A Coastal Bathroom Before and After-8.1.18

Florida house plan designs in the early 90’s all have several things in common. One, the construction quality is good.  Many of these homes still have original features that are functioning and do not require excessive maintenance.  Two, most have mirrors and very large ones at that.  Three, coastal bathrooms in this age of architecture update beautifully!

Bathroom Renovations Phase I

Before we look at the final after photos, let’s chat about the changes that were made during an initial update.  What’s the first thing we all want to do the minute we close on a new house.  Paint.  Even though our designer says that paint is the last piece of the puzzle to decide…we simply can’t wait.  Painters are booked well before closing and we even have them give us a price on an initial walk thru before anything else has been decided.

Note:  To anyone who is going to use an interior designer, has an interior designer, would like to have an interior designer….PAINT IS LAST and to get your money’s worth you should listen to us.  Enough said for now.  We feel an entire post coming on this subject.

In this bathroom update, the walls were painted a neutral “white”, the cabinet hardware was changed out, a chrome and glass shelf added for a bit more visual privacy for the commode and the original light fixture from the dining room, got a coat of seashells.  It is a coastal bath after all.

Good Bones In This Bathroom

Now let’s share the features that were good in this 1990’s bathroom.  Transitional style, well made laminate cabinets with dual vanities, in a soft white finish, were clean.  Tile flooring was not cracked and in good shape.  The size of the bath offered both a shower and a large soaking tub without crowding the room.  A bit of interesting architecture created by dropped soffits and an arched window prevented this from being simple box design.

Finishing Off The Updates Of This Coastal Bath

Most important to understand with this bathroom renovation, is that we did not move anything.  We didn’t even remove the ceramic towel holders so no drywall repair was needed.  Honestly, the space in these now nearly 25 year old homes is wonderful and no need to undo something that works and looks appealing with in place updates.  This is a project for real people, with a real budget and did not want the hassle of a full blown renovation.  Here’s what we did.

• framed out the large mirrors with a 1×3 board and painted them a dark bronze
• overlaid pebbles in the shower floor (the walls are cultured marble and so easy to care for)
• replaced an obscure shower door with a clear, easy clean glass to let more light in the shower and show off those pebbles
• changed out the counter top with new stone, rectangle sinks and chrome faucets
• added a mirrored Ikea storage cabinet over a new, skinny tank water saver commode (25 year old commodes are just too wasteful to keep)
• coated the floor tile with an epoxy finish – yes, just like we do in garages

Wednesday “Wow”!

One Last Thought

Isn’t This A Home In Florida?

Here’s the trick about re-designing any property in a coastal area.  The “beachy seaside decor” needs to be portable.  This approach works for both the less is more and the more is not enough decorator.  We advise clients building a new home in a coastal area to consider the same approach when selecting finishes.  Following good design principles is even more important when living in “paradise”!

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