New Layout Takes Master Bath From Awkward to Awesome
A freestanding bathtub, textured tile and natural wood make design waves in this coastal Massachusetts bathroom
Before: Located on a side wall, the former built-in tub was enormous and tricky to access between the countertop corner and encroaching faucet.
Before: The previous vanity area held two small separate sinks. An angled mirror awkwardly mimicked the sloped ceiling. Two wood inset cabinets looked inconsistent with the surrounding mirror.
After: Looking at the same angle as the previous photo, you can see how the layout completely changed, with a new tub in place of the former vanity and flanked by two new single vanities, each with its own mirror.
Moving plumbing locations can be a budget buster, so for the new layout, designer Kristina Crestin and contractor Shawn Curran of Curran & Sons Construction worked to maintain the general plumbing hookups so they could be reused. With the exception of the walls, window and skylight above, the bathroom otherwise was gutted.
The tub: The homeowners occasionally take baths rather than showers and still wanted a tub, but ideally one that took up less square footage than their previous one. Crestin sourced a modern freestanding tub, which is space-saving compared to the built-in type.
Instead of a typical wall installation, the tub filler is installed on the side of the custom vanity’s waterfall-style Caesarstone counter. Northshore Custom Woodworking created a 5-inch void in the custom cabinet drawer interior to accommodate the tub’s plumbing.
The floor: Crestin designed the rest of the home in a fresh, modern coastal style using organic, textural materials like leather and wood. Tying the master bathroom into that scheme, she selected a budget-friendly 12-by-24-inch porcelain floor tile with a leather-look finish. It also pairs nicely with the brick-red penny tile in the shower. The warm rust tile colors offset the coolness of the light gray wall paint and counters.
Floor and shower tile: via Discover Tile, Boston Design Center; tub: MTI Andrea 5 Sculpted Finish; tub filler and hand shower controls: Odin series, Brizo
Moving plumbing locations can be a budget buster, so for the new layout, designer Kristina Crestin and contractor Shawn Curran of Curran & Sons Construction worked to maintain the general plumbing hookups so they could be reused. With the exception of the walls, window and skylight above, the bathroom otherwise was gutted.
The tub: The homeowners occasionally take baths rather than showers and still wanted a tub, but ideally one that took up less square footage than their previous one. Crestin sourced a modern freestanding tub, which is space-saving compared to the built-in type.
Instead of a typical wall installation, the tub filler is installed on the side of the custom vanity’s waterfall-style Caesarstone counter. Northshore Custom Woodworking created a 5-inch void in the custom cabinet drawer interior to accommodate the tub’s plumbing.
The floor: Crestin designed the rest of the home in a fresh, modern coastal style using organic, textural materials like leather and wood. Tying the master bathroom into that scheme, she selected a budget-friendly 12-by-24-inch porcelain floor tile with a leather-look finish. It also pairs nicely with the brick-red penny tile in the shower. The warm rust tile colors offset the coolness of the light gray wall paint and counters.
Floor and shower tile: via Discover Tile, Boston Design Center; tub: MTI Andrea 5 Sculpted Finish; tub filler and hand shower controls: Odin series, Brizo
Custom vanities: Curran left the custom vanity front panels unstained to emphasize the natural beauty of the white oak. They are sealed with a clear protective finish. Two middle drawers are accessed by a carved finger notch, while the top and bottom panels are stationary.
Dark accents: Faucets with a black finish provide a punch of contrast, but finding light fixtures to match proved challenging. “I don’t like a mess of too many finishes in a bathroom,” Crestin says. She settled on sconces in a coordinating dark bronze.
Medicine cabinet: PL Series, Robern; undermount sink: Vero, Duravit; faucets: Odin Widespread Lavatory Faucet, Brizo; sconces: Thomas O’Brien Ziyi, Visual Comfort
Medicine cabinet: PL Series, Robern; undermount sink: Vero, Duravit; faucets: Odin Widespread Lavatory Faucet, Brizo; sconces: Thomas O’Brien Ziyi, Visual Comfort
Hex tile splurge: The hex tile backsplash was a material splurge, its installation limited to the wall surface behind the tub and vanity splash areas. Its white glaze varies between opaque and a thin wash, giving it an organic, more textured appearance. A thin tile liner caps off the unfinished top edge.
Hex tile: from Discover Tile, Boston Design Center
Hex tile: from Discover Tile, Boston Design Center
A modern pendant light echoes the angles of the ceiling. Its antique brass finish ties in with the warmth of the floor tile.
Pendant fixture: Moderna Lantern, Worlds Away
Pendant fixture: Moderna Lantern, Worlds Away
After: Now in the middle of the wall opposite the entrance, the new freestanding-style tub creates two separate sink areas and more space to maneuver. While the finishes changed, the new shower and toilet remained in the same locations.
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Related Guides
See How These 8 Bathrooms Fit It All Into About 100 Square Feet
5 Ways With an 8-by-5-Foot Bathroom
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How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost?
More Resources on Houzz
Find bath designers and contractors
Browse bath products and materials
Bathroom at a Glance
Location: Manchester by the Sea, Massachusetts
Size: 122 square feet (11.3 square meters)
Designer: Kristina Crestin Design
The backstory: The homeowners wanted to update their master bath so it had a more functional layout and aesthetic appeal. However, because the house may not be a long-term home for the family, their aim was to keep costs down as much as possible.