“One of the biggest gripes was the darkness of the room,” said designer Sue Shinneman, designer and co-owner of Kansas City-based Kitchen Studio. “They had a skylight, but there wasn’t enough natural light.”
Like a typical older home, the vanities sat 30 inches high, which the client felt was too low. They instead opted for a 36-in. height to lower the seating area, which she wanted to keep as a makeup station.
Since the room’s original blue tile floor was coming up in different places, Shinneman decided to replace the tiles with a centralized pattern fashioned to mimic a rug. To create the effect, basket weave tiles were selected with a series of small blue mosaic tiles arranged in a wave around the perimeter.
The previous shower held little aesthetic and few amenities for the homeowner. For the new design, a handheld showerhead was installed per the client’s request, and, for additional storage, they added a niche to hold bath products.
A long, blue, horizontal tile forms a band in the shower and echoes the floor. Large wall tiles measuring 18 by 20 inches were installed to create an illusion of height.
A palette of soft blue and green throughout the bedroom and home revealed the client’s preference for a seaside aesthetic from which Shinneman drew inspiration when choosing the bathroom’s design elements and overall feel.
“The icing on the room is the gorgeous chandelier,” said Shinneman. “My favorite part was the floor though – it’s just fabulous.”