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These homeowners appreciated the traditional architectural style of their hometown of St. John’s, a centuries-old city on Newfoundland island, in Canada’s easternmost province of Newfoundland and Labrador. But they had lived for years in Vancouver, British Columbia, where they had grown to love the more streamlined style of Canada’s west coast. After they returned to St. John’s and were ready to remodel their home there, they sought out North Vancouver designer Lori Steeves, whom they knew through family and friends. Steeves visited their home at the start of the project and then worked with them remotely.
“They had loved their time in Vancouver and really connected to a lot of the more streamlined design style there,” Steeves says. “They were keen to have some west coast influence in the new design for their home.” The wife also adored the gardens surrounding the house and wanted them to play a central role in the design. She hoped to highlight views and bring the outdoors in through color and pattern. Steeves responded with a transitional approach that blends colorful, traditional Newfoundland elements with neutral, streamlined Vancouver influences and nature-inspired details.
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For this busy Minnesota couple with three teenage daughters, the original primary bathroom was cramped, dated and uninspiring. Designer Victoria Johnson transformed the space into a serene retreat with a freestanding soaking tub, a furniture-style white oak double vanity and a spa-worthy shower with integrated LED lighting. Soothing neutral tones, thoughtful storage and luxe finishes turned this once-boring bathroom into a peaceful, elevated haven perfect for recharging after a hectic day.
Before Photo
“After” photos by Jared Martin
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple — a CPA and an art teacher — with three teenage daughters
Location: Maple Grove, Minnesota
Size: 170 square feet (16 square meters)
Designer: M. Victoria Johnson Interiors
Before: The former bathroom, with powder blue walls and a basic beige tile floor, had an aging wood double vanity that offered little storage. “Storage was an issue for sure,” Johnson says. “Everything was just in need of an update and upgrade.”
A solid-surface countertop and row of Hollywood-style vanity lights dated the space. Nearby, a corner tub with deck ate up valuable square footage. The door at right leads to the primary bedroom; the other door reflected in the mirror opens to the couple’s closet.
After: Johnson removed the old double vanity, tub, tub deck, flooring and shower to make way for a fresh, open layout. The new furniture-style quartersawn white oak double vanity features inset cabinets and a custom dark stain that highlights the wood’s rich grain. Easy-access drawers have black button knobs. “There’s always the issue of getting around the plumbing, but I believe drawers are the best kind of storage under a sink in a bathroom,” Johnson says. “We went with slab fronts but added trim around the drawers to add more detail and depth.”
A tower cabinet with adjustable shelves provides storage for linens and essentials. Its metal-framed door with reeded glass lightens the vanity wall while hiding clutter. The large bottom drawer includes a built-in outlet and custom partition for hair tools.
The counter and backsplash are Fusion quartzite, a durable natural stone with dramatic patterning and swirling colors. “It’s stunning and definitely the wow factor of this bathroom,” Johnson says. Mitered edges give the countertop a substantial feel. Walls, ceiling and trim are painted a light greige (Gossamer Veil by Sherwin-Williams) with a limewash finish. “Limewash is good for spaces with moisture, and I also wanted to have texture but not do tile everywhere,” Johnson says. “I figured if we went with a finish that was good for a space with moisture we could solve that. It also adds texture to the space.”
The floor was upgraded to 12-by-24-inch large-format light gray matte porcelain tiles laid in a herringbone patter with matching grout for a clean, contemporary look.
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Above the vanity, two 18-by-27-inch mirrored medicine cabinets with black aluminum frames add sleek storage. “I love medicine cabinets so much,” Johnson says. “They offer a lot of storage. They’re not deep and sit at eye level, so things are easier to reach.”
A bold, extra-large black LED zigzag sconce mounted vertically between the mirrors adds modern flair. “I don’t like sconces above mirrors,” Johnson says. “I think when you have them next to the mirror you get better lighting. In this space I didn’t have the room to add them on each side, so I put one in the middle. This one in particular is more like a decorative piece or statement.” New recessed LED ceiling lights on dimmers provide overall illumination. (They were digitally removed by the photographer to showcase other design details.)
Sconce: Zig Zag, Visual Comfort; medicine cabinets: Infinity in black, CB2
Before and After: 4 Elevated Bathrooms in 170 to 180 Square Feet
The vanity’s two rectangular undermount sinks are paired with sleek two-handle faucets in brushed nickel. “I didn’t want black faucets — I think they look too heavy,” Johnson says. “I felt strongly the finish needed to be brushed. I felt this finish was lower-maintenance, and I like the warmth of the nickel. I think they look a little modern too.”
