White Square Tile Adds a Touch of Coziness to This Small Bath
What took shape in this Morningside Heights co-op was a white square tile bathroom that replaced a dark, cramped setup with bright finishes, a warm wood vanity and cabinet, and glass shower doors that helped the room feel more open. With wall-hung storage and easier-to-maintain surfaces, Kate and Jason gave the bath a lighter, more spa-like feel despite having no windows.
- Homeowners: Kate, an architect, and Jason, a lighting designer, posted their bathroom remodel on Sweeten
- Where: Morningside Heights, Manhattan, New York
- Primary renovation: The couple renovated the bathroom to make it feel brighter and more open. Changes included using white square wall tile, a warm wood vanity and cabinet, wall-hung storage, glass shower doors in place of a shower curtain, and finishes that were easier to clean and maintain.
A dark bathroom with too many frustrations
Kate and Jason thought they would eventually be priced out of the city, until an apartment listing caught their eye. It was a one-bedroom co-op in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. The couple and their dog, Baumer, moved in and immediately renovated the kitchen.
“We took a couple of years to recoup before moving onto the bathroom,” said Kate. The bathroom was in rough shape. With no backsplash, the paint was peeling behind the cracked sink.
The heat from a large steam pipe behind the wall rendered the medicine cabinet basically useless. “Hot toothpaste, anyone?” said Kate.
The mosaic floor tile grout was impossible to clean. Kate described showering as a cramped, dark experience, the shower curtain blocking the room’s one source of light. Sweeten brings homeowners an exceptional renovation experience by personally matching trusted general contractors to your project, while offering expert guidance and support—at no cost to you. Renovate expertly with Sweeten
A white square tile bathroom comes together
With both parties having design backgrounds (Kate in architecture and Jason in lighting design), the couple knew what they wanted. Kate ordered most of the materials to save money.
Their general contractor, whom they found through Sweeten, a free service that pairs homeowners with vetted contractors, went the extra mile and picked up many of those materials. Despite lacking windows, Kate wanted to “achieve the look of a spa, make the room feel bigger; I also wanted the space to be easy to clean and maintain.”
She paired bright white finishes, including square tile, with a warm wood vanity and cabinet to bring in warmth without losing the clean look she wanted. Because the vanity and cabinet were hung on the wall instead of sitting on the floor, the room felt more open.
Glass doors in place of a shower curtain helped keep that airy effect going. Kate finished the look with a bright blue clock, matching towels, and a yellow hand towel for a little personality.
“They are all temporary accents that can be replaced when our tastes change or if we move,” she said.
Living through the bathroom renovation
To keep costs down, Kate and Jason stayed in the apartment while the bathroom renovation was underway instead of moving out for the project. That helped limit expenses, but it also meant relying on friends in the building, who let them use their shower during the remodel.
It was a workable setup, though not the easiest part of the process. As Kate put it, they found themselves schlepping a shower basket downstairs and through the hallway “dorm-style,” a detail that captures just how much even a single-room renovation can reshape a daily routine.
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Renovation materials
- Bathroom floor tiles: Stone Source.
- Bathroom wall tiles: Floor & Decor.
- Cabinetry: Concept Baths.
- Hardware: Kwikset and Kohler.
- Sink fixture: Hansgrohe.
- Shower fixture: Hansgrohe.
- Shower doors: Kohler.
- Slide bar: Kohler.
- Toilet: Toto.
- Lighting: Kichler.
Frequently asked questions
Is white square tile a good choice for a small bathroom?
Yes, white square tile is a good choice for a small bathroom because it reflects light and helps the space feel cleaner and more open. In Kate and Jason’s remodel, it also played nicely with the warm wood vanity and glass shower doors, so the room felt bright without feeling cold.
How can I brighten a windowless bathroom?
One way you can brighten a windowless bathroom is by using bright white finishes that help bounce light around the room. That approach made sense in this renovation, especially once the shower curtain was swapped for glass doors that stopped blocking the bathroom’s only light source.
Does a floating vanity make a bathroom look bigger?
Yes, a floating vanity can make a bathroom look bigger because it leaves more floor visible and cuts down on visual heaviness. Kate leaned into that idea by choosing wall-hung pieces, which helped the bathroom feel more open at a glance.
