Warm Contemporary Style Bathroom For Empty Nesters

This empty-nest couple disliked pretty much everything about their primary bathroom — the dated and boring style, a massive jetted tub they rarely used, a corner shower with glass-block walls, the single-sink vanity. Looking to tackle a major remodel, they hired architect Richard Lundin to rework the space. Lundin eliminated the underused tub in favor of a new, larger shower. That freed up room for a floating wood-look double vanity with a larger makeup area. Built-ins flanking the vanity significantly improve storage. Wood-look luxury vinyl plank flooring and other wood-look details create a warm and welcoming contemporary style. Black, white and gold backsplash tiles and Japanese-inspired matte black field tiles on the exterior of the shower wall elevate the look.

Before Photo

Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Size: 166 square feet (15 square meters)
Architect and designer: Richard Lundin of Lundin Architects

Before: The former bathroom had a tight layout with a massive built-in tub on the left, a glass-block corner shower and a cramped single-sink vanity with a small makeup area. A vaulted ceiling created awkward angles. The style — basic tile flooring, beige finishes and a black granite countertop — felt dated. And a lack of storage meant the couple kept many items out in the open. “The tub took up too much space and dominated the room,” Lundin says. “It wasn’t particularly attractive, either. She was actually storing a hair dryer in that tub.”

After: Lundin eliminated the main components and updated the electrical and plumbing. “Efforts were made to keep plumbing fixtures relatively close to where they were, to help buffer costs,” Lundin says. “We tried to be clever about that.”

Removing the corner shower allowed Lundin to create a larger double vanity with wood-look laminate slab door and drawer fronts in a walnut finish. A roomier makeup area splits the vanities, adding symmetry. “It’s a floating vanity and we put LEDs under there that make it look attractive and serve as nightlights,” Lundin says.

The backsplash is composed of 12-by-24-inch porcelain tiles, cut to fit, in black, white and gold with a hand-painted look in a vertical pattern. “There are also some bluish-gray tones that pull from the wallcovering we used in the bathroom,” Lundin says.

Four damp-rated 25-inch black LED linear pendant lights hang in front of a custom mirror. “I’m increasingly using pendants in bathrooms to get better lighting on people’s faces,” Lundin says. Luxury vinyl plank wood-look flooring adds warmth and durability.

Lundin added a soffit over the new double vanity. “We did that to create a lower ceiling over the vanity area that gives it more interest,” he says. “There was already a dropped ceiling over the water closet, so this helped balance the space.”
The vanity includes two white rectangular undermount sinks with curved bottoms and single-handle matte black faucets with a sleek tower design. The quartz countertops have a warm white background with clear particulates. “What we decided there was that we really wanted the backsplash tile to stand out and wanted the quartz to be softer,” Lundin says. “The lighter color with the dark wood also gave us contrast.”

Built-ins flanking the vanity have a combination of large cabinets and open shelves that offer easy access to towels and other essentials.

Before: The underused jetted tub with tiled deck sat under windows that awkwardly overlooked a street. “That was some of the reason they were willing to give up that big window,” Lundin says.
After: Lundin removed the tub and picture window but kept the arched window, which he integrated into the new low-curb shower. Wood-look porcelain tiles frame the shower enclosure with visual warmth. The exterior wall of the shower has Japanese-inspired matte black field tiles in a staggered vertical pattern with black grout. “They really add depth and texture to the room,” Lundin says. “We all fell in love with that tile when we found it.” The wall, which is open on top, gave the couple a way to separate the shower without the need to clean a glass door or replace a shower curtain. “It was a way to cut down on regular maintenance,” Lundin says. “It looks nice and allows light inside the bathroom.”

A wood bench with metal legs on one end provides a spot to remove shoes or clothes. “It also allows for something like a plant or vase there,” Lundin says.

Inside the shower, the walls are covered in large-format stone-look porcelain tiles in taupe with a matte finish and light gray grout. “The tile itself has a veining to it that subtly suggests a natural material,” Lundin says.

A pressure-balanced shower system with a modern matte black shower head, hand shower with a slide bar and lever handles provides flexibility when showering. A matte black grab bar on the right is an aging-in-place feature for safety. A niche lined with the same tiles used on the wall behind the vanity keeps bathing products off the shower floor, which consists of terrazzo-like porcelain tiles with a textured finish. “We also have a linear shower drain in there. That’s almost standard now,” Lundin says.

Before: Here’s a look at a corner of the bathroom across from the old jetted tub that included a freestanding cabinet with a towel bar placed awkwardly above. “That cabinet was there because there was so little storage elsewhere,” Lundin says. Also note the drywall-wrapped structural ceiling beam.
After: Lundin ditched the freestanding cabinet. In its place is a pro-style bonnet hair dryer and midcentury-modern-style chair that gives the wife a relaxing spot to dry her hair. “It’s a spa-like feature for her,” Lundin says. “That pendant above also signifies this is a special spot now. It breaks up the room too. Not everything has to be symmetrical.”

A fabric-backed, formaldehyde-free vinyl wallcovering in this corner has a large-scale, almost translucent leaf print. “It looks like a silk wallcovering,” Lundin says. “It softens things here, since there’s so much tile in the room.”

The other walls of the bathroom are painted a classic creamy white with warm undertones (White Dove by Benjamin Moore). The vaulted ceiling is a radiant, cooler shade of white (Simply White by Benjamin Moore). The oak trim was stained to match the vanity cabinetry. The closed door at the back of this photo opens to the primary bedroom. Lundin also updated the ceiling beam. “We thought it was a nice element worthy of attention and wrapped it in wood,” he says.

A small secondary vanity sits in the water closet and has many of the same finishes as the main bathroom.

Before: Here’s a look at the layout of the former bathroom. The corner shower with glass-block doors (upper left) was crammed together with the single-sink vanity (middle left). The massive built-in tub (bottom) overwhelmed the space.
After: With the corner shower gone, a larger double vanity adds function and style. A roomy walk-in shower replaced the built-in tub. “They wanted a space that really worked for the way they use it,” Lundin says. “And they wanted openness and warmth.”
This empty-nest couple disliked pretty much everything about their primary bathroom — the dated and boring style, a massive jetted tub they rarely used, a corner shower with glass-block walls, the single-sink vanity. (cited)