ORC Reveal: Classic Master Bathroom

November 22, 2021

ORC Reveal: Classic Master Bathroom

It’s Saturday night, almost 10 pm CST, exactly one day before the One Room Challenge deadline. Uros and I have worked so hard to get this master bathroom completed on time. I was on the verge of giving up several times and just blowing off this deadline because so many things were not falling into place but decided against it because I owe it to you and ourselves to show what we have come up with. I don’t think I have ever worked so hard on a project. We have literally done everything ourselves in this project we included, demolition, rough and plumbing, waterproofing, drywalling, tiling, plumbing, and electrical. We did get some help on one part of the plumbing where we needed to re-route the plumbing lines but other than that, the last eight weeks have kept us extremely busy.

BEFORE

Let take a quick peek at where we started.

As you can see the master bathroom was outdated and the layout was not great. The single vanity that was a nightmare to share. Due to the lack of storage space available, this area was always a magnet for clutter. Getting in and out of the shower required acrobatic skills to avoid brushing against the toilet and because the overall layout was so awkward only on person get reasonably maneuver throughout the entire space.

THE PLAN

Our goal was to increase space by tearing down the wall behind the vanity and tearing down a linen closet next to the master bath to create a walk-in shower and room for a double vanity.

DEMOLITION

We demoed two walls. Ripped out the wood floor and wall and floor tile. We re-routed plumbing and electrical for the new floor plan which basically gave us a fresh start and open layout.

THE REVEAL!

I’m extremely excited to share this with you because you guys have been through this whole project with me. So many of you messaged me when we ran into issues and made me feel you guys were pulling for us and cheering for us every step of the way.

Before we go through the whole reveal I would like to start with the Crystal Baguette Amber knob from Grandeur Hardware. I absolutely love the color amber and because I wanted to include variations of the red tone throughout the bathroom, the amber color was the perfect fit for this project. It is edgy in the most traditional sense. I love finding ways to make traditional items feel fresh and new and a pop of amber felt like a bold beginning for this project whereas a clear crystal knob would have felt too safe. I love working with Grandeur Hardware not only because of the quality of their products but also really appreciate the ability to customize my hardware. For the pieces, I chose the hardware plate (arc short place), the knob style (baguette), knob color (amber), and the overall finish (lifetime brass).

Now are you ready for the rest?

…

So here it is!

One of my favorite design elements is the classic black and white checkered floors laid out diagonally. They not only add visual interest but they also make the master bathroom feel a lot bigger. The black and white harlequin floors are bold, high-contrast, and go with just about anything. I knew I wanted bold pops of lipstick red throughout the room but I wanted to pair it with something classic and this tile was an easy decision.

The black and white harlequin floors are not only bold but glamorous and to continue with the glamor theme I wanted to include lighting that had crystals and are equally bold but not over-powering which is why I chose the Crystorama Watson ceiling mount in the polished nickel finish and the Crystorama Clifton sconces in aged brass. The Watson ceiling mounts’ crystal-shaped icicles are ultra-modern and nicely juxtaposed in this overall traditional design. The crystal’s sharp distinct angles create a tailored look that becomes more accentuated by its polished nickel finish. The mirrored sconce nicely ties into the ceiling mount without being matchy-matchy and was a nice opportunity to mix metals.

One of my least favorite part of this project was painting our new vanity from a light gray to this soft black called Cheating Heart by Benjamin Moore. Painting a vanity is a ton of work and I would never recommend it but I’m so glad I did because the darker vanity really allows these solid brass Meridian pulls from Schaub to shine.

I absolutely love this traditional faucet I scored on Amazon. The cross-handles are my favorite.

The Kauai III Shower Spa System from Pulse ShowerSpa is truly a dream. The gold finish contrasted against the handcrafted subway tile from Spain worked out better than I could have ever imagined. The only items that are missing are the shower doors that have been delayed eight times so far. It’s extremely discouraging to work so hard on a project, order items months in advance, and have to write this reveal post without said items. Even with the most careful planning, delays are so outrageous making completing projects on some sort of timeline impossible.

Two of my favorite vintage finds are in this image. The first one is the branch-like intertwined black stool. I just love when items are a bit quirky and unexpected and this one is a home run. I’m also in love with the Ron Giusti Wagasa art piece above the toilet. During this whole project I have been experimenting with the color red. Particularly in ways to add such a bold color without it overpowering everything. I feel like I have found a way to sprinkle it in throughout this project where it services as a nice pop of color.

The elongated single-piece toilet is from Speakman which I chose for its transitional design and it’s a nice fit for the old vs new theme throughout this master bath.

My go-to method for keeping spaces interesting is including fabric with an intricate design or color and adding abstract art in traditional spaces. I did both in this corner of the room and I’m pleased how this former boring corner turned out.

This red Dana Gibson fabric called Jaipur Bouquet is from Calico Corners and is what inspired me to create my design encompassing such a bold red.

None of this would have been possible without Uros. He really rocked it with everything he had to deliver. Last night I asked him to rewire and move the ceiling fixture to the center of the room. Done no problem. This morning he had to finish all the plumbing and install the toilet, which he completed under the wire. He truly can do it all and under limited time. I’m so lucky to have him by my side on all of these projects.

ONE DAY LATER – UPDATE

A day after I wrote this, to our complete surprise, the shower doors arrived. We installed them the same day they arrived because I was too excited to see what they would look like and I was not disappointed. We opted for the French Monture Noir frameless panel shower doors because I did not want the space to look to enclosed. I wanted an open, airy feeling, which is why we opted for panels instead of an enclosed shower door. The company we bought these shower doors from is also the only company that makes their doors 78in high. All the other shower door companies we have researched have shower doors that max out at 70in height but their standard shower door height is 61 in. The extra height on these panel doors really helps to make our 8ft ceiling feel higher and the doors appear custom.

Here is a final view of the before and after. We are extremely satisfied with how much more space we have and how functional the bathroom is now. This renovation makes it Uros’ favorite as he keeps asking me why we didn’t do this sooner.