Our Dramatic Bathroom Renovation Reveal

Reveals

April 2, 2024

Bathroom design by Nadine Stay. Black and white granite countertop and backsplash with unlacquered brass faucet and rustic wood mirror.

Our bathroom has been a trainwreck since we moved in 8 years ago. It featured a partially exposed subfloor, a grimy beyond repair vanity, and a plastic surround in the shower with built in limescale. We’ve been so eager to remodel it and after years of playing around with design ideas, we finally landed on a design that we loved and fit with the style of our home. I’m thrilled to share our dramatic bathroom before and after.

Dramatic bathroom before and after. Brown vanity with black and white veined granite countertop. Marble mosaic shower tile. Unlacquered brass shower head and faucet. Nadine Stay — AFTER

PAINT COLORS:

Walls: Custom Mix
Vanity: Muted Mahogany from HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams

The biggest pain point of the bathroom was the placement of the toilet and the dividing wall. The toilet faced the shower with 5 inches of leg room..and I’m not exaggerating for dramatic effect. We had to side saddle the toilet every time and it was annoying to say the least. The dividing wall on the other hand made the bathroom feel really small. We believe the wall was once the original exterior wall before our home was added onto decades ago. It no longer served a purpose so we were eager to remove it and add a beam for support.

Once demolition started, we completed this project in 5 weeks….our fastest project to date!

Bathroom brown vanity and black veined granite countertop. Unlacquered brass faucet and antique brass sconces. Nadine Stay

The Design Plan

The style I wanted to achieve was “naturally dramatic.” Natural elements with strong color variations.

I started the design concept with the one thing I was certain of – a black and white heavily veined countertop with a tall scooped backsplash. We looked at several material options including quartz and soapstone, but after doing more research we decided to go with granite. We were lucky to find a granite remnant in the exact style we wanted. It’s the clear star of the show.

Countertop Specs

Our countertop is Nero Argento granite with a brushed finish. The backsplash is 8″ tall.

Brown vanity and bathroom wood mirror with black and white veined granite countertop. Nadine Stay

Bathroom before and after with beige shower curtain and marble mosaic shower tile

Tile Selection

The tile selection was the most difficult part of this project. I wanted a limestone floor and a complimentary cream tile for the shower. But after looking through all our limestone options, we found a porcelain alternative for the floor that looks convincingly natural.

For the shower walls, I picked a mosaic ceramic tile that features gray and brown veins with a soft cream grout color. It’s a subtle compliment to the rest of the room and a perfect backdrop to the unlacquered brass shower fixtures.

Marble mosaic shower tile with unlacquered brass shower head and tub filler. Nadine Stay

Hardware Finishes

I mixed a variety of hardware finishes within the bathroom to create layers of interest. I chose unlacquered brass for the shower head system, tub filler, sink faucet, and towel ring. I selected a pair of sconces (which are my all time favorite lights) and towel hooks in an antique brass finish. And for the toilet paper holder and door handle, I chose matte black.

With the completion of this project, we have officially finished our whole home remodel. It’s an accomplishment we have dreamt of for years, and it’s a special moment for us to reach this point.

Keep scrolling for all the bathroom links!