Bathroom of the Week: Warm Modern Style in a Midcentury Ranch
A design-build team brings the outdoors in with a large picture window and a sunlit shower stall
There was a time when having a corded phone next to the toilet was considered the height of luxury. And that was about the last time this Pennsylvania midcentury ranch’s primary bathroom had been renovated. The homeowners, a couple of empty nesters from California, were thinking about how to transform it when they walked past a sign for Pine Street Carpenters & The Kitchen Studio in front of a neighborhood house that was undergoing an impressive renovation. They called the design-build firm, and the team transformed their dated bathroom into a warm, modern space that complements the wooded view seen through an expansive new window.
After: The new picture window that replaced two other windows brings the outdoors into the space. Bender kept the existing opening, then added the smallest structural header possible to maximize its size. “We presented options where there was a bathtub in front of the window, but they knew they didn’t want one and had no interest in letting resale value affect the design,” Bender says. Instead, there’s a clear view out to the wooded slope and stone wall.
Paint colors: City Loft (walls) and Snowbound (trim), Sherwin-Williams
Browse shower benches and seats in the Houzz Shop
Paint colors: City Loft (walls) and Snowbound (trim), Sherwin-Williams
Browse shower benches and seats in the Houzz Shop
Before: Bender removed the two windows over the bathtub. “These were within view of the main entry into the house, so anyone coming to the door could see right into the bathroom,” she says. Between the natural light from an existing skylight and the new picture window, they were no big loss.
After: Bender placed a roomy shower stall in the corner where the tub had been. The skylight helped the designer determine the best spot for the shower. “It makes it feel like an outdoor shower,” she says, because the spot is bathed in natural light.
Bender moved the toilet to the corner next to the shower. The entry to the bathroom is located to the right of the wooden towel rack, so the toilet isn’t the first thing you see when walking into the bathroom — the view out the window is.
Hire a local tile professional
Bender moved the toilet to the corner next to the shower. The entry to the bathroom is located to the right of the wooden towel rack, so the toilet isn’t the first thing you see when walking into the bathroom — the view out the window is.
Hire a local tile professional
Before: The large tub deck squeezed the existing shower stall into the adjacent corner. This meant the shower door swung open into the tub decking. The result was a bulky and crammed-in feeling in the roomy bathroom.
Some of the electrical switches were in an unorthodox location: on the shower enclosure’s wall. And next to them was a corded toilet telephone.
Some of the electrical switches were in an unorthodox location: on the shower enclosure’s wall. And next to them was a corded toilet telephone.
After: At about 4¾ by 6 feet, the new shower has much more room than the previous one. Its clear glass enclosure allows the whole space to enjoy the light from the skylight.
The shower has a river rock floor that adds warmth and an organic texture that plays off the stone wall outside. The main bathroom flooring is composed of porcelain planks digitally printed to resemble wood.
The shower has a river rock floor that adds warmth and an organic texture that plays off the stone wall outside. The main bathroom flooring is composed of porcelain planks digitally printed to resemble wood.
Knowing her clients liked modern lines, Bender suggested large-format tiles in a gridded pattern for the shower surround. Their color adds warmth to the room and plays off the river rock floor. The larger size of the tiles minimizes grout lines, and the gridded composition suits the home’s midcentury modern architecture. So do the polished chrome plumbing fixtures.
The homeowners opted for a beautiful teak bench instead of a built-in one, another element that adds a warm, organic feel.
The homeowners opted for a beautiful teak bench instead of a built-in one, another element that adds a warm, organic feel.
Before: “My clients were happy with the size of the 8-foot vanity, but the way it was set up didn’t work very well for them,” Bender says.
After: A sleek floating cherry vanity gives this area an airy and modern feel. The drawers are easier to access than the previous cabinets were. The drawers under the sinks are U-shaped inside to allow room for the sinks’ P-traps. And two medicine cabinets provide additional easy-to-access storage.
Seek lines add to the minimalist aesthetic of the room. The quartz countertop has a clean edge, and the drawer pulls are slim. Polished chrome faucets nod to the home’s midcentury vintage. Meanwhile, the wood, wall paint and countertop add warmth.
Find the right medicine cabinet for your bathroom
Seek lines add to the minimalist aesthetic of the room. The quartz countertop has a clean edge, and the drawer pulls are slim. Polished chrome faucets nod to the home’s midcentury vintage. Meanwhile, the wood, wall paint and countertop add warmth.
Find the right medicine cabinet for your bathroom
A cluster of pendant lights with thin, white porcelain shades has a sculptural, mobile-like presence. “This is one of my very favorite things about the room, and my clients love it too,” Bender says.
Recessed lights over the mirrors and a touch-light makeup mirror provide plenty of light when needed. And there’s also lighting under the vanity, which is handy during late-night trips to the bathroom. Bender repeated the shower floor’s river rock tile underneath the vanity, tying the two areas together.
New to home remodeling? Click here to learn the basics
Recessed lights over the mirrors and a touch-light makeup mirror provide plenty of light when needed. And there’s also lighting under the vanity, which is handy during late-night trips to the bathroom. Bender repeated the shower floor’s river rock tile underneath the vanity, tying the two areas together.
New to home remodeling? Click here to learn the basics
Before: The changes to the bathroom’s layout are a little challenging to visualize, so check out these before-and-after floor plans. Before, the tub with its large deck took up the corner on the upper right, with the shower stall butted up next to it. The entrance to the room, near the lower left corner, did not change. Bender also kept the linen closet in the lower left corner but gave it a new door to match the room’s new style.
After: With the tub gone, there was room to add the large shower in the top right corner. This meant moving the toilet to the spot where the shower had been. Fortunately, the lower level’s setup below made it easy to move the toilet stack. This isn’t always a possibility when renovating a bathroom.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
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 of empty nesters
Location: Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Size: 167 square feet (16 square meters)
Designer-builder: Dana Bender of Pine Street Carpenters & The Kitchen Studio
Before: The bathroom had dated finishes that made it feel dingy. And despite the fact that it was a very roomy 167 square feet, its layout made the major elements like the tub and shower feel cramped.
Find a local design-build firm on Houzz