Bathroom of the Week: Vintage Industrial With a Pattern Play
A Florida designer and her carpenter husband use a mix of tiles and custom storage to transform their guest bath
As a designer, Sarah Kraus had a leg up when it came to designing the guest bathroom in her home in Winter Park, Florida. She knew exactly what it needed and knew she could rely on her carpenter husband, David Bartelson, to execute her plans. The couple’s 13-year-old son, Nathan, mostly uses the space, and he is sometimes joined by his pet chameleon, Jade, as you’ll see below. So the design had to be functional and welcoming enough for guests yet cool enough for a teenager.
The answer came with bold patterned tile, a vintage trough-style utility sink, a hefty wood vanity and matte black fixtures — a combination that establishes a vintage industrial style that’s able to grow with the family.
The answer came with bold patterned tile, a vintage trough-style utility sink, a hefty wood vanity and matte black fixtures — a combination that establishes a vintage industrial style that’s able to grow with the family.
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After: Kraus and Bartelson didn’t remove any walls, relocate plumbing or change the layout. But they added depth and interest with different textures and patterns while staying within a monochromatic gray-and-white color scheme. “I have the same colors through the rest of my home,” Kraus says. “The warm wood with cool tones and black accents work so well together.”
Kraus covered the back wall of the shower and bathroom floor with patterned 8-by-8-inch glazed porcelain tiles that mimic the look of traditional handmade cement tiles. “I used these tiles so your eye follows the floor up to the shower wall to keep the flow going and maybe make the ceiling feel higher,” Kraus says.
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Kraus covered the back wall of the shower and bathroom floor with patterned 8-by-8-inch glazed porcelain tiles that mimic the look of traditional handmade cement tiles. “I used these tiles so your eye follows the floor up to the shower wall to keep the flow going and maybe make the ceiling feel higher,” Kraus says.
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The gray walls (Repose Gray by Sherwin-Williams) with off-white trim (Eider White by Sherwin-Williams) provide a soothing backdrop for the assorted patterns. A custom poplar wood shelf with walnut stain above the toilet offers a spot for decorative accessories. “We added that shelf just to give a bit of balance and extra warmth on that wall,” Kraus says.
The couple added a new exhaust fan above the shower-tub combo to improve ventilation.
Highline toilet: Kohler; towel bar: Trinsic in matte black, 18 inches, Delta
The couple added a new exhaust fan above the shower-tub combo to improve ventilation.
Highline toilet: Kohler; towel bar: Trinsic in matte black, 18 inches, Delta
A vintage-style trough sink with brushed nickel faucets that Kraus recycled from a client’s previous bathroom sits on a custom wood vanity. The gooseneck style brushed nickel faucets mounted on the back of the repurposed sink have two handles — one for hot water, one for cold. “This sink has a nice, large bowl, which gives room to wash your face and hands,” Kraus says.
A shelf below stores extra rolls of toilet tissue and other bathroom essentials. “The trough sink didn’t provide any countertop space, so we designed a niche behind the sink for surface area and storage,” Kraus says.
The long and lean niche includes polished white and gray mini mosaic marble tiles installed in a chevron pattern, though the color variations mimic a herringbone pattern as well. “I think they have the same type of color variation as the floor tiles, and I really love the herringbone look,” Kraus says. “They were the perfect find as accent tiles.”
Kraus found the two hanging coastal-style pendants above the vanity on a clearance shelf at a local store and spray-painted them matte black.
A shelf below stores extra rolls of toilet tissue and other bathroom essentials. “The trough sink didn’t provide any countertop space, so we designed a niche behind the sink for surface area and storage,” Kraus says.
The long and lean niche includes polished white and gray mini mosaic marble tiles installed in a chevron pattern, though the color variations mimic a herringbone pattern as well. “I think they have the same type of color variation as the floor tiles, and I really love the herringbone look,” Kraus says. “They were the perfect find as accent tiles.”
Kraus found the two hanging coastal-style pendants above the vanity on a clearance shelf at a local store and spray-painted them matte black.
A round mirror replaced a dated mirrored medicine cabinet. To make up for the lost storage, Kraus added another recessed niche with marble tile on the wall to the right of the mirror. “It worked out perfectly for an electric toothbrush, so the outlet was relocated to power the toothbrush and anything else,” Kraus says.
