Room of the Day: Art Deco Tile Dazzles in a Master Bathroom
A reconfigured layout creates a pleasing flow, lots of storage and better function
The flow of this master bathroom was, frankly, clogged. “The original floor plan was broken up and offered little storage space,” interior designer Bonnie Bagley Catlin says. By overhauling the layout, she fit in a roomy shower, a luxurious free-standing tub, a storage-packed vanity and a separate room for the toilet. As for the style, timing was everything. Just after signing up for the project, she attended the annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and found a new stunner of a tile that would wind up setting the tone for the room’s style and palette.
AFTER: In the new layout, Catlin gave her clients a roomy shower and a long double vanity with room to spread out on the countertop and plenty of storage. She placed the tub at an angle to maximize the length of the vanity, add a dramatic effect and open up the flow. Getting rid of the soffit in the right corner allowed more light in from the large existing window.
Wall paint: Swiss Coffee, Benjamin Moore; Tulip tub: WetStyle; all plumbing fixtures and faucets: via Pirch
Wall paint: Swiss Coffee, Benjamin Moore; Tulip tub: WetStyle; all plumbing fixtures and faucets: via Pirch
The vendor at KBIS let Catlin take a sample of the tile straight from the show so that she could show it to her clients, and they loved it just as much as she did. It wound up influencing the rest of their choices in the room.
“This tile is just amazing. It’s limestone with silver leaf,” Catlin says.
Tile: Lux in Silver Satin, Ann Sacks
“This tile is just amazing. It’s limestone with silver leaf,” Catlin says.
Tile: Lux in Silver Satin, Ann Sacks
“You have to lay out a tile pattern like this on-site to make sure it works,” Catlin says. “You start in the center.” If you look at the sconce in the center of the wall, you can see how centered the pattern is.
She chose streamlined and simple sconces so that they would complement rather than compete with the tile.
Sconces: Restoration Hardware
She chose streamlined and simple sconces so that they would complement rather than compete with the tile.
Sconces: Restoration Hardware
She also helped her clients find faucets that complement the Art Deco pattern without competing with it. The finish on all of the fixtures is called brushed Gun Barrel.
Faucets: Aquabrass in brushed Gun Barrel
Faucets: Aquabrass in brushed Gun Barrel
The vanity is crafted of cherry, with a weathered finish. “This weathering process gives it a truly textured feel with raised grain,” the designer says. The result is a more rustic look, a warm contrast to all of that dazzling Deco tile.
Cabinets: Dura Supreme Cabinetry
Cabinets: Dura Supreme Cabinetry
The shower surround and countertops look like Calacatta marble but are actually thin porcelain slabs. “Thin slab porcelain does not require sealing and will retain its polished or honed finish under all types of conditions,” Catlin says. At least 40 percent of the porcelain is composed of recycled materials. The enclosure is Starphire glass.
Shower fixtures: Aquabrass in Brushed Gunmetal
Shower fixtures: Aquabrass in Brushed Gunmetal
For even more handy storage, the mirrors conceal recessed medicine cabinets. The mirrors can be lifted up to reveal the shelves inside.
Uplift medicine cabinets: Robern
Uplift medicine cabinets: Robern
The homeowners wanted this flooring from the beginning. It’s a Mexican Saltillo tile that they found themselves and had dyed black.
The vanity can be seen in this mirrored door leading to a separate toilet room.
The vanity can be seen in this mirrored door leading to a separate toilet room.
The designer strategically chose a wall-hung toilet to maximize the shower size. “This toilet helped us gain about 8 extra inches for the shower,” she says.
Cotton Maris wall-hung dual-flush toilet: Toto
Cotton Maris wall-hung dual-flush toilet: Toto
See how everything fits together in this floor plan. “This bathroom felt confining before, but it feels massive now,” Catlin says.
Browse more stories about bathroom makeovers
Browse more stories about bathroom makeovers
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Two young professional parents of two toddlers
Location: Near San Diego
Size: About 143 square feet (13.2 square meters)
Designer: Bonnie Bagley Catlin of Signature Designs Kitchen & Bath
BEFORE: A more functional layout for the couple was imperative and involved redoing the plumbing. “The existing layout was boxy, chopped-up, and they didn’t have room to spread out on the vanity,” Catlin says. The end of the room was awkwardly crowded by the tub, shower and vanity. The shower had a bulky soffit overhead. And the finishes were dated and drab.