New Build Primary Bathroom Design

Tile has been installed in the primary shower! EEEEE! It is so exciting to see this dream come to life. We have been plotting and planning for a year, dedicating so much time and energy to this project. It has definitely been more work than we bargained for! But seeing it come together over the last few weeks has been life giving! It is truly starting to feel like home.

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​While sharing progress pics of the primary tile installation, I came to realize that I never shared the full bathroom design here! We want the primary bath to feel calming and luxurious. While this bathroom is not "huge" (totally relative, but compared to some of the primary en-suites commonly seen in new construction these days!), it feels ginormous to Ty and I after two years sharing a small bathroom at the Holland cottage. The Holland cottage bathroom (the only bathroom in the house) is quite tiny! We have a 20" vanity with just a pinch of storage - enough for tooth brushes, toothpaste, and a just a handful of other items. Truth be told, I keep all of my hair and makeup in the entry way dresser and get ready there utilizing the entry mirror! The width between the wink and tub in the cottage bathroom is large enough for just one person (literally, I could hardly squeeze by when 9 months pregnant!). All of this to say, we are SO DANG EXCITED for this bathroom. I could cry. 
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We want this bathroom to feel calm, quiet, and luxurious, so we selected soothing colors and natural materials. With this house, we are transitioning away from the modern finishes we typically gravitate towards, to more traditional selections. Here were some of the bathroms that inspired our design! Click images for sources.
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Common themes among these bathrooms are marble counters, tumbled stone flooring, zellige tile, and wood vanities. Originally, my design incorporated all of these. Ultimately, we made some alterations to save on costs. It's common to splurge in the primary bath; it's often second priority after the kitchen. While the primary bath is an important space and is somewhere we did splurge on in some areas, it's not as important to me as the kitchen, living room, dining room, and even office. Perhaps it's relevant to our phase of life. As new parents, I don't get a lot of time to take long showers or primp in the mornings! I don't foresee either Ty nor I spending a significant amount of time in the primary bathroom. It's not a space often seen by guests, either, so it simply isn't high of my list of places to splurge inside the home! We did splurge on the plumbing fixtures, vanity countertop, shower size, and shower floor. We saved on the shower wall tile and vanity cabinet. 

Shower

 While I lovedthis zellige tile, we switched to a ceramic look-a-like (we will, however, be using that zellige in the kitchen!). Due to the size of the shower, this came out to a savings of $2,000. Originally, I picked out vertical straight stack for the installation pattern. Last minute, I switched to 1/2 stagger. It was definitely the right choice as the straight stack would have felt too modern for the look we are after! We invested in a gorgeous marble mosaic for the shower floor. The bench and niche ledges will be quartz. We trimmed the tile with Schluter as opposed to bullnose, which I always prefer. It's personal preference, but I love the clean and minimal look of Schluter. The photo below shows the tile pre-grout. Light gray grout (Tea Silverado) will be used in the entire bathroom. 

We installed two niches to have enough space for soap and hair care. You'll notice that the bench is set into the wall, rather than sticking out from the wall like most shower benches. The stairs to the main floor are located behind that wall, so we had some dead space that we figured we might as well utilize! 
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Bathroom Floor 

I became obsessed with Amber Lewis's primary bathroom! Her tumbled stone floor is such a nice change from Carrara marble. The tumbled edges and natural look add age and character. We selected this porcelain look-a-like, which comes in a variety of colors. Originally, the plan was to order all 4 colors and install them together in a versailles pattern, installing a 2x2 mosaic to match on the shower floor. Unfortunately, the 2x2 mosaic was backordered and would not arrive in time. So, we decided to put marble on the shower floor and order only the Grigio color in the tumbled stone line, as the other colors in the line did not work with Carrara. Because the shower floor tile is such a unique pattern, we went with a simple 8x16 in the tumbled stone installed in a 1/3 stagger. A versailles pattern would have been too busy with the star shower floor pattern. 
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Vanity

We originally designed a custom wood vanity. Unfortunately, it did not work out with the local supplier, so we decided to look for an alternative. Because the door next to the vanity is going to be a stained pine, we were limited as to the tone of wood we could use on the vanity (which is why we were originally going custom). I decided to go with a simple white vanity. We will order unlaquered brass hardware to replace the existing hardware. While white feels like a big compromise from oak; the quartz top, backsplash, and wall mount faucet are going to add elements of high design that should compensate for the vanity concession. The vanity we ordered was just less than $1500 compared to the wood vanity at over $3500. 
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Countertop

We picked out a remnant at a local fabricator. It is a soft white with very subtle veining. Next to the shower, I am most excited for the countertop/faucet situation! I have always wanted a wall mount faucet! Ordering and installing a wall mount faucet came with some additional costs. First, the fixture itself was around $750. A specific valve for $150 was needed to install. In addition, we are running the quartz backsplash 10" above the vanity so that there is no drywall near the faucet, an additional $800 of quartz. After adding up these expenses, I almost changed my mind to a deck mount faucet. Instead, I decided to go with a one sink vanity instead of two. A two sink vanity would have required two faucets, two sinks, two quartz sink hole cuts, and twice the labor to install the plumbing fixtures. Turns out, it was about the same cost to do two standard deck mount faucets that it was to go with one sink and a fancy wall mount! Plus, one sink means more counter space and more storage (double the amount of drawers!). Drawers are so much better than doors when it comes to vanity storage, so I am feeling very confident in this trade! Not to mention, one less sink to clean! Image below shows a wall mount faucet with stone backsplash!

Plumbing Fixtures 

As I mentioned in prior posts, we selected Kohler Purist for the entire house and I cannot wait! After lots of research, we purchased these Kohler toilets which have a nice shape and great reviews!
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Lighting

These sconces are going to add some refinement to the room! I love the traditional armed shape, the brass hue, and mainly, the shade. There is something sophisticated and romantic about the lighting that comes from a fabric shade! Linking two similar options

Accessories

​You may notice that there are a lot of cool tones in this design scheme - wall tile, shower floor, bathroom floor, and vanity are all either white or gray, We'll balance out all of the cool tones with a wood door, a wood shower stool, a vintage rug, artwork, Turkish towels, and of course, the brass faucets and hardware! Accessories make all the difference! 
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The bathroom floor tile and vanity will be installed THIS WEEK!!!! Can't wait!

​Hannah