Bathroom of the Week: Bold Botanicals Brighten a Warm Retreat
A floating oak vanity, freestanding tub and vibrant tropical wallpaper transform this bathroom into a joyful escape
This Plymouth, Minnesota, primary bathroom was stuck in the past with two aging wood vanities, a tiny corner shower and a massive step-up tub with a tiled deck. The homeowners wanted more function, better storage and a splash of personality — especially for the wife, who uses the space most.
She turned to McDonald Remodeling with a collection of Houzz inspiration photos for a full transformation. A bold botanical print wallpaper sets the eclectic, resort-like tone. A custom rift-sawn white oak floating double vanity and matching makeup station boost storage, while a spacious open shower and freestanding tub give the room an airy, modern feel. Carefully chosen light fixtures, tiles, art and accessories layer in style and color, turning this once-bland bathroom into a joyful, tropical escape from Minnesota winters.
She turned to McDonald Remodeling with a collection of Houzz inspiration photos for a full transformation. A bold botanical print wallpaper sets the eclectic, resort-like tone. A custom rift-sawn white oak floating double vanity and matching makeup station boost storage, while a spacious open shower and freestanding tub give the room an airy, modern feel. Carefully chosen light fixtures, tiles, art and accessories layer in style and color, turning this once-bland bathroom into a joyful, tropical escape from Minnesota winters.
After: The remodeling team stripped the bathroom down to the studs, removing the vanities, shower, toilet, tub and flooring. A bold botanical wallpaper with a rich gold metallic background, exotic leaves, birds and bird-of-paradise flowers injects color and personality. “I knew she wanted a tropical-themed wallpaper and pulled a couple of options for her,” Slick says. “She was drawn to this one with the metallic background and whimsical style.”
The custom rift-sawn white oak floating double vanity on the left and coordinating makeup station on the right feature full-overlay flat-panel doors and drawers with a pickled finish. “I think the floating element gives a nice modern take that brings a difference to the space,” Slick says. “It has a nice airy feeling to it. And in terms of storage, having that dedicated makeup station helps her keep everything organized.”
The floor now consists of matte blush hexagonal porcelain tiles. “We knew we wanted pink on the floor and found these oversized hexagons,” Slick says. “The tiles fit the scale of the room. They also each have a color variation to them, which creates a nice organic feel.”
A deep gray door color (French Beret by Benjamin Moore) and muted beige-pink ceiling (Unfussy Beige by Sherwin-Williams) echo tones from the wallpaper and floor, unifying the space. (The design-build team also remodeled a hallway bathroom that the husband uses.)
Wallpaper: Reverie in gold, Albany Arcadia wallpaper collection, Wallpaper Direct; flooring: Makoto in Momoiro Blush, Bedrosians Tile and Stone
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The custom rift-sawn white oak floating double vanity on the left and coordinating makeup station on the right feature full-overlay flat-panel doors and drawers with a pickled finish. “I think the floating element gives a nice modern take that brings a difference to the space,” Slick says. “It has a nice airy feeling to it. And in terms of storage, having that dedicated makeup station helps her keep everything organized.”
The floor now consists of matte blush hexagonal porcelain tiles. “We knew we wanted pink on the floor and found these oversized hexagons,” Slick says. “The tiles fit the scale of the room. They also each have a color variation to them, which creates a nice organic feel.”
A deep gray door color (French Beret by Benjamin Moore) and muted beige-pink ceiling (Unfussy Beige by Sherwin-Williams) echo tones from the wallpaper and floor, unifying the space. (The design-build team also remodeled a hallway bathroom that the husband uses.)
Wallpaper: Reverie in gold, Albany Arcadia wallpaper collection, Wallpaper Direct; flooring: Makoto in Momoiro Blush, Bedrosians Tile and Stone
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The floating double vanity has a white rectangular undermount limestone-composite trough sink paired with modern wall-mounted luxe gold faucets. “We packed that vanity with full-extension drawers that bring a lot more function to the space,” Slick says. “What looks like a drawer to the left of the sink is actually a cabinet with adjustable shelves and an electrical outlet inside for charging her toothbrush.”
The vanity top, makeup station top and backsplashes are durable quartz with a crisp white background and aubergine veining. “The sweeping movement also highlights the length of the vanity,” Slick says.
A custom matte black channel-frame 72-by-42-inch mirror is flanked by teardrop pendant lights in aged brass with glossy opal glass shades. “We liked the mix and match of everything,” Slick says. “We used sconces on the makeup side.”
An eye-catching ceiling light (visible in the mirror) features a soft brass finish and cream-tinted cast-glass flowers. “The lighting in this space is like the jewelry,” Slick says. “We played with different styles and applications.” (The bathroom also includes a new exhaust fan and LED ceiling lights that were digitally removed from the photos by the photographer to showcase other details.)
Backsplash and counter: Hailey quartz, Cambria; pendant lights: Ariana in aged brass, Mitzi by Hudson Valley Lighting; ceiling light: Leighton, Kate Spade collection, Visual Comfort; sink: Rossendale, Victoria + Albert; faucets, robe hooks and towel bars: Allaria in luxe gold and clear acrylic, Brizo
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The vanity top, makeup station top and backsplashes are durable quartz with a crisp white background and aubergine veining. “The sweeping movement also highlights the length of the vanity,” Slick says.