Faucet: Castia in brushed nickel, Kohler
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Before Photo
Before: The large corner tub with deck felt cramped and out of place. “I think they were just looking for something that looked modern and fresh, not so heavy,” Johnson says. The tub sat beneath a pair of corner windows with fixed frosted glass panels, which the homeowners wanted to keep.
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After: Johnson removed the bulky tub and deck and installed a white oval freestanding acrylic soaking tub with an integrated drain. “The clean lines were more than anything why we wanted that tub,” Johnson says.
A floor-mounted tub filler with hand shower head and diverter in vibrant brushed nickel matches the vanity faucets. Durable fabric drapes soften the existing windows and add warmth. Johnson mounted the drapery rod a few inches higher to visually lift the walls. She also removed the window trim and added a sheetrock detail for a cleaner, more modern look.
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Before Photo
Before: The standard stall shower with a short glass enclosure, beige tile and two cluttered corner shelves felt tight. A lone recessed can light offered minimal illumination. “The shower had two shower heads,” Johnson says. “It wasn’t like a rain shower and a regular shower head. It was two shower heads on separate walls in a small space and it didn’t make sense.”
The door next to the shower leads to the water closet, which the homeowners wanted to keep. “We changed the toilet, continued the tile into that space and painted the water closet,” Johnson says.
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After: The upgraded shower now feels spacious and polished with a custom tempered glass panel and matte porcelain tiles from the same collection as the main floor tile. In the shower, the midtone gray tiles cover the ceiling, walls and floor in a mosaic size that adds depth and interest. “These tiles look more blue in person,” Johnson says. “The mosaic size adds texture and we used a grout that’s kind of blue too. It turned out very nice.”
The new setup includes a fixed shower head, an 8-inch contemporary rain can, a hand shower and a pressure-balanced valve with diverter, all in vibrant brushed nickel. A long niche keeps products organized and off the floor, while an integrated LED lighting strip adds a modern glow. “I love the overall look and feel,” Johnson says. “It’s definitely not a basic bathroom anymore. The improved storage we gave them is great too.”
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After: Greenberg reconfigured the layout, taking over the sink and part of the bathtub area to create a new walk-in shower and moving the sink across the room. With no space for the dresser, she selected a vanity that offered generous storage. The updated plan allowed for a roomy shower stall with a wide opening that could accommodate a walker.
Everything about the new shower makes life easier. It’s zero-threshold, with no curb to step over, and the barn-style glass door glides smoothly on a track. “It also has a large handle that’s easy for arthritic hands to pull,” Greenberg says. A towel bar on the door keeps things within easy reach.
The wife selected a botanical wallpaper that ties into the nature-inspired motifs of the Craftsman era. The tile design also stays true to the period. “My clients wanted traditional 3-by-5-inch subway tile, but we had to look quite hard for just the right cap. This one isn’t too clunky and has a profile that they liked,” Greenberg says.
The floor features matte white hexagonal tiles for maximum traction. “All the original bathroom floors in the house are white hex with black accents and we continued that pattern here,” Greenberg says. A slim black pencil tile around the room ties it all together. The many grout lines add slip resistance — another thoughtful aging-in-place feature.
Keeping the bathroom warm through Massachusetts winters was a key priority. The team refinished the original radiator, giving it a fresh look while retaining its powerful heat output. “That radiator pumps out a lot of heat and they love it,” Greenberg says.
The bath also includes a ceiling-light-fan-heater combo, a feature the homeowners appreciated in the original room. To make the space more energy-efficient, Greenberg’s team padded out the exterior wall for extra insulation and replaced the old window with a historically appropriate reproduction.
Wallpaper: April Blossom, York Wallcoverings
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The couple wanted the tub and shower together in one open wet-room area. The signature water flow tile repeats behind the shower heads in a customized pattern that fits around the fixtures and niches. The third wall features large windows that look out to a private patio.
The enclosure is curbless and partially open, which makes it both modern and functional for aging in place, particularly if a walker is ever used. “The glass enclosure is long enough that not a drop of water ever escapes this area,” Allison says. “It all flows down to the linear drain beneath the shower controls.”
The shower includes two standard heads, a rain shower and a handheld wand. The control panel features a thermostatic dial for temperature and two large push buttons that direct water to the various heads.
The homeowners have to get into the shower to turn on the water, but thanks to a tankless hot water recirculation system, they never have to endure a cold shock. “It literally takes seconds for the water to get from a warm enough temperature up to the desired temperature,” Allison says.
Both the tub and shower niches are illuminated by LED light strips along the top, and more lighting runs beneath the floating vanity. These subtle lights provide a soft glow without needing to turn on bright overhead lights to navigate safely in the middle of the night.
Shower heads: Statement collection, Kohler; shower controls: Anthem collection, Kohler
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Photos by Robert Peterson of Rustic White Photography
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two teenage daughters
Location: Alpharetta, Georgia
Size: 3,864 square feet (359 square meters); four bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms
Design-build firm: Ecraft
Architect: Peter Shipps
Architect Peter Shipps designed the house, while Holle worked out the finishes and built-ins. “This was a home where we made the most of every inch,” she says. The homeowner worked with local Alpharetta business The Happy Home to help her with wallpaper and lighting selections.
The architectural style of the house is Greek Revival meets Southern hospitality. The symmetrical white facade, Doric columns, gable roof, simple moldings and entablature (the long horizontal lines above the columns) represent the former. The gracious front porch is welcoming and a classic element in the architecture of the American South. Traditional black louvered shutters, a trio of elegant lantern-like pendant lights and the picket fence add to the home’s charm. “The Doric columns were my client’s idea,” Holle says. “From the street, the house looks quaint and cozy.”
Exterior paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
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Site plan: A big part of the design was figuring out walkways and how to create different experiences around the property.
On this plan, the lake is at the top and the driveway is at the bottom. A rectangular paver path leads from the driveway to the entry. A grass path on the left leads to the lake-facing side of the house. Around the far side of the garage, on the right, is a bluestone path. Cutting gardens and edible plantings are represented by the boxes to the right of that path.
Toward the top of the plan, off the back of the house, is a large patio that overlooks the lake. The little nook on the left side of the patio is an art garden. There are two stepped paths leading from the patio down to the lake. The one on the left leads from the playroom down to a playground area. The one in the center leads down to the dock.
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For this new build on a Minnesota horse farm, the design was all about balance between Scandinavian modern and sophisticated country styles. The homeowners are a retired couple who had been inspired by a recent trip to Europe when they met interior designer Emily Pueringer.
“They came back really into Scandinavian modern style,” Pueringer says. “Because this is a horse farm, they were also into an equestrian Ralph Lauren look, meaning plaid patterns and colors like deep green, burgundy and brown. They also told me they loved the feel of Scottish country farmhouses. They wanted sophisticated style, but because this is a farm and they have a large dog, it needed to be practical and durable. At first I thought, ‘How in the world am I going to make all of that work?’”
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After building their house in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley back in the 1990s, this couple found that one of their favorite things about the home was watching the sun set behind the Appalachian Mountains from their bathtub. Decades later, with their children all grown up and moved out, they were ready for a full remodel of the bathroom. A big bathtub placed beneath its corner windows was a nonnegotiable must-have.
Lucky for them, they were close friends with a designer, Jill Jarrett. Jarrett had designed their dream kitchen a few years earlier, so she understood their style and needs. For their primary bath, she created a traditional design that worked well with the style of the rest of the house. More important, she reworked the layout to give them the storage they lacked, a larger shower and, of course, a large tub with sunset views.
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“The gravel sits within a honeycomb grid so it doesn’t kick everywhere, and it’s easier to walk on, but it still gives that lovely crunching sound,” Hugh-Jones says. “It’s much better than hard landscaping for drainage too.”
New inset paving stones connect the solid patio next to the house to the gravel paths that lead into the woodland area. “Having the paving stones running through leads you down into that space,” Hugh-Jones says. “I wanted the two spaces to merge and the beds on the right-hand side to merge into the gravel as well, keeping it very fluid.”
Choosing gravel over grass allows plants to spill over and soften the bed edges. Varieties such as Mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus, zones 6 to 9), grasses and thyme have been planted directly into the gravel, adding color and structure to the pathway. In the small square bed, the taller plants are white cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus, zones 2 to 11) and ‘Amistad’ purple friendship sage (Salvia ‘Amistad’, zones 8 to 11).