A matte black towel ring under the niche keeps hand towels close by. A coordinating 18-inch matte black towel bar between the sink and shower-tub combo provides a spot for wet hand towels to air dry.
Towel ring: Trinsic in matte black, Delta
A matte black towel ring under the niche keeps hand towels close by. A coordinating 18-inch matte black towel bar between the sink and shower-tub combo provides a spot for wet hand towels to air dry.
Towel ring: Trinsic in matte black, Delta
The family’s adventurous pet chameleon, Jade, enjoys a stroll on the wood-lined tile niche behind the sink.
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This long view of the guest bathroom shows the new rectangular 30-by-60-inch white alcove acrylic tub with integral apron for a clean, finished look.
A budget-friendly gray-and-white-striped ombre linen shower curtain adds another touch of pattern. “It was one of the options I found at a good price,” she says. “I liked how the gray tones of the shower curtain reflected off the marble mosaic.”
Kraus installed a white quartz sill to the window. She painted the bathroom door a dark, rich gray (Grizzle by Sherwin-Williams) that helps it stand out from the lighter gray tones of the walls and trim.
Tub: Underscore soaking tub, 60 inches, Kohler
A budget-friendly gray-and-white-striped ombre linen shower curtain adds another touch of pattern. “It was one of the options I found at a good price,” she says. “I liked how the gray tones of the shower curtain reflected off the marble mosaic.”
Kraus installed a white quartz sill to the window. She painted the bathroom door a dark, rich gray (Grizzle by Sherwin-Williams) that helps it stand out from the lighter gray tones of the walls and trim.
Tub: Underscore soaking tub, 60 inches, Kohler
The shower features a four-setting matte black head with a detachable hand shower that can be used separately from (or with) the shower head. “Hand showers are just very functional, and it also helps us wash our dogs,” Kraus says.
Shower: H20kinetic In2ition 4-setting 2-in-One shower in matte black, Delta
Shower: H20kinetic In2ition 4-setting 2-in-One shower in matte black, Delta
White ceramic 4-by-12-inch tiles line two sides of the shower and feature charcoal-colored grout. “They have a bevel to them that creates a bit of depth,” Kraus says. “I used these same tiles to create a half wall of tile on the vanity wall.”
Wood-framed artwork on the wall pokes fun at cellphone-obsessed culture. “I saw that at a local farmer’s market,” Kraus says. “My stepson helped pick it out.”
Wood-framed artwork on the wall pokes fun at cellphone-obsessed culture. “I saw that at a local farmer’s market,” Kraus says. “My stepson helped pick it out.”
This built-in niche on one of the side walls of the shower includes the same tiles used for the niches by the vanity. “I wanted to be consistent with the accent tile since I have so much going on in this bathroom,” Kraus says.
This photo offers a close-up look at the patterned porcelain floor tile. “They’re easier to install than cement tiles, and we wanted it to be as level as possible with the tile we have outside the bathroom,” Kraus says.
Before: Prior to the renovation, the existing bathroom’s small vanity made it look almost lost in the room. The shallow tub was another problem.
After: The larger wood vanity, deeper tub, custom niches with patterned tile and touches of warm wood give this guest bathroom personality and make it more functional. “The matte black plumbing fixtures, mirror and pendant lighting really tie everything together and give it that industrial and modern look,” Kraus says.
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More on Houzz
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Read about other bathroom makeovers
Find a bathroom remodeler near you
Shop for bathroom products
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Designer Sarah Kraus; her carpenter husband David Bartelson; their 13-year-old son, Nathan; pitbull-mix, Dugan; American bulldog, Lucy; and chameleon lizard, Jade
Location: Winter Park, Florida
Size: 40 square feet (3.7 square meters)
Designer: Sarah Kraus of S&W Kitchens
Before: The couple thought the existing guest bathroom the family had lived with for about seven years felt very generic. White glazed square tiles, a small white toilet, beige porcelain floor tile and a traditional-style dark wood vanity with a white ceramic sink did little to inspire Nathan or guests. “Our only tub in the house is in that bathroom,” Kraus says. “That old tub was shallow and not comfortable for soaking, so we wanted a deeper tub.”