushes, other toiletries and a few eucalyptus leaves. (Eucalyptus makes the perfect bathroom greenery: Crush a leaf every now and then to fill the room with a relaxing scent.) Overhead, a brass light fixture from Barn Light Electric draws the eye and plays off the champagne gold shower fixtures. Finally, Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore on the walls is a warm counterpoint to all the black and white in the room.
Bula estimates the budget for the bathroom remodel was about $10,000. She notes that not moving any of the plumbing and refinishing the existing cast-iron tub were big savers and that the cost doesn’t include designer fees since she designed it herself.
The investment was well worth it, she says. Now, rather than keeping the door to the bathroom firmly closed, Bula and her family have a space they’re happy to show their guests.
Takeaways
- An inexpensive vanity can be elevated and personalized by way of new feet or legs, a nicer faucet and whimsical hardware.
- A toilet with a petite tank and round seat is a space saver.
- A small-scale floor tile pattern is a good fit in a compact bathroom.
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Bathroom
Look for a bathroom designer
Shop for bathroom products
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