An Airy Oceanside Bathroom Retreat in California
A designer helps his 80-year-old aunt turn the room into a space as breezy as the ocean air blowing through the window
Scope: The previous bathroom had low ceilings, a single vanity and a built-in tub. To turn that space into the client’s dream ocean-side bathroom, Rasky created a layout (shown above) that left the room feeling large and open. They replaced the built-in tub with a freestanding tub, tucked the shower into the corner and carved out a narrow space along the shower for the toilet.
Style: Rasky knew the client loved the color blue because she used it consistently throughout her home. He decided to use a mixture of navy and baby blues, along with white, to create an airy, ocean atmosphere. Rasky then picked furnishings with rounded edges, such as the tub and mirrors, to create a softer feel in the room.
Floors: The first thing you notice when you walk in the room is the floor, Rasky says, and so he and the homeowner wanted to make sure it was an attention grabber. They decided on an enlarged, hexagon-shaped tile, pairing the white ceramic with a white grout. “When you’re doing a white grout and a white tile, it is best to go with the highest quality grout you can buy, because it’s easier to clean and maintain,” Rasky says. “Plus, a replacement would be really expensive.”
Pro tip: When choosing tile, enlarging any basic shape makes it look more modern and interesting, Rasky says.
Lighting: Layers of lighting, from the pendant and vanity sconces to natural light, keep the space light and bright. The chandelier was added to create a focal point on the tub’s side of the room. The room’s redesign also included moving the single window to the center of the wall to create symmetry in the room.
Art: The client loves art, and Rasky wanted to give her some options that were a little more modern. “I like to give a lot of possibilities and see what the client is inspired by,” he says. She ended up picking natural and geometric pieces.
Wall paint: Midnight Navy, Benjamin Moore; tub: Randolph Morris freestanding tub, Vintage Tub & Bath; tub faucet: Randolph Morris, Vintage Tub & Bath; towel bar: Hayden, Pottery Barn; pendant light: Marina round pendant, Pottery Barn; art: Indonesian Dragonfly, Wisteria; flooring: white, Panal, Natucer
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Floors: The first thing you notice when you walk in the room is the floor, Rasky says, and so he and the homeowner wanted to make sure it was an attention grabber. They decided on an enlarged, hexagon-shaped tile, pairing the white ceramic with a white grout. “When you’re doing a white grout and a white tile, it is best to go with the highest quality grout you can buy, because it’s easier to clean and maintain,” Rasky says. “Plus, a replacement would be really expensive.”
Pro tip: When choosing tile, enlarging any basic shape makes it look more modern and interesting, Rasky says.
Lighting: Layers of lighting, from the pendant and vanity sconces to natural light, keep the space light and bright. The chandelier was added to create a focal point on the tub’s side of the room. The room’s redesign also included moving the single window to the center of the wall to create symmetry in the room.
Art: The client loves art, and Rasky wanted to give her some options that were a little more modern. “I like to give a lot of possibilities and see what the client is inspired by,” he says. She ended up picking natural and geometric pieces.
Wall paint: Midnight Navy, Benjamin Moore; tub: Randolph Morris freestanding tub, Vintage Tub & Bath; tub faucet: Randolph Morris, Vintage Tub & Bath; towel bar: Hayden, Pottery Barn; pendant light: Marina round pendant, Pottery Barn; art: Indonesian Dragonfly, Wisteria; flooring: white, Panal, Natucer
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Shower tile: They covered the back wall of the shower with a blue-and-white glass mixture, creating a wallpaper look. Rasky chose this color mix and then decided on the rectangular shapes with the client. The designer and client went with a blue penny tile for the shower floor to give it additional texture.
Shower fixtures: The shower includes a thermostatic shower head, which allows the client to preset temperatures.
Stool: A movable and sculptural garden stool gives the client seating but doesn’t take up a ton of space in the shower.
Wall tile: block glass mosaic, Blue Moon Blend; shower floor tile: Jasba; stool: Safavieh Liana garden stool, Target; shower system: Hansgrohe
Shower fixtures: The shower includes a thermostatic shower head, which allows the client to preset temperatures.
Stool: A movable and sculptural garden stool gives the client seating but doesn’t take up a ton of space in the shower.
Wall tile: block glass mosaic, Blue Moon Blend; shower floor tile: Jasba; stool: Safavieh Liana garden stool, Target; shower system: Hansgrohe
Design process: The project took about 12 weeks (six weeks of design and six weeks of construction). During the design phase, Rasky used rendering, like this one, to help his aunt envision the final design.
Contractor: Alan Pine General Contractor
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Contractor: Alan Pine General Contractor
More
Great Home Project: Install a New Tile Floor
Tile Style: Beautiful Beach-Glass Blues for the Bath
Find a designer to help with your next bathroom remodel
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: An 80-year-old woman
Location: Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles
Size: 125 square feet (11.6 square meters)
Designer: Michael Rasky of LA Modern Nest
The backstory: The homeowner, who is also the designer’s aunt, has lived in this home with an ocean view for many years and longed to redo her bathroom to evoke the ocean breezes that blow through the window. She finally decided the time was right. “She had the spirit and motivation to get it done,” says designer Michael Rasky. “She just wanted to create a sanctuary for herself, which was a nice way of approaching a project.”
Medicine cabinets: Archer, Kohler; vanity: Belvedere, Home Depot; faucets: BauLoop Collection, Grohe; wall art: Agate Trio, ZGallerie
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