When you think of a spalike bathroom, you imagine a space with lots of bells and whistles (a showerhead that doubles as a speaker, a bidet with five temperature settings). But there is another way to zen out, and modern farmhouse bathrooms hold all the answers. Instead of giving you all many luxuries that seemingly make for a relaxing experience, these spaces slow your mind and body down by stripping away the techy upgrades and leaving you with just the essentials. Think: cast-iron sinks that are deep enough to also hand-wash delicates in and pine wood walls that smell so good on their own there’s no need to light a candle. Ahead, we rounded up 10 modern farmhouse bathrooms that’ll make you want to bliss out.

The Basement Modern Farmhouse Bathroom

With no natural light, designer Priscilla Frost had to find a way to make this Portland, Oregon, basement bathroom feel less cavernous and more welcoming with a series of optical illusions. The first? Swathing the room in floor-to-ceiling subway tile gives the impression of a taller ceiling. And unlike a curtain, the glass shower enclosure (a $1,200 Home Depot score) keeps the space feeling airy and open. 

The Family-Friendly Modern Farmhouse Bathroom

Interior designer Rachel Sloane Sherman thought about her New Jersey clients’ entire family when renovating their beige primary bathroom (the owners’ three kids were ages 7, 4, and 1 at the time). Next to the new freestanding soaking tub, she carved out a marble-lined niche so everyone could grab a towel without getting water on the polished herringbone Nero Marquina floors. Then for Mom and Dad, she went with elevated materials like white zellige shower tile and glass knobs on the prefab vanities. 

The Modern Farmhouse Bathroom That’s Actually in a Cabin

What is a modern farmhouse bathroom without a scrappy DIY? To support the 100-pound stone sink they bought on Etsy for their woodsy Maine retreat, designer Hannah Oravec and her husband, Michael, had to build a frame structure out of old beams so they could drop it securely in place. In an effort to not have too much going on in such a tiny space, they continued the checkered Fireclay shower tile (in Antique and Carbon) onto the edges of the tub and the floor. 

The Bright White Modern Farmhouse Bathroom

For Leanne Ford, white acts as the best canvas for showcasing organic and textural elements—in the case of this 1945 farmhouse, that included things like ceramic tile, shiplap boards, and a cast-iron tub. To ensure the monochromatic space didn’t read as boring, she used a sail (yes, like one from a boat!) for the shower curtain. 

The Green Thumb’s Modern Farmhouse Bathroom

When designer Kelsey Duda stumbled across a piece of land located in Elk Rapids, Michigan, for sale on Craigslist, she knew it would be the perfect place to build a rental property. And while many vacation homes feel like an afterthought, her rustic retreat keeps guests in mind around every corner, even in the shower and nearby open shelves. 

The Cali Modern Farmhouse Bathroom

Mariam Naficy, founder and CEO of Minted, took two classic farmhouse design tropes—barn doors and raw wood—and put her own, San Francisco–inspired spin on things. Rather than mounting the dark green door on a sliding track, she stuck to matte black hinges. Over at the vanity, she topped a chunk of wood with a wide metal sink that leaves just enough counter space for toothbrushes. 

The Canadian Modern Farmhouse Bathroom

“There’s something so romantic about life in the country,” says interior designer Luke Havekes, who owns this 1841 farmhouse in Canada’s Eastern Townships. He fully embraced this perspective upstairs with a claw-foot tub, toile wallpaper, and a sculptural brass mobile that’s on full display when the shutters are open. 

The Brooklyn Modern Farmhouse Bathroom

Mid-century and modern farmhouses are an unlikely yet totally harmonious pair. This bathroom by the Brownstone Boys is exhibit A: They turned a classic West Elm media console into a vanity complete with vessel sinks and quartz counters left over from the kitchen reno. 

The Artful Modern Farmhouse Bathroom

Streetwear designer Beth Birkett imparted her signature vibrant shades on her sons’ bathroom with a vintage orange sink and a craft cart that is filled with bathing essentials. Everything looks even punchier against Farrow & Ball’s Off-Black paint on the walls.

The Earthy Modern Farmhouse Bathroom

Emily Ward drew on the sunny palette of Northern California when designing her West Marin home. The bunkhouse bathroom features Clé’s zellige tile in Golden Henna and an exposed pipe shower by Signature Hardware. An antique lamp and gallery of oil paintings give the room that coveted out-in-the-country touch. 

The post 10 Modern Farmhouse Bathrooms Where a Freestanding Tub or an XL Sink Is Really All You Need appeared first on domino.

In an Instagram video to promote Goop’s new Shinebath shampoo and conditioner, Gwyneth Paltrow takes viewers into her shower to show exactly how the products work. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by goop (@goop)

And though we appreciate a hair-wash demo, we love an up-close-and-personal view of shower tile even more—and thankfully, Paltrow shares her thoughts on hers: “I love a tile that feels like it’s been around for a number of years and has an antique feel to it, and I thought it was really nice to offset the other clean, modern elements of the bathroom.”

It’s true: Against sleek, modern marble and black hardware, the rustic-feeling print just works. Paltrow doesn’t say where the tile is from, but we did some sleuthing and found that the squares are Walker Zanger’s Contessa Amalfi, which is only available to the trade—womp, womp. 

But we wouldn’t just leave you hanging. Here are a few similar styles so you can get Paltrow’s look in your own home. 

StonePeak Palazzo Tile Bloom Deco, Artwalk Tile ($5)

Shop

Zellige Malena Green Hand Painted Ceramic Tile, BelTile ($25)

Shop

Anejo Flecha, Clay Imports ($9)

Shop

Tunis Black, Zia Tile ($2)

Shop

The post We Found the Old-World Shower Tile in Gwyneth Paltrow’s Bathroom appeared first on domino.

The days of stark-white bathrooms really might be behind us. Earlier this year, Kohler celebrated its 150th anniversary with the launch of its Heritage Colors campaign. Fans of the brand voted on their favorite retro shades, and the winning comeback hues, Spring Green and Peachblow, are officially available to purchase in the form of sinks, toilets, and tubs as of today. One of the first people to put the products into action? Designer Justina Blakeney, who used several of the new pieces to serve serious bathroom inspo at the Kohler Design Center in Wisconsin. 

Her jumping-off point was Kohler’s Memoirs sink in Peachblow, a hue that first debuted in the 1930s. “I wanted to take Art Deco elements from that time period, like geometric shapes and ornaments, but update them with my modern, boho aesthetic,” Blakeney says. Here, that came to life through zigzag patterns, emerald tile, and metallic and black accents, with the pastel sink acting as a neutral. “Peachy pink and green is one of my all-time favorite combos, so I immediately knew the color story,” she adds. 

Going allover bold doesn’t have to be the only approach. In Blakeney’s design process, she often hones in on one to two dominant colors and two to three accents—the fixtures can be in either camp, just not both. However you incorporate them, Blakeney says, “It’s a vibe!”

Memoirs Two-piece Elongated Toilet, Kohler ($744)

Shop

Memoirs Pedestal Sink, Kohler ($1,450)

Shop

Farmstead Farmhouse Kitchen Sink, Kohler ($4,025)

Shop

Artifacts Freestanding Bath, Kohler ($6,121)

Shop

The post Justina Blakeney Makes This Once-Dated Bathroom Fixture Look Cool Again appeared first on domino.

Reading up on Domino’s shopping guides is like having your own personal product concierge. We do the tedious part—deep-dive research, hands-on testing, and tapping experts for advice—so all you have to do is hit “add to cart.” That’s why we call them Simply the Best.

If your terry cloth towels have seen better days, then it might be time to consider an upgrade. The benefits of—and uses for—Turkish bath towels are numerous: “One hundred percent handwoven Turkish towels are lightweight, easy to travel with, and very eco-friendly, since they dry quicker and take less time in the dryer,” says Handan Kaysioglu-Anlar, founder of Home & Loft.

Not only do Turkish towels’ extra-long cotton fibers make them more absorbent and faster drying than traditional cotton towels, they provide elevated boutique hotel vibes. You could pack one in a carry-on to keep you warm on chilly flights, throw one on your dining room table as a makeshift tablecloth, or wrap one around your waist as a sarong while walking along the beach. Turkish towels also work as a picnic blanket, nursing cover-up, yoga blanket, beach towel (sand doesn’t stick to it!), and baby blanket. Need we go on? After scouring the Internet for the best Turkish towels, we settled on the assortment, below. You might never go back to terry cloth. 

Our Favorites

• Best grab-and-go: Huckberry Sultan Turkish Towel
• Best stripes: Wonder Valley Tanlines Towel
• Best organic cotton: L’eau Cadeau 100% Organic Cotton Turkish Towel
• Best towel set: Serena & Lily Fouta Bath Collection
• Best (nearly) one-of-a-kind wonder: Bathing Culture Cosmic Rainbow Towel
• Best check: Teema Checkmate Turkish Towel
• Best nautical vibes: Ebern Designs Multi-Striped Premium Cotton Turkish Towel
• Best patterns: State Turkish Towels
• Best graphic: Manifatura Turkish Cotton Beach Towel

Best Grab-and-Go: Huckberry Sultan Turkish Towel

Sultan Turkish Towel, Huckberry ($19 was $42)

Shop

Dimensions: 40-by-70 inches | Hanging loop: No | Tassels: Yes

Why we chose it: Wider and longer than most, these towels come in handy for all kinds of adventures.

Whether you’re packing for an impromptu picnic, a day at the beach, or a full-blown vacation, take one (or two or many) of these Turkish towels with you. They pack down particularly small (as Huckberry states, to the size of a burrito), so they’ll easily fit into any bag—from a backpack to a beach tote to a suitcase—to accompany your travels near or far. Another idea: Keep a couple hanging in your entryway for easy grabbing as you run out the door. Since they’re absorbent and dry particularly fast, you’ll find reason after reason to bring them along on adventures of all kinds.

Best Stripes: Wonder Valley Tanlines Towel

Tanlines Towel, Wonder Valley ($62)

Shop

Dimensions: 39-by-68 inches | Hanging loop: No | Tassels: Yes

Why we chose it: A lightweight, picnic-perfect option available in two charming striped colorways.

The vibrant striped pattern on this lightweight Turkish towel adds some much-appreciated fun to its functionality. The colors are derived from natural dye, and the 100% pure linen is washer- and dryer-friendly (as long as it doesn’t get hotter than 90 degrees or come into contact with harsh detergents or dry cleaning). Wonder Valley says the color should keep, so you can carry it to the park or use it to dab off during extra-warm days, then launder without the risk of fading.

Best Organic Cotton: L’eau Cadeau 100% Organic Cotton Turkish Towel

Cotton Turkish Towel, L’eau Cadeau ($44)

Shop

Dimensions: 27-by-58 inches | Hanging loop: Yes | Tassels: Yes

Why we chose it: This striking, all-ages-friendly Turkish towel is made from organic cotton.

Whether you’re swaddling a baby, drying off a kiddo at the beach, or packing up your gym bag for a sweat session, reach for this Turkish towel. The L’eau Cadeau brand stands out from the crowd for two reasons: Its towels are made with organic cotton, meaning they’re a good bet to use with little ones, and they boast a striking design. Consider it a nursing cover, beach blanket, or picnic pad, too.

Best Towel Set: Serena & Lily Fouta Bath Collection

Fouta Bath Collection, Serena & Lily ($48)

Shop

Dimensions: 12-by-12 inches (washcloth); 30-by-20 inches (hand towel); 30-by-56 inches (bath towel); 24-by-36 inches (bath mat) | Hanging loop: No | Tassels: No

Why we chose it: One Turkish towel is great. A Turkish towel set is even better. 

If you’re ready to swap out your entire ratty towel collection for a Turkish set, look no further. Serena & Lily offers two different options in this collection of nautical striped towels. The Essential bath set is best for a guest bathroom or if you live solo; it includes two washcloths, two hand towels, and two bath towels. Or you could stock up with the Luxury bath set, which offers one Turkish bath mat as well as four washcloths, four hand towels, and four bath towels. Whichever option you choose, they’ll elevate your bathroom’s design with nearly no effort.

Best (Nearly) One-of-a-Kind Wonder: Bathing Culture Cosmic Rainbow Towel

Cosmic Rainbow Towel, Bathing Culture ($75)

Shop

Dimensions: 31-by-63 inches | Hanging loop: No | Tassels: Yes

Why we chose it: Each towel, made with deadstock fabric, creates an almost entirely unique pattern. 

Bathing Culture’s delightful rainbow design towel includes all the traditional benefits of a Turkish towel—it’s super-absorbent, quick drying, and highly versatile—but this one has an extra-special je ne sais quoi. Each is hand-loomed using deadstock Turkish cotton, creating a unique rainbow pattern. (Deadstock is the leftover materials from other productions that would normally go to waste.) So don’t get too attached to the pattern in this photo; yours may include a slightly different colorway. This process keeps fabric out of landfills, creates an almost one-of-a-kind design, and is as cozy as can be.

Best Check: Teema Checkmate Turkish Towel

Teema Checkmate Turkish Towel, Free People ($48)

Shop

Dimensions: 38-by-68 inches | Hanging loop: No | Tassels: Yes

Why we chose it: Between its playful pattern and crazy-fast drying time, this one is a must to keep close by for spontaneous adventures. 

There’s nothing shy about this colorful Turkish towel, and that’s one of many reasons why we love it. Not only is the check pattern an absolute delight, but the ways you can use it are nearly endless. Need something to throw down for an impromptu picnic? Yep. Or a scarf to wrap up in when fall’s chill hits the air? Also yes. A quick-drying, sand-repelling towel for beach days? Definitely.

Best Nautical Vibes: Ebern Designs Multi-Striped Premium Cotton Turkish Towel

Cotton Turkish Towel, Ebern Design ($32 was $52)

Shop

Dimensions: 39-by-70 inches | Hanging loop: No | Tassels: Yes

Why we chose it: Rocking traditional nautical stripes, this Turkish towel is a classic pick, whether for a beach house or an “I wish I were at the beach” house.

For a traditional Turkish towel with a twist, opt for one of these striped designs. They boast all the same must-haves as any high-quality Turkish towel—they’re lightweight, absorbent, and get softer with each wash—but come in an array of unexpected colors, including black, melon, and vibrant pink. Now comes the hard part: choosing a color.

Best Patterns: State Turkish Towels

Lattice Towel, State ($38)

Shop

Dimensions: 36-by-65 inches | Hanging loop: No | Tassels: Yes

Why we chose it: A graphic pattern to match the mood-boosting mix of yellow, blue, red, and pink.

State’s Lattice towel is just one among the brand’s many joyful patterns. It’s made of 