A Moody Bath for a Getaway Home
A Long Island bath goes classic yet modern
Project: Redesign the first-floor bath in Riverhead, NY
Before: Brooklyn couple Nate and Michelle bought their 2,010-square-foot-house in Riverhead, NY, as a rural getaway. The home was perfect in many ways, but the bathrooms left a lot to be desired. After building an ensuite bath for the upstairs guest bedroom with Sweeten, the couple’s attention turned to the downstairs bath. The plan was to design a bathroom that fit with the farmhouse style of the home while having its own, distinct personality. Nate posted the project on Sweeten and was matched with this general contractor.
While the upstairs bath was being built above the one below, the rooms were not perfectly aligned…the contractor had to figure out the best way to run pipes.
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After: First thing to go? The outdated pink floor. Inspired by a photo online of a bathroom with blue walls and a white pedestal sink, Nate and Michelle made it their color scheme. To make it their own, they chose a vanity with plenty of storage and added brass fixtures and hardware for tonal contrast. The combo of moody blue, warm brass, and bright white subway tile makes the space feel fresh and modern.
During the renovation, one bathroom was being built above the other, and the rooms were not perfectly aligned. The contractor had to figure out the best way to run pipes from the downstairs space to the new bathroom upstairs. “The solution was to create a tray ceiling [in the downstairs bath] so the pipes could be concealed around the perimeter of the wall,” Nate said. “Even though the pipes are only along one wall, the tray ceiling makes it look like a nice design decision rather than an extra shape on one side built to hide something.”
His advice for future renovators? “Make sure you have all the pieces before starting. That includes the tile, fixtures, vanities, toilets, and even the little things like towel hooks and toilet paper holders. That way, your project isn’t held up while waiting for some piece to come in.” A smart suggestion for keeping the project on time and running smoothly.
Bonus: Nate modified a set of store-bought shelves to better suit the space. “The brass shelf is from CB2. It actually comes as a set of three in different sizes designed to hang together,” he said. “We only wanted one, but the whole set was cheaper than most of the other single brass shelves we found, so we got it anyway. Maybe we’ll find a spot for the other two.”
Style finds: Napoli 4” x 8” subway tile (shower walls) and Re-Use in Sand Matte floor tile (including shower floor): Forever Floors & Design Center. Fixtures, hardware, 20th C. Filament Bare Bulb sconces, sink, and Pharmacy Powder vanity: Restoration Hardware. Santa Rosa Kohler toilet: Home Depot. Brass shelf: CB2. Gentleman’s Gray paint: Benjamin Moore.
Thank you, Michelle and Nate, for sharing your moody bathroom with us!
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Looking to create a unique bath, Erin and Brian took an antique basin table and transformed it into a sink pedestal.
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