Bathroom of the Week: Marble Tile Creates a Bright and Fresh Look
A designer leans on marble tile in various shapes and sizes to deliver a light style with tons of visual interest
These homeowners disliked the mostly brown and tan finishes and bulky features in their primary bathroom. The couple’s designer, Chad Esslinger, describes the space a bit more bluntly. “Outdated and dismal,” he says.
To freshen up the look and feel, the couple created an ideabook on Houzz, with inspiration photos they shared with Esslinger. He worked within the same basic footprint but ditched all the former materials and components. Lots of light and bright finishes brighten the space. Esslinger used the same marble tile in various areas, but to create visual interest and texture he played with pattern and shape — hexagons behind the tub, herringbone on the floor, large-format rectangles in the shower. Deep blue vanities and brass details elevate the style.
To freshen up the look and feel, the couple created an ideabook on Houzz, with inspiration photos they shared with Esslinger. He worked within the same basic footprint but ditched all the former materials and components. Lots of light and bright finishes brighten the space. Esslinger used the same marble tile in various areas, but to create visual interest and texture he played with pattern and shape — hexagons behind the tub, herringbone on the floor, large-format rectangles in the shower. Deep blue vanities and brass details elevate the style.
After: Esslinger removed the old vanities and jetted tub and stripped the materials and finishes. He worked within the same footprint of the space.
Pale blue walls with a silver cast (Silver Mist by Benjamin Moore) and white trim and ceiling (Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore) join honed marble tile running on the floor and up the back tub wall, instantly creating a light and bright look. The flooring tiles are 4 by 12 inches and set in a herringbone pattern. The tub wall is covered in 5-inch hexagonal tiles. “We wanted to have one consistent material but change it up with shape and pattern,” Esslinger says. The floor is heated because “they wanted a space that felt like a luxury hotel,” he says.
A white easy-to-clean acrylic tub has a satin brass floor-mount tub filler with a hand shower. “It’s easier maintenance than a jetted tub,” Esslinger says. “It also has a more elevated, elegant look, and it opened up the space.” Two new maple vanities with a deep navy blue finish improve storage and style.
Tile: Volakas marble in various shapes and sizes, The Tile Shop
Find general contractors, bathroom designers and other pros near you
Pale blue walls with a silver cast (Silver Mist by Benjamin Moore) and white trim and ceiling (Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore) join honed marble tile running on the floor and up the back tub wall, instantly creating a light and bright look. The flooring tiles are 4 by 12 inches and set in a herringbone pattern. The tub wall is covered in 5-inch hexagonal tiles. “We wanted to have one consistent material but change it up with shape and pattern,” Esslinger says. The floor is heated because “they wanted a space that felt like a luxury hotel,” he says.
A white easy-to-clean acrylic tub has a satin brass floor-mount tub filler with a hand shower. “It’s easier maintenance than a jetted tub,” Esslinger says. “It also has a more elevated, elegant look, and it opened up the space.” Two new maple vanities with a deep navy blue finish improve storage and style.
Tile: Volakas marble in various shapes and sizes, The Tile Shop
Find general contractors, bathroom designers and other pros near you
A linen closet stands next to one vanity and includes adjustable shelves for towels and other bathroom essentials. Marble-look quartz countertops complement the marble tile used elsewhere. Faucets with a satin brass finish coordinate with the warm brass cabinet hardware. Whimsical mirrors have an engineered wood frame with a scalloped edge. “We knew we wanted to do the two sconces on each side and looked around at mirrors and decided we wanted to do something more interesting with the scalloped shape,” Esslinger says. “It was a good call, because they look great.”
The dimmable LED vanity lights have brass details. “I have clients who get preoccupied that all the brass colors are exactly the same,” Esslinger says. “Here we have two or three slightly different brass and gold finishes. To me, it’s unnecessary to get hung up on that. It actually feels more curated when you have two or three finishes.”
Hardware: Oskar handles and Bradbury knobs in Warm Brass, Atlas Homewares
Shop for bathroom vanities on Houzz
The dimmable LED vanity lights have brass details. “I have clients who get preoccupied that all the brass colors are exactly the same,” Esslinger says. “Here we have two or three slightly different brass and gold finishes. To me, it’s unnecessary to get hung up on that. It actually feels more curated when you have two or three finishes.”
Hardware: Oskar handles and Bradbury knobs in Warm Brass, Atlas Homewares
Shop for bathroom vanities on Houzz
An identical vanity minus the tall cabinet sits across the room. The white pocket door connects to a water closet. To the right of that is the bedroom.
10 Bathroom Vanity Features Pros Always Recommend
10 Bathroom Vanity Features Pros Always Recommend
Before: The former shower had dark brown tile, a prefabricated shower pan and dated brass fixtures and details. “They didn’t like how the bench jutted out and broke the clean lines of the glass,” Esslinger says. The door to the left leads to a closet.
After: Esslinger removed the bench and shower pan to create a more spacious low-curb shower. “It’s bright and open and feels larger than before,” he says. “With the bench out of the way, you can move around a lot more.” The same honed marble wraps the space, but here Esslinger used 8-by-20-inch tiles on the walls and smaller tiles on the floor in a herringbone pattern. A niche keeps products off the floor.
The shower includes a rain shower head and a hand shower in a satin brass finish. (The photographer digitally removed LED ceiling lights from this photo to help highlight other details of the shower.) “It feels much more like a higher-end hotel or spa,” Esslinger says. “I love the combination of the brass with the natural stone. It just feels like a great place to start or finish the day.”
Shower fixtures: Phylrich; teak bench: Asia, AquaTeak
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
The shower includes a rain shower head and a hand shower in a satin brass finish. (The photographer digitally removed LED ceiling lights from this photo to help highlight other details of the shower.) “It feels much more like a higher-end hotel or spa,” Esslinger says. “I love the combination of the brass with the natural stone. It just feels like a great place to start or finish the day.”
Shower fixtures: Phylrich; teak bench: Asia, AquaTeak
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 with young children
Location: Willowbrook, Illinois
Size: 150 square feet (14 square meters)
Designer: Chad Esslinger of Esslinger Design
Before: The former bathroom had tan walls, brown tile around a hulking built-in jetted tub, simple off-white cabinets and basic white tile flooring. The lighting was insufficient and boring. “It just felt cold and definitely outdated and not current,” Esslinger says, “from the finishes and colors to the functionality of the materials.” A shower with the same tile as that around the tub stood about where this photo was taken (see below). The general layout and a vaulted ceiling were about all the homeowners liked about the space.