Bathroom of the Week: Jill-and-Jill Bath Is a Blushing Beauty
Pink paint, handmade tile and brass accents star in this suburban Chicago bathroom shared by two young sisters
Bryan Anthony
October 22, 2019
Designer Susan Klimala refers to the shared bathroom she recently renovated for a suburban Chicago family as a Jill-and-Jill bathroom because the space is used by two sisters with doors entering from each of their bedrooms. Klimala designed the bathroom to work well for the two young girls today and in the future. The space features pale pink walls that the girls adore, brass accents that add a glamorous touch, handmade floor and shower tiles and plenty of custom built-ins to store bathing products and other accessories.
Photos by LOMA Studios
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young daughters
Location: Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Size: 91 square feet (8.5 square meters)
Designer: Susan Klimala of The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn
The existing window in the center of the vanity wall provides the bathroom with natural light and a visual separation between the globe wall sconces and the brass-framed mirrors on each side. “The window looks out onto the wooded backyard, so it provides privacy and a pretty backdrop,” Klimala says.
The bathroom walls are covered in a blushy shade of pink from Benjamin Moore called Love & Happiness. “Both the girls are definitely in a pink phase right now,” Klimala says. “But we decided against adding pink tiles because paint is much easier to change if the girls decide they don’t want pink later on.”
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young daughters
Location: Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Size: 91 square feet (8.5 square meters)
Designer: Susan Klimala of The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn
The existing window in the center of the vanity wall provides the bathroom with natural light and a visual separation between the globe wall sconces and the brass-framed mirrors on each side. “The window looks out onto the wooded backyard, so it provides privacy and a pretty backdrop,” Klimala says.
The bathroom walls are covered in a blushy shade of pink from Benjamin Moore called Love & Happiness. “Both the girls are definitely in a pink phase right now,” Klimala says. “But we decided against adding pink tiles because paint is much easier to change if the girls decide they don’t want pink later on.”
The custom double vanity features cabinets made out of quarter-sawn white oak veneer. “I love the beautiful striations of white oak, but I also like that its color is a little muted and doesn’t overwhelm a room,” Klimala says.
The cabinets have brass pulls in a shape that reminds the designer of little half-moons. “The half-moon shape is a nice complement to the globe wall sconces,” Klimala says.
Find a bathroom designer near you
The cabinets have brass pulls in a shape that reminds the designer of little half-moons. “The half-moon shape is a nice complement to the globe wall sconces,” Klimala says.
Find a bathroom designer near you
Handmade hexagon-shaped clay tile covers the bathroom floor. “Since the tiles are handmade, each one is slightly different,” Klimala says. “It adds character and uniqueness to the space.”
Shop for hexagon tiles on Houzz
Shop for hexagon tiles on Houzz
Klimala went with mixed metals in the bathroom, with polished chrome faucets and towel racks and brass cabinet pulls and mirror frames. “Mixing metals is a great way to connect elements in a room,” the designer says. “The chrome goes well with the gray floor tiles, and the brass works well with the oak cabinets and pink walls.”
A custom cabinet made out of the same quarter-sawn white oak veneer used for the double vanity provides a convenient space near the shower for storing towels in the open shelf and bathing products in the lower cabinet.
The shower is covered in handmade clay tile featuring a mosaic pattern. “The tile pattern reminds me of a quilt covered in snowflakes,” Klimala says. The designer feels that the shower tiles benefit from a muted color scheme that keeps it from overwhelming the confined space.
The shower niche is a great place for storing soap and shampoo. The bottom ledge of the niche is made out of white engineered quartz.
A floor plan of the bathroom shows a door on each side of the room, each one leading directly into a bedroom.
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I still don't want my sister (as it's a Jill & Jill) in the bathroom while I am showering or toileting. I am assuming 1 kid uses it at a time and the other still has to wait their turn.
This set up works great for this family. We did discuss more privacy via putting the shower and toilet in a private closeted area, but doing so would have sacrificed a bright open room with access to natural light, so we chose this direction. This is the beauty of design, creating spaces that work just for you!
I would have installed a wall with a slider door (into wall) to separate the toilet and the shower from the rest of the bathroom.