Sep 19, 2022

I’ve shared so many snippets over the months of our old-world inspired bathroom, but there really has never been any type of collective snapshot – until now!

From the very beginning, I always knew I wanted our primary bathroom to feel serene. I used our guest bathroom as a project to play, but this bathroom was always meant to be a point of relaxation. A space layered with timeworn textures and patterns. Granted they are faux-timeworn textures in a modern bathroom.  With a few well-executed plans and a bit of thrifting luck, our bathroom turned into the sanctuary we always dreamed it could be.

The first thing that was picked out for our space was this dark, traditional double sink vanity. It’s true, that tone-on-tone is great at providing a tranquil palette, but there is something about contrasting tones that always tugs at my heart. To keep the bathroom feeling lop-sided with white walls and one single dark vanity, I mixed in dark vintage art on the opposite wall.

The second thing that we picked out was this cast iron slipper tub (similar). It ended up being a standout piece making our eclectic bathroom feel luxurious.

Since I knew I wanted the bathroom to be a space of relaxation first and foremost, keeping the walls and floors light and bright was the top priority. To keep the white walls warm and welcoming vs cold and structured, I layered our the walls with tonal textures. With a large window with an obstructed mountain view, we also have plenty of natural light that keeps the bathroom bright.

To keep the natural light bouncing throughout the room and provide a bit of function, we planned on having a large floor mirror right at the entrance of the bathroom. I was lucky enough to get this Louis Philippe style mirror as a work perk from my past job, but I did hunt down a similar one.

Without a doubt, the star of this bathroom space was the extremely labor-intensive tile that was found in a local tile shop – Onyx Tile.  With a worn finish and tonal texture, it was an easy sell.  Though the month-long install made it a quick foe. Still even with all the comments and questions this WOW Cottage tile ensues, #lee has had to admit it was the right pick.  (Future buyers beware – a 5 1/2″ hexagon tile takes a long time to lay and way too many spacers. It is also absolutely worth every headache.) This porcelain tile gives a similar natural stone effect that our marble tiles did in our guest bathroom.

Aside from the happily found vintage plant stools in the corner, the other idea that was somewhat last minute was our quartz countertops. Rather than tiling over the step into our walk-in shower, #lee had the idea to simply put a quartz top on the front and top of the step. Ultimately, it was a decision that made the bathroom feel even more cohesive and plush.  

Budget tip: find quartz remnants! This is a huge budget saver rather than purchasing another stone outright for smaller projects like shelves.

With every velvet-curtain-Pinterest-idea saved as inspiration, these striped curtains came a bit out of left field. Though I like how they contrast the floor with a geometric pattern and simultaneously blend with the white walls.  They helped me keep an airy feeling while providing a subtle amount of contrast.

Another happy coincidence these leather-wrapped handles. I struggled with what to use as handles on our vanity. In fact, I actually left the silver subpar handles it came with because I couldn’t quite decide on a direction. Gold felt a bit too obvious and the silver ones did seem extremely random, luckily the leather-wrapped gold ended up being the icing on the cake. It made the bathroom feel collected and curated – a hard to hit balance. 

A huge missing piece is clearly the light fixture above the tub. I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of options, but truthfully I tend to take my time when putting rooms together. An annoying fact for social media’s sake, but I’ve learned – homes take time.  Quick decisions that check a box versus intentional purchases typically have me back online shopping for even more things.

Dark stained vanity
Cast iron tub (similar)
Hexagon tiles
Black faucets
Bathroom hardware
Vanity lighting
Floor Mirror (similar)
Vanity Mirrors
Striped curtains
Leather handles
Rug
Wicker basket