Room of the Day: Whimsy and Farmhouse Style in a Teen’s Bathroom

A mint green-and-pink color scheme, retro touches and abstract art create a space full of personality

Becky Harris April 10, 2017

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More

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Interior designer Bobbi Jo Engelby had a very discerning client to serve on this project — her 16-year-old daughter, Kerstin. The family had just moved from a historic home near Chicago to a newer one just outside of Charleston, South Carolina, and the teen missed the character and antique details of their former home. “She loves farmhouse style with a retro feel, and she really wanted to put her own unique stamp on it,” the designer says.

Domain Interiors & Design

Photos by Patrick Brickman

Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A 16-year-old girl
Location: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Size: 127 square feet (11.7 square meters)
Designer: Bobbi Jo Engelby

“My daughter missed the white subway tile we had in our house in Illinois,” Engelby says. “She also wanted to have the walls and vanity painted a color — she loves mint green.” Also on her wish list — a dressing table area, playful lighting and touches of soft pink.

Wall paint: Brilliant Chandelier 30C-1, Clark+Kensington; vanity paint: Waterfall, Sherwin-Williams

Domain Interiors & Design

A cabinet with bamboo details lends a vintage look and provides lots of extra storage. A local craftsperson made the reproduction French trumeau mirror atop it. Abstract prints by local artist Vicki Maguire infuse some brighter colors to the room.

Bamboo chest: Modern History, Domain Interiors & Design; all tile: Melcer Tile; toilet: Kohler; chandelier: West Elm

Domain Interiors & Design

“We wanted to do something warmer than a white vanity topped with white marble,” Engelby says. So they chose mint green cabinets topped with poplar wood with a driftwood finish. “People worry about wood counters in bathrooms getting wet, but there are several coats of marine varnish on these to protect them,” she says. “And the finish is gorgeous — it has warm golden tones and silvery grays within it.”

Kerstin also wanted funky lighting and a few pink accents. She fell in love with these whimsical glass floral sconces and the shapely mirror. Along with the mint green paint, both lend a retro feel.

Mirror: CB2; Lynn wall lights: Aerin

Domain Interiors & Design

Another element Kerstin wanted was a wall-mounted faucet. “And these work better with a vessel sink — there is less of a splash with wall-mounted faucets,” the designer says. The floor is a hexagonal marble tile.

Faucet: Newport Brass

Domain Interiors & Design

The faux-fur stool with acrylic legs for the makeup area is another whimsical touch the teen loves. Engelby had the window treatment custom-made in her own shop. The scalloped detail adds a frilly dash.

Window treatment: custom by Domain Interiors & Design, with fabric by Anna French for Thibaut

Domain Interiors & Design

The large walk-in shower was gained by overtaking a small office niche on the other side of Kerstin’s bathroom that no one ever used. A large oval window bathes the space in light.