Bathroom of the Week: English Cottage Charm With Lavender Hues
A designer found on Houzz transforms a primary bathroom near Seattle with classic touches and high-end amenities
These homeowners were inspired by the charming country cottages of their native England when remodeling their suburban Seattle home of the past 20 years. They found designer Amanda George on Houzz and asked her to create a home befitting a quaint country cottage with all the amenities and features of modern life.
For their primary bathroom remodel, George mixed traditional elements such as a furniture-style double vanity in lavender, custom brass hardware and parquet marble floor tiles. Modern amenities include a sleek freestanding tub, a frameless glass shower door and radiant floor heating that can be operated by a smartphone.
For their primary bathroom remodel, George mixed traditional elements such as a furniture-style double vanity in lavender, custom brass hardware and parquet marble floor tiles. Modern amenities include a sleek freestanding tub, a frameless glass shower door and radiant floor heating that can be operated by a smartphone.
A marble-look engineered quartz countertop and backsplash provide a classic look in a user-friendly material. George used a pencil to draw the outline of the backsplash on the wall for the installer to follow. Routed edges on the backsplash provide an elegant finishing detail.
The light brown vessel sinks started off as pedestal sinks. George saw them at a store and loved the shape of the basins, so she had the pedestals removed. “We had to add the little brass stoppers on top of the basins so they can drain properly, but it was worth the extra effort,” she says.
Wall-mounted antique brass faucets are a nice visual touch that keeps the clean lines of the vessel sinks intact.
The light brown vessel sinks started off as pedestal sinks. George saw them at a store and loved the shape of the basins, so she had the pedestals removed. “We had to add the little brass stoppers on top of the basins so they can drain properly, but it was worth the extra effort,” she says.
Wall-mounted antique brass faucets are a nice visual touch that keeps the clean lines of the vessel sinks intact.
The custom cabinet hardware is a mix of antique brass and white quartz gemstone knobs for the larger cabinet doors and antique brass drop handle pulls for the smaller drawers. The center cabinet houses a double pullout hamper.
A trio of shaded wall sconces brings functional lighting at face level. The vanity mirrors are transitional in style, with a classic arch shape and thin brass frames that add a contemporary note.
Shop from a curated collection of bathroom vanities
A trio of shaded wall sconces brings functional lighting at face level. The vanity mirrors are transitional in style, with a classic arch shape and thin brass frames that add a contemporary note.
Shop from a curated collection of bathroom vanities
Marble-look engineered quartz covers the bottom of the wall behind the freestanding tub, creating a wainscoting that provides a posh look and protects the wall from splashing water. George used the same quartz to create a ledge on top of the wainscoting that can be used to display decor or hold bath products.
The sleek freestanding tub has effervescent air jets that produce millions of tiny bubbles. The designer paired the contemporary tub with a more traditional wall-hung tub filler and handheld sprayer in antique brass.
The sleek freestanding tub has effervescent air jets that produce millions of tiny bubbles. The designer paired the contemporary tub with a more traditional wall-hung tub filler and handheld sprayer in antique brass.
Parquet marble floor tiles add an eye-catching pattern and stately feel. Radiant heating underneath the tiles can be turned on and off via a smartphone.
“They keep the floor heat on at a low level all the time because it’s a great way to reduce moisture in the room,” George says. But if it’s a particularly cold morning, the homeowners can turn the heat up to keep their feet toasty.
A doorway separates the vanity and tub area of the bathroom from the toilet and shower area.
“They keep the floor heat on at a low level all the time because it’s a great way to reduce moisture in the room,” George says. But if it’s a particularly cold morning, the homeowners can turn the heat up to keep their feet toasty.
A doorway separates the vanity and tub area of the bathroom from the toilet and shower area.
A frameless glass shower door opens to a low-curb shower with the same parquet marble floor tiles used throughout the bathroom. George used more slabs of marble-look engineered quartz for the shower wall, which has a pair of antique brass shower columns with rain shower heads and handheld sprayers.
The shower wall with the niche is covered in 8-by-8-inch square tiles in a subtle lavender selected to complement the vanity cabinet. The arched shower niche features glass mosaic tiles laid in an artistic pattern.
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The shower wall with the niche is covered in 8-by-8-inch square tiles in a subtle lavender selected to complement the vanity cabinet. The arched shower niche features glass mosaic tiles laid in an artistic pattern.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with three children
Location: Woodinville, Washington
Size: About 150 square feet (14 square meters)
Designer: Amanda George Interior Design
The custom furniture-style double vanity and built-in storage cabinet make a dramatic impression. The enchanting lavender shade (Slate Violet by Sherwin-Williams) was inspired by the new wallpaper the designer used in the primary bedroom. “I love that you’re starting to see bathroom vanities in a variety of colors more often today,” George says. “It’s a great way to add color when keeping other materials neutral.”
George added open storage on the bottom left side of the vanity for easy access to towels and bathing products while using the tub. The cabinet tower above has a glass door that adds a refined touch and lets the homeowners showcase heirlooms such as the antique washbasin and pitcher set that belonged to one of their grandmothers.
George used Houzz Pro software to create the proposal for this project and to order and track the materials used.
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