Bathroom of the Week: Modern Farmhouse Style for a Master Bath
A North Carolina homeowner finds a pro on Houzz, and he updates the room with traditional and modern elements
“My client is a busy dermatologist, and she told me that she lives in the bathroom when she is home,” says Richard Ryder of Clearcut Construction. So in a house with lots of future renovations planned, the master bathroom she shares with her husband was the top priority.
The Raleigh, North Carolina, homeowner found Ryder by searching for professionals on Houzz. She came to him with just a few wishes for the master bath: a set of must-have shower heads, herringbone-patterned tile and more USB ports than you’d find in the waiting area of an airport gate. Other than that, she gave him free rein with the design, and they shared Houzz ideabooks during the remodeling process. The result is a modern farmhouse-style bathroom — classic elements like beams and millwork mix with modern touches, such as globe pendant lights and a minimalist freestanding bathtub.
The Raleigh, North Carolina, homeowner found Ryder by searching for professionals on Houzz. She came to him with just a few wishes for the master bath: a set of must-have shower heads, herringbone-patterned tile and more USB ports than you’d find in the waiting area of an airport gate. Other than that, she gave him free rein with the design, and they shared Houzz ideabooks during the remodeling process. The result is a modern farmhouse-style bathroom — classic elements like beams and millwork mix with modern touches, such as globe pendant lights and a minimalist freestanding bathtub.
After: This is the view of the bathroom from the entrance. The door to the right leads to a separate toilet room. New stained cypress box beams, a rod that provides electricity to the pendant lights and tall linen cabinets and millwork stand up to the ceiling. “I included the beams to add warmth to the high ceilings and architectural bones that looked like they dated back to 1900,” Ryder says. “I like to give a modern farmhouse-style room classic bones.”
The lighting system enabled Ryder to incorporate the pendant lights his clients wanted and the lights’ wiring in an organized way. The voltage runs through the bar to the pendants. Hanging them individually would have created a cluttered look with wires extending high into the vault.
The lighting system enabled Ryder to incorporate the pendant lights his clients wanted and the lights’ wiring in an organized way. The voltage runs through the bar to the pendants. Hanging them individually would have created a cluttered look with wires extending high into the vault.
Ryder envisioned a striking set of linen cabinets that would catch the eye as a focal point upon entering the room. The dark color comes from a black dye stain with conversion varnish, a type of lacquer. The set on the right with the large pulls are four large cabinets; on the left are two smaller cabinets — one outfitted for hair products and the other for everyday toiletries. There are also two open shelves for display-worthy accessories and products.
“I knew I wanted this piece to be a focal point,” Ryder says. “It’s the first thing you see when you walk into the room. So I knew we needed the pulls to stand out as special.” Oversize round pulls of crystal and brass fit the bill.
Hire a cabinet pro
“I knew I wanted this piece to be a focal point,” Ryder says. “It’s the first thing you see when you walk into the room. So I knew we needed the pulls to stand out as special.” Oversize round pulls of crystal and brass fit the bill.
Hire a cabinet pro
Before: The existing bathtub, shower and vanity bumped up against one another in a way that made the room feel cramped. Ryder donated the cabinetry, sinks and countertops to Habitat for Humanity. Under normal circumstances he would have donated the tub too, but this one had to be cut in half to fit out the door.
After: Replacing the large drop-in tub and surround with a sculptural freestanding model freed up floor space, transforming the area into a calming corner. The homeowners preferred hooks to towel bars; a neat row of them serve the bathtub. Also seen in this photo is the applied molding on the walls. Extending the millwork and tile up to the base of the ceiling vault mitigated the soaring ceiling height.
Boxy minimalist wall sconces illuminate above and below, throwing light onto the ceilings and beams. “The way they shine on the texture of the wall tiles at night is really special,” Ryder says.
Wall paint: Snowbound, Sherwin-Williams
Boxy minimalist wall sconces illuminate above and below, throwing light onto the ceilings and beams. “The way they shine on the texture of the wall tiles at night is really special,” Ryder says.
Wall paint: Snowbound, Sherwin-Williams
Ryder knew his client loved herringbone. But he also likes to give things a twist, so he used a double herringbone pattern on the walls. He added a waterfall shelf and small shelf in stained cypress to play off the beams and add warmth to this corner.
