If you’ve recently been through a bathroom renovation, you probably know that even the smallest decisions can often become the hard, keep-you-up-at-night design dilemmas. I still have a few finishing touches left to do, but the boys’ and girls’ bathroom renovations are complete, and I wanted to show you a couple of the details I chose.
Like most people, we were working within a budget and with the mindset that this renovation will (hopefully) take us through many years. For those reasons, and because the house is pretty traditional, it was important that my design decisions were fairly classic, giving us the biggest bang for our decorating buck. But, boy, is it tempting to do something really bold and maybe even a little over the top in this crazy game of “Pinterest one-upper.”
I eventually decided on two classics: subway tile and chrome. There are so many good patterned tiles out there right now and beautiful brass fixtures, but. . . These are our kids’ baths. And again, I didn’t want to invest in elements that I would be “over” in the next five years. But just because you go classic doesn’t mean you have to predictable–right?
shower curtain // garden stool // bamboo shade
In the girls’ shower, I opted for a 3×6″ white subway tile with a navy “stripe” going all the way around. (Those tiles are 1/2″ x 6″, from a local tile shop.) It looks more black then navy in the photos but definitely reads more blue in person. I wanted to stay away from doing too much black and white since that can sometimes look a little more retro than I wanted.
Finishes can be tricky, and I know brass is all the rage. But, I just feel like simple chrome–especially for a kids’ or guest bath–is here to stay, especially when paired with mostly white. It’s a combo that always works. My designer friend Rebecca recommended the Cassidy shower head by Delta Faucet and I loved the oversized design and shape right away. A more modern design in a classic finish is a nice compromise. (I still used brass touches–drawer pulls, mirrors, lighting–and will show you that later.)
The shower head is adjustable, by the way. It took me a couple of weeks to figure that out. . . ;) And, in case you’re wondering, I’ve snuck in a few showers in the girls’ bathroom and you do get plenty of water.
Hope this helps some of you who are knee-deep in renovation decisions. What bathroom design elements do you consider “classic?”