A custom matte black channel-frame 72-by-42-inch mirror is flanked by teardrop pendant lights in aged brass with glossy opal glass shades. “We liked the mix and match of everything,” Slick says. “We used sconces on the makeup side.”
An eye-catching ceiling light (visible in the mirror) features a soft brass finish and cream-tinted cast-glass flowers. “The lighting in this space is like the jewelry,” Slick says. “We played with different styles and applications.” (The bathroom also includes a new exhaust fan and LED ceiling lights that were digitally removed from the photos by the photographer to showcase other details.)
Backsplash and counter: Hailey quartz, Cambria; pendant lights: Ariana in aged brass, Mitzi by Hudson Valley Lighting; ceiling light: Leighton, Kate Spade collection, Visual Comfort; sink: Rossendale, Victoria + Albert; faucets, robe hooks and towel bars: Allaria in luxe gold and clear acrylic, Brizo
10 Bathroom Vanity Features Pros Always Recommend
The coordinating makeup station features a custom frameless mirror and a colorful stool that adds a playful touch. A pair of sconces mounted directly on the mirror — with a floating steel frame, aged brass finish and glam crystal prisms — bring sparkle. “I like mounting them on the mirror because it has a nice polished feel,” Slick says. A countertop tower cabinet includes adjustable shelves, an interior electrical outlet and two lower drawers for added storage.
Sconces: Bolton in aged brass, Crystorama Lighting
Step Inside a Light-Filled Bathroom With Modern Warmth
Sconces: Bolton in aged brass, Crystorama Lighting
Step Inside a Light-Filled Bathroom With Modern Warmth
Two large pullouts and an upper cabinet replaced the old double linen cabinet, creating easy-access storage for everyday essentials. “We switched the access to the side so she doesn’t have to move the bathroom door,” Slick says.
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Before and After: 4 Inspiring Bathrooms in 120 to 170 Square Feet
The far-left drawer in the makeup station includes a built-in jewelry organizer. “She can have all of the accessories and makeup right there for when she’s getting ready,” Slick says.
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10 Ways to Control the Cost of Your Bathroom Remodel
Before: A cramped cluster of a small shower stall, massive step-up tub and toilet filled one end of the bathroom. “You can see how the tub took up so much space,” Slick says. “The ratio for the tub to the shower just felt off.”
After: The space now feels airy with a large low-curb open shower on the left and a freestanding tub. A pony wall with frameless clear tempered glass forms the shower enclosure while providing privacy from the toilet and vanity. The new toilet features a heated quiet-close elongated seat for extra comfort.
Rectified 12-by-24-inch concrete-look porcelain tiles with a matte finish cover the shower enclosure, walls and rear bathroom wall. A new awning window, installed in the same opening as the old casement version, brings in fresh air and a cleaner view. “She uses plants to provide some privacy there,” Slick says.
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Rectified 12-by-24-inch concrete-look porcelain tiles with a matte finish cover the shower enclosure, walls and rear bathroom wall. A new awning window, installed in the same opening as the old casement version, brings in fresh air and a cleaner view. “She uses plants to provide some privacy there,” Slick says.
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The shower has a jointed-arm shower head and hand shower in champagne bronze, with a slide bar and grab bar in luxe gold. A long niche has a white solid-surface shelf and decorative field tiles arranged in a contemporary twist design. “It was an opportunity to bring more personality to the space,” Slick says. “Those tiles are fun — you can set them however you want the design to look.” Dark gray penny round mosaic tiles cover the shower floor, creating a nonslip surface. “We did that dark color to tie in with the shower wall tile,” Slick says.
Niche back wall tile: Twister in Vapor and Toffee, Wow
Niche back wall tile: Twister in Vapor and Toffee, Wow
The shower also has a second niche tucked out of view next to the pressure-balanced valve in the pony wall. “That was the homeowner’s request for wanting more storage,” Slick says. “We had to be creative on how to fit the extra storage into that space.”
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The new 66-inch white freestanding jetted acrylic tub has a sleek, modern design. A two-handle wall-mounted luxe gold tub filler, matching the vanity faucets, is set against a curved solid-surface backsplash. “We used a big sheet of the same material we used inside the shower for the shelves in the niches,” Slick says. “The curved design ties into the layout of the niche tile.”
Tub: Bianca, Jacuzzi; tub filler: Allaria, Brizo
Tub: Bianca, Jacuzzi; tub filler: Allaria, Brizo
Custom floating wood shelves provide a place for decorative items and framed photos, adding personal charm. This stylish, playful bathroom brings the wife joy. “I think what makes it so special is that we made the space very functional but there’s also lots of her personality in this bathroom,” Slick says. “It feels 100% hers.”
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Plymouth, Minnesota
Size: 152 square feet (14 square meters)
Designer: Katie Slick (interiors) and Amy Jants (space planning) of McDonald Remodeling
Before: In the former layout, two single-sink vanities with aging honey oak cabinetry flanked the bathroom. “You can see that the vanity on the left is quite large and had counter space, but the function of the doors and drawers wasn’t working for her,” says designer Katie Slick. “We also wanted to create a dedicated makeup area for her with lots of storage.”
A beige ceramic tile floor and tired walls added to the dreary feel. The door opens to the primary bedroom, and a built-in double linen cabinet with swing doors was crammed just to the right. “You had to close the bathroom door to access the linen cabinet,” Slick says.