Overhauling the Master Bath

After living in our home for almost 10 years, the MasterBathroom was one of the last untouched rooms in the house. Everything else had had carpets ripped out, walls refinished, kitchen revamped, but the bathroom was a wasteland of 1990's builders grade garbage. A large strangely shaped room at approximately 11x10, it had (what we called) the cave shower, a large built in soaker tub surrounded by massive amounts of ugly tile, only one sink and a very poorly laid out design.

I'm including a picture... yes.. it's brown... don't judge me!!! I painted it about 7 years ago when that colour was in, and truthfully it warmed it up this freezing room and paired with the blue it helped me endure it... but then after a while it was just brown. And still terrible.

On top of it being severely ugly, it was very cold. So cold in fact, that I never used the bathroom, ever, unless I had to use the facilities in the middle of the night.

Finally it was time to redesign and renovate the room.

The plan was to fix the heating issue and re-insulate the entire room properly, add another sink, create a walk-in shower, add more lighting and make it pretty.

My vision was that of old world Paris, a little flat's principle bathroom with a light filled room to prep for the day with all the modern conveniences.

I chose the wood look tile floor for praticality and for the warmth of the tones since I knew I wanted to keep the walls, fixtures and other tiles quite simple and classic. The design and criss-cross pattern, referred to as a "versaille floor" is similar to the all the back rooms of the Versaille Palace in France. The complimentary vintage mini hexagon look flooring for the shower was a great compliment to the wood tile, and the beveled subway tile is always classic.

All the fixtures are in a brushed nickle for softness and simplicity.

I do have to brag for a moment! My eight year old daughter is always trying to find ways to save and make money! Recently she's started a soap business, Zesty Fresh Soap, all natural soap in lots of fun flavours and designs. This one of my favourites, Up and at'em, a coffee and oatmeal based soap, it's a great exfoliator and smells yummy! You can find her company here, on Facebook!

Koning Design helped to determine the proper space and layout for the shower that best suite the room, since we needed to borrow a little space from the walk-in closet behind it. Their knowledge and ability to see the layout and assist in this area was so worthwhile. They also worked completed all the plumbing work.

Thankfully, my contractor James from Capstone, has previously worked in insulation, so his knowledge of how to address the heating issues was so instrumental in all the hard work that went in behind the walls.

Dressing this pretty room was such a treat! I knew that I wanted to incorporate the golds and navy's because I just can't get enough of them. Simple linen drapery added softness behind the tub and was the first layer of texture in the room. The little rug used as the bath mat was the perfect blend of that "bo-ho" feel, but in navy added luxury.

Hammam towels are my new favourite thing, light and easy to care for yet luxurious feeling. The chair was one of those pieces I saw in my minds eye, and longed for that curvy back antique look. But every antique shop I found them at they were in the $200's, which as an accent to my bathroom, I just couldn't justify. One day when I stopped by my local re-store (where I found my pretty french doors - only $15!) I saw my chair!!! Only $20, and with a navy velvet to boot! Meant to be.

I found a beautiful Alanna Cavanagh print through her website and framed it up with a simple woven backdrop for another layer of texture. The crown crock has long been on my list of antique purchases, but one can only purchase so much!! Finally having a reason and another room to put it in, I found one and decided to use it as my bin. A vintage magazine rack doubles as a neat spot to hold extra rolls and adds another touch of gold to the room.

The little bit of bling over the tub was just what I wanted and actually the first piece I purchased for the room. The bubbly glass globe was only $79 from Home-Sense and was exactly what I had in mind.

Heidi Lau was kind enough to photograph the room for me and really captured the feel I was trying to create. (You can find her website here)

The best part is that I get to use my space everyday, and it is not only beautiful but so much more functional.

Shop the Room:

Flooring: Tile Master Aurora - Classica Walnut

Shower Glass & Custom Mirrors: Arm Glass & Windows

Navy Rug & Clock: Walmart

Sconces & Ceiling Medallion: Lowes

Chandelier: HomeSense

Vanity: VanitySense Vaughan

Floral Print: Alanna Cavanagh

Soap: Zesty Fresh Soap - Up and at 'em

Plumbing: Koning Design