Also adding a wood look to the room are the floors, which are actually digitally printed porcelain tile. “While my client liked herringbone, we didn’t want to overpower the space with pattern. So I used large planks of tile to mix up the scale,” he says.
Browse white freestanding bathtubs
Also adding a wood look to the room are the floors, which are actually digitally printed porcelain tile. “While my client liked herringbone, we didn’t want to overpower the space with pattern. So I used large planks of tile to mix up the scale,” he says.
Browse white freestanding bathtubs
Before: The existing shower was ho-hum.
After: The roomy new shower stall is 6 feet 2 inches by 3 feet 6 inches. The homeowner had experienced this set of shower heads at a hotel, and they were one of her few must-haves. The polished nickel set includes a regular shower head, a rain shower head and a handheld wand. Ryder also incorporated a new bench topped with marble that matches the marble on the vanity. Benches like this are great for leg shaving and make the shower more accessible.
He repeated the marble on the shower niche shelves and added something new. A marble mosaic tile adds a surprise moment when facing the shower. And its blue-gray colors have a watery look.
Another one of the homeowner’s must-haves was a curbless shower entry. The linear shower drain is camouflaged and runs along the entrance to the shower. Between this tiling challenge and the meticulous laying of the double-herringbone pattern on the walls, Ryder was grateful to have Hero Tile on the job with him.
Find a local tile pro on Houzz
Find a local tile pro on Houzz
The long double-vanity is custom and has a marble countertop. It provides lots of storage, including many drawers.
The vanity also has several USB ports, the last of his client’s must-haves. “My client wanted lots of places where she could charge devices without her kids getting to them. We went totally overboard with the USBs — they are in just about every outlet — but that’s the way she wanted it,” Ryder says.
The wires for the drawer outlets are secured by mechanical arms designed to work with the opening and closing of the drawers. This is a safety feature that prevents fraying.
The wires for the drawer outlets are secured by mechanical arms designed to work with the opening and closing of the drawers. This is a safety feature that prevents fraying.
Mixed metals helped establish a classic trend-proof look in the room. The faucets are polished nickel, the hardware and hooks are champagne-colored and the lighting fixtures are a mix of brushed and aged brass. The globe pendant lights and cylindrical sconce add more modern touches. “I prefer polished nickel when mixing with brass tones. It has a warmth to it that chrome and stainless steel don’t have,” Ryder says.
The pair of mirrors were custom made. Their stained wood frames match the linen cabinet.
Shop for brass globe pendant lights
The pair of mirrors were custom made. Their stained wood frames match the linen cabinet.
Shop for brass globe pendant lights
The lighted makeup mirror was tricky to place. This location is close to the makeup storage area and out of the way of the cabinet door’s swing.
Here’s a closer look at how everything came together. The separate toilet room is in the lower left corner.
“I believe in being as cost efficient as possible. It doesn’t have to be expensive to look expensive. In this room, all of the tile choices and the hardware were reasonably priced,” Ryder says. And by using box beams, he was able to get the look of solid beams for a lot less.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
“I believe in being as cost efficient as possible. It doesn’t have to be expensive to look expensive. In this room, all of the tile choices and the hardware were reasonably priced,” Ryder says. And by using box beams, he was able to get the look of solid beams for a lot less.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A busy couple with three children and a dermatology practice
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Size: 130 square feet (12 square meters)
Designer-builder: Richard Ryder of Clearcut Construction
Before: The bathroom’s design was bland, and the high ceiling was awkward. Comparing this snapshot with the next photo provides a lesson in scale and proportion. For example, the distance from the floor to the top of the mirrors is about the same as the distance from the top of the mirrors to the peak of the 14-foot-high ceilings. This makes the lower portion of the room seem clunky and the empty high walls above them look awkwardly vast.
This photo also shows a large linen closet on the left that the homeowner didn’t want. Deep shelves were not efficient for reaching items toward the back. Removing the closet opened up more space and made the bathroom feel larger. This was the only change to the room’s footprint.
Find a local bathroom remodeler on Houzz