Today we reveal our Hall Bathroom update from our recently completed Fitzgerald Condo Remodel!
The hall bath is just across the hall from the guest bath, and this space, much like the primary bathroom, was one that required some creative thinking.
We knew we wanted to replace the counters, sink, lights, and mirror, but we weren't quite sure how far we wanted to take this space.
The original bath had this funky honeycomb hex tile in the shower and a honey-toned basketweave tile on the floors. Should we work around those? Go for a complete gut? Save the shower? Keep the floors? All options were on the table.
Hall Bath Before
My first thought was to keep both the floor tile and shower tile and replace everything else, since, while not in the color tones I'd prefer, the style of each was in line with our overall direction and great quality. Plus, as I've mentioned before, tile can get expensive!
The problem was, these two tile choices were fighting with each other hardcore. Similar to mixing patterns, when you mix different tile shapes and patterns together, you want to make sure you vary the scale of your tile so they don't fight with each other.
The hex and the basketweave were so similar in size and color that instead of complementing each other, they clashed. I couldn't figure out how to keep both and create a happy bathroom.
Original Floor & Shower Tile
At some point, I decided if I could get rid of just one of these tiles, I could solve the design dilemma.
Early on in the project, we decided to replace the wood floors throughout the condo. While I wouldn't recommend real wood floors in a high-traffic full bath, the shower in this space would be used very rarely, so I was comfortable with this as an option.
As soon as I tapped the idea to run the wood into the hall bath, the design came together fairly quickly.
Now, the only element I was working around was the gold hex, which I much preferred to the basketweave. It had sort of a 1920s Great Gadsby vibe to it, and in the honey tone, it felt much less dated than the basketweave.
SO: Great Gatsby it was!
Style Board & Finish Selection
Below is the first draft of our style board for the hall bath. We ended up swapping out the mirror and hardware for something with more gold tones:
We knew we'd have extra quartz from the kitchen project, so we utilized a remnant from that material as our counter selection.
We replaced the funky geometric vessel sink with a simple, round white vessel (we decided to stick with a vessel because we wanted to maintain the wall-mounted faucet, which is higher than your typical counter-mounted faucet).
To bring some extra pizzaz, we used a super funky "moscow-mule" colored tile that we ran up the entire wall behind the sink and brought in a super glammy vanity light paired with a gold-framed mirror I found at a thrift market.
Other details included a new toilet to match the one in the main bath and a framed print from the Greek island, Santorini.
As for the cabinets, we maintained the original boxes, had new doors made by our friends at Katt Design & Carpentry, and painted them a dark, dark blue tone. We paired this with antique brass cabinet hardware, which looks sooooo goooood.
Another fun and extremely simple detail (that I forgot to photograph!), but which made a big difference in the space, was on the vertical linen closet.
Previously, the cabinet stopped about 4 inches short of the ceiling with no crown molding. To make the piece feel more custom and complete, we added a cove crown molding that went right to the ceiling. It made a HUGE difference!
Take a look at the completed space:
The Wrap Up
My goal isn't typically to design the most budget-friendly spaces—good materials and good workers are worth their cost.
BUT, this was one small area in a giant project where our client didn't feel the need to go all out. I can appreciate that! Plus, savings in one area often allows you to go bigger in another (say, the kitchen!), so it's good to think through your priorities before diving in.
SO, here are a few ways we were able to keep costs down in order to make more room in the budget elsewhere:
Repainting and refacing the original cabinet boxes
Using a remnant from the kitchen counter selection rather than a completely different counter material
Running the same hardwoods into the bathroom as used throughout the condo rather than using tile (the cost difference on paper likely isn't huge, but since we ordered a lot of wood flooring and this was such a small space, it was more efficient than tile when you factor in material and labor)
Reusing the original faucet, shower fixture, and bathroom accessories
Finding a way to design around the existing tiled shower (we probably saved our client $10K+ in demo, new tile, and labor, just by saving the shower)
This space was a fun challenge for me! I always find pleasure in breathing new life into existing design elements. Of course, it's also fun to go with all brand new selections on a project, but it's incredibly satisfying (while sometimes more difficult) to make something old new again.
Work with Lauren Figueroa Interior Design
LFID is a full-service interior design firm serving West and Southeast Michigan known especially for our Designed in a Day service.
We work with clients from Detroit to Novi to Clarkston, and Grand Rapids to Holland to Traverse City—and anywhere in between! We pride ourselves on creating bespoke, people-centered spaces—because after all, people are what this life is all about!
If you have a project on the horizon, get started by telling us about your vision here, and you can view past projects here. Thanks for stopping by!
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