Before & After: Cleanliness Is Next To…
Who doesn't love a clean slate? When this client called me to discuss gutting her bathroom and starting fresh, I couldn't wait to get going.
The bathroom was HUGE, so we had lots of room to play with. The laundry room was pretty well set up the only way it could be, but we still had to maximize its potential, with lots of storage and pretty accents.
Designing utilitarian spaces is often the most interesting as you have to think about it beyond just aesthetics; you have to work through the details of functionality first. I believe there is often the misconception that, as a designer, my job is to "make things look pretty." While this is true, at the heart of it all, you know a designer has had their hand in something because it looks pretty (assuming they've done an excellent job) and functions beautifully. Both spaces needed a desperate facelift, and the bathroom required some reformatting to maximize functionality.
The Bathroom
I could go on and on about many parts of this bathroom, but I will start with the vanity. We went custom, partly because we wanted to add a secondary medicine/linen closet but mostly because it allowed us to create the perfect centrepiece for the bathroom. I love the combination of the natural wood grain elements with the two-tone marble floor pattern. Everything about the space is natural and neutral, but together, it is a total readjustment from what they were used to!
BATHROOM: BEFORE
BATHROOM: AFTER
The client had one request, and that was that we get a Japanese-style toilet. The Toto Washlet is the perfect blend of total functionality while remaining discreet. As the door closes automatically, the toilet lid opens. Designing this bathroom fresh off a trip to Japan, I was all in.
For years, the trend has been shower niches. I am still all for a shower niche; they are great, but having seen so many great ledges lately, I was hooked. We went for a shower ledge that reflected the clean lines of the space, making the shower feel even more open. By repeating the same material in different formats (the shower floor, the bathroom floor, and the shower ledge accent area), we could incorporate different patterns without jarring the space with chaos. The result is a bathroom I would love to hang out in any day!
BATHROOM: BEFORE
BATHROOM: AFTER
BATHROOM: AFTER
BATHROOM: AFTER
The Laundry Room
I am sure we have all had a time when the laundry situation looked like this. I would guess this is pretty much the norm. The challenge here was this was what they saw every single time they came in from the car. After what I can only imagine was a zillion or so times, they broke and decided it was time to give this space some love.
LAUNDRY: BEFORE
LAUNDRY: AFTER
We had to work with the existing floor tile, so our colour palette was limited. I opted for a neutral tone that would flow with the rest of the house. This backsplash is to die for in person and adds that subtle hint of personality without screaming, “Look at me!” In the end, this laundry room is somewhere I would gladly do laundry in, and I would also be happy to be greeted upon coming home.
LAUNDRY: AFTER
And people, I will repeat it: CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS! And anyone who disagrees needs to give their “cleaning” spaces a bit more love, I promise, you’ll learn to agree.