Nothing makes Emily Henderson feel sadder than a dark room, so it's a miracle that she made it through an entire year with her bathroom in the condition that it was. "The bathroom was 'original' to the house, but that really wasn't a good thing," the designer, stylist and Target Home expert tells ELLEDecor.com. In other words, it was the "stuff of nightmares."
The "small, depressing, dank" space, as Henderson describes it, was in need of a major overhaul. In this case, "major" meant a year's worth of planning and selecting the perfect finishing touches. "Bathroom renovations (right next to your bedroom) are daunting," Henderson says. "It's not like changing out a lampshade or even a sofa. You can't do it piece by piece. You have to have ALL of your decisions made before they start, and you have to have all the materials there. There is no 'testing it out' or 'we'll see how it looks,' because you could waste time and money that way."
To make the space more livable while the rest of the renovation shaped up, Henderson tackled the wall paint first. "By brightening up the space with white and blue, it looked better already," she says.
Take a look at how the bathroom came together in Henderson's big reveal, below.
Henderson says she was drawn to this unique and beautiful blue tile from Fireclay Tile. "That really set the tone for all other design decisions," she explains. "The scallop pattern is simple classic, and the handmade look/feel of the tile is totally winning." But choosing it would take her months.
One of the biggest challenges Henderson faced was figuring out where to start and stop the tile. "Tile and tile installation can be really expensive," she says. "But the more tile in the bathroom, the better it looks, and the more impact it has. So we went for it, and I'm so glad we did."
Henderson wanted brass fixtures, which gave the space a simple, modern and feminine feel.
Finishing touches like a marble ring dish and canister from Nate Berkus' latest bath collection for Target, as well as a gold picture frame, were must-haves, Henderson says. "Pieces you would normally use in other parts of your home immediately make your bathroom feel more polished and personal."
Henderson says it took a total of four months to create a bathroom space she loves — "three months to plan/think/obsess and pin, and one month to renovate." Now, she's eyeing a second bathroom in desperate need of an overhaul. "But I'm not ready to do it all over again, yet. Stay tuned," she says.
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Cedar & Moss Sconce in Brushed Satin, Rejuvenation, $225.00 | Crystalized Glass Floor Tile, Lith Concepts | Wall Tile in Crater Lake, Fireclay Tile | Single Towel Bar in Vibrant Moderne Brushed Gold, Purist, $215.25 | Touchless Toilet in White, Purist, $819.20 | Vanity-top Bathroom Sink in White Impressions, Purist, $600.00 | Vanity Finishes in Linen White, Purist, $65.20 | Bathroom Cabinets in Linen White, Purist, $1,678.85 | Towel Ring in Vibrant Moderne Brushed Gold, Purist, $190.90 | Drawer Pull in Vibrant Moderne Brushed Gold, Purist, $32.75 | Robe Hook in Vibrant Moderne Brushed Gold, Purist, $86.00 | Toilet Paper Holder in Vibrant Moderne Brushed Gold, Purist, $177.40 | Bath Tub in White, Purist, $972.30 | Sink Faucet in Vibrant Moderne Brushed Gold, Purist, $764.35 | Shower and Bath Faucets in Brushed Gold, Purist, $881.60 | Threshold Blue Woven Bath Mat, Target, $24.99 | Nate Berkus Faceted Soap Dispenser in Gold, Target, $9.99 | Nate Berkus Etched Wood Tank Top Bath Tray in White, Target, $9.99 | Nate Berkus Glass Canister (Small), Target, $7.99 | Wall Art, Brenna Giessen
Jessica Cumberbatch Anderson is a New York-based lifestyle journalist. Her work has been featured on HuffPost, ArchitecturalDigest.com, Lonny.com, and ELLEDecor.com, where she served as digital director.
