Bathroom of the Week: Warm Neutrals and a European Feel
A designer helps a Minnesota couple create an airy primary bathroom in their Arizona winter home
Wanting an escape from harsh winters at home in Minnesota, this couple purchased a second home in Scottsdale, Arizona. While the house had great bones, its heavy 1990s Tuscan-inspired style didn’t align with their vision of a calm, relaxing desert haven. They also wanted to experiment with a style different from their traditional Minnesota home. “They wanted this house to be a little more modern and have a European feeling,” says interior designer Maya Axt, who worked on the entire house. “They wanted their bathroom to feel like a calm and welcoming place to start and finish their days.”
Before Photo
After: Removing the bulky tub surround opened up the space dramatically, creating breathing room around the elegant new freestanding tub. A faceted brass-and-opaque-glass pendant light draws the eye upward, its generous scale fitting the high ceiling beautifully. For privacy, a motorized woven wood shade opens and closes with a remote control. “This shade has some white tones in it and has a nice linear pattern,” Axt says.
The intricate Turkish rug is a key part of the design. “We needed a statement piece because everything is so neutral in here,” Axt says. “We wanted to fill the large space between the tub and the vanity with something that was beautiful.”
Axt used Houzz Pro software throughout the project for tasks like creating proposals and room boards and tracking purchase orders and invoices.
Wall color: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
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The intricate Turkish rug is a key part of the design. “We needed a statement piece because everything is so neutral in here,” Axt says. “We wanted to fill the large space between the tub and the vanity with something that was beautiful.”
Axt used Houzz Pro software throughout the project for tasks like creating proposals and room boards and tracking purchase orders and invoices.
Wall color: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
The only request the husband had for the bathroom was a TV. Hiding in plain sight, this Samsung Frame TV looks like a painting.
A floor-mounted tub filler meant the tub didn’t have to sit right against the wall, contributing to the peaceful sense of openness the couple desired. The polished nickel fixture includes a handheld wand.
Light, warm tones define the palette. For the floor, Axt proposed a large-format (12-by-24-inch) porcelain tile with subtle marble-like veining. The wall tile behind the bathtub has a handmade zellige look and picks up the tones in the flooring. Together, the tile choices enhance the European feel.
Wall tile: Makoto in Tatami Beige, Bedrosians
A floor-mounted tub filler meant the tub didn’t have to sit right against the wall, contributing to the peaceful sense of openness the couple desired. The polished nickel fixture includes a handheld wand.
Light, warm tones define the palette. For the floor, Axt proposed a large-format (12-by-24-inch) porcelain tile with subtle marble-like veining. The wall tile behind the bathtub has a handmade zellige look and picks up the tones in the flooring. Together, the tile choices enhance the European feel.
Wall tile: Makoto in Tatami Beige, Bedrosians
Before Photo
Before: Across from the bathtub is the linen closet the homeowners didn’t like. “They needed a lot of storage in here, but they wanted the room to feel more open,” Axt says.
After: Removing the linen closet made room for a long double vanity that provides the same amount of storage as the original two separate vanities. White oak brings in a warm natural tone, while the quartz countertop and backsplash add another marble-look material to the palette.
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Furniture-inspired details such as graceful feet and a rounded corner backsplash add softness to the vanity. Paired with the Turkish rug, these touches contribute to the room’s European sensibility. Clean-lined mirrors and long, hexagonal sconces introduce modern contrast. Their tall proportions balance the high ceiling, while their shapes echo the geometric pendant light above the tub.
A fluted detail along the top of the vanity conceals hidden charging drawers that open with a gentle touch. The mix of fluting and Shaker-style drawer profiles creates a refined look without appearing busy.
Axt mixed polished nickel and aged brass finishes throughout the room. “I love to mix metals because it makes a space feel warm and more interesting,” she says. For balance, she repeats finishes thoughtfully. “If you put a metal in one place, you need to put it somewhere else,” she says. “I like to make all the plumbing fixtures the same. If the hardware is different from the plumbing, the lighting can tie it all together.”
To replace the removed linen closet, Axt added a freestanding cabinet where the second vanity once stood. The dark wood adds contrast to the light palette, while glass doors and integrated lighting highlight decorative items. Drawers below discreetly hide necessities.
The door on the left opens to a toilet room.
Cabinet: Amber Lewis collection, Four Hands
The door on the left opens to a toilet room.
Cabinet: Amber Lewis collection, Four Hands
Before Photo
Before: The glass-block-and-travertine shower lacked spa appeal and the interior felt cramped, while the partition took up valuable shower space.
After: Removing the glass block allowed the shower footprint to expand, making room for shower heads on both sides. A clear glass enclosure keeps the area feeling open and bright.
Before Photo
Before: The shower interior was confined, and the travertine hadn’t aged well.
After: The shower wall tile matches the tile behind the tub, with tan and cream tones continuing the warm, soothing palette. The new space includes double shower heads, a handheld wand and a bench. Axt positioned the control valves so the homeowners can turn the water on without getting wet.
Not sure where to start on your home project? Learn the basics
Not sure where to start on your home project? Learn the basics
The penny rounds on the shower floor are from the same tile collection as the wall tile. The quartz on the shower bench seat, threshold and pony wall cap matches the quartz on the vanity countertop and helps tie the room together visually.
Penny rounds also appear on the back of the shower niches.
Now the bathroom is bright but not too white, filled with warm neutrals that invite the homeowners into a soothing retreat for fresh morning starts and calm endings to their days.
Elements that create a European feel in the bathroom include:
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Elements that create a European feel in the bathroom include:
- Marble-look floor and countertop
- Zellige-look wall tiles with a handmade feel
- Cabinetry that looks more like freestanding furniture than built-in
- Freestanding bathtub
- Items on display in the linen cabinet
- Mixed metal finishes
- Turkish rug
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos for ideas
Find design and remodeling pros
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A Minnesota-based couple
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Size: 150 square feet (14 square meters)
Designer: Maya Axt Interiors
Before: The existing bathroom was weighed down by a large expanse of travertine, a glass-block shower, two vanities placed on opposite walls, a large bathtub surround and a linen closet the homeowners didn’t like. The couple wanted Axt to create an airy, spa-like retreat with a lot of storage.
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