When your bathroom is only 5 x 8, the case in many urban homes, every inch counts. I recently renovated a bathroom and stopped by to see the finished room. We had also done the living room and the master and the office and I'll post those soon. (I am completely in love with how the bedroom drapes came out!!!)
So the bathroom was original to the 1920s brick building. I do love the classic look but this one was tired. Mold was coming through the tiles in the shower. It didn't feel clean any more. Homes have life cycles just like everything else and for this bathroom, it was just time. Plus, water was leaking into the unit below. That pushed my client to re-do. Here are before pictures.
One of the chief complaints of this bathroom was the lack of storage. Where's a girl to put all the products? She had a low free-standing storage piece, but it was spilling over. This client is very neat and it was driving her crazy. It would me too!
Many homeowners attempt to solve the space dilemma with a vanity. But truthfully, in small space, a pedestal sink makes the space feel bigger. Clients are not usually convinced though. For this space, the tape measure informed the decision. You wouldn't be able to open the door to the vanity. The tub was too close. We even considered some of the vanities with drawers. Ultimately it was the same issue. No room.
So we solved the storage issue other ways. We put in a 40"high Robern medicine cabinet over the pedestal sink and built-in a storage closet to the left of the sink. My contractor maximized the space by stealing every single inch. He was able to build 8" deep for most of the cabinet, but he had to go around heating pipes (which could not be moved) so there was about 4" on the inside in front of the pipes. That 4" space is perfect for small items like make-up brushes. While the deeper space houses baskets and larger items. Don't the baskets just look great? Love them!!!
Good-bye plastic bins on the floor. Good-bye spilling over of "stuff."
The tiles in the wet area are 3 x 6 tiles from Sonoma Tile. The cushioned edges give them a bit of dimension so they have some interest beyond a standard subway tile. You can see this better on the front of the tub. Walls are a nice Ben Moore soft green. (We used their Aura brand low-VOC paint.) Porcelain floors from Tile Showcase were a pleasant surprise. I thought the tile was consistent in its color, but they actually varied to look more like stone (which delightfully also hides more).
Anyway, it's fresh and clean and feels happy and is a huge improvement. Client is happy. So am I. YAY.