Bathroom Makeovers
Bathroom of the Week
Bathroom of the Week: Light and Airy in 44 Square Feet
A designer uses a striking teal tile accent wall as a jumping-off point
This Burbank, California, couple wanted to make their home more colorful and reflective of their personalities. A down-to-the-studs renovation was in order to undo the harm that bad renovations had wrought on their sweet bungalow.
They both loved midcentury modern vibes and were fearless about color. “This couple was really fun and lovely to work with. They both had a lot of ideas and loved color, so it was a really refreshing project for me,” interior designer Neela Woodard says. In the couple’s compact primary bathroom, she brought in a teal tile they’d admired on a tile shopping outing and transformed a blah space into a clean-lined, light and bright one.
They both loved midcentury modern vibes and were fearless about color. “This couple was really fun and lovely to work with. They both had a lot of ideas and loved color, so it was a really refreshing project for me,” interior designer Neela Woodard says. In the couple’s compact primary bathroom, she brought in a teal tile they’d admired on a tile shopping outing and transformed a blah space into a clean-lined, light and bright one.
After: Woodard reconfigured the layout, with the toilet on one side, the vanity on the other and a generous shower stall along the back. This allowed for a big style statement with a wall of accent tile. On the left side of the room, she replaced an existing window with a new, more modern one.
As for style, she’d picked up on the fact that her clients liked midcentury vibes. “These were new clients and we pulled photos online, including into ideabooks on Houzz, and started from there,” Woodard says. “It soon became apparent that we couldn’t stick with the status quo, such as using white subway tile.”
Next came a field trip. “I like to take my clients shopping for tile and step back to see what they are drawn to,” Woodard says. “I found they loved this strong teal color palette. We started with this tile that we all fell in love with. It actually has more of an Art Deco pattern than a midcentury one, but it’s fun and playful and unique.”
Tile: Roca Tile
Browse bathroom tile in the Houzz Shop
As for style, she’d picked up on the fact that her clients liked midcentury vibes. “These were new clients and we pulled photos online, including into ideabooks on Houzz, and started from there,” Woodard says. “It soon became apparent that we couldn’t stick with the status quo, such as using white subway tile.”
Next came a field trip. “I like to take my clients shopping for tile and step back to see what they are drawn to,” Woodard says. “I found they loved this strong teal color palette. We started with this tile that we all fell in love with. It actually has more of an Art Deco pattern than a midcentury one, but it’s fun and playful and unique.”
Tile: Roca Tile
Browse bathroom tile in the Houzz Shop
The designer narrowed the opening between the bedroom and bathroom. Then she installed a space-saving pocket door, giving the entry a clean, modern look.
Woodard helped her clients realize how powerful the teal tile would be as an accent wall at the back of the room. “Any more of this tile on other walls would have been too much,” she says. “Using white tile around it made the room feel as spacious and bright as possible.” The clear glass shower enclosure keeps the view of the accent wall open and helps make the room feel airy.
Originally, the plan was for the large rectangular shower tiles to be laid in a staggered horizontal pattern. “We had played around with different layouts and had settled on that,” Woodard says. “But I always like to show up on the day the tile goes in. I realized at the last minute that it would be much better to lay it out in a vertical grid. I also like to be there to make sure details such as how the niche is tiled come out right.”
The gridded pattern is clean and modern and draws the eye up, making the room feel taller. It also supports the accent tile rather than distracting from it. “That teal tile is the star,” Woodard says.
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The gridded pattern is clean and modern and draws the eye up, making the room feel taller. It also supports the accent tile rather than distracting from it. “That teal tile is the star,” Woodard says.
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Before: The existing vanity also took up a lot of space in the small room.
After: Woodard replaced the traditional vanity with a 36-inch floating vanity. This allowed room for a spacious shower and maintained the airy feel. The drawers are large and U-shaped inside to fit around the P-trap. A large mirrored medicine cabinet provides additional storage.
The matte black wall-mounted faucets save space. The metal finishes in the room are a mix of matte black and gold. “Mixing the gold with the black makes it more sophisticated,” Woodard says. “And it makes the room more trend-proof.”
Plumbing fixtures: Brizo
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The matte black wall-mounted faucets save space. The metal finishes in the room are a mix of matte black and gold. “Mixing the gold with the black makes it more sophisticated,” Woodard says. “And it makes the room more trend-proof.”
Plumbing fixtures: Brizo
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“This vanity is ready-made, but I added the half wall on the left to nestle it in just right,” Woodard says. “This made it look like it was custom-made for the space.” From there, she chose the sink and a quartz countertop. She repeated the quartz along the half wall, the threshold, on the shower bench and in the shower niche.
While following her clients around the tile store, Woodard could see that they were drawn to hexagonal tile. This also fit with the midcentury modern vibe of the room. “The floor is a greige-y, taupe-y color that adds some warmth,” Woodard says. “White would have made the room too cold and sterile.” She also knew that continuing the same tile from the bathroom floor into the shower would help keep things looking clean and uncluttered. “I knew we needed a small enough tile size to allow for enough grout on the shower floor for nonslip safety,” she says.
While following her clients around the tile store, Woodard could see that they were drawn to hexagonal tile. This also fit with the midcentury modern vibe of the room. “The floor is a greige-y, taupe-y color that adds some warmth,” Woodard says. “White would have made the room too cold and sterile.” She also knew that continuing the same tile from the bathroom floor into the shower would help keep things looking clean and uncluttered. “I knew we needed a small enough tile size to allow for enough grout on the shower floor for nonslip safety,” she says.
In the adjacent bedroom, the renovation included stealing closet space from another bedroom. Woodard had the closet doors painted turquoise, creating a strong connection between the bedroom and bathroom.
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More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their baby
Location: Burbank, California
Size: 44 square feet (4 square meters)
Designer: Neela Woodard Design
Contractor: John Brennan Construction
Before: Measuring 44 square feet, the primary bathroom was tight. The large tub surround was making it feel even smaller. Also, the wide entry between the bedroom and bathroom had flimsy bifold doors.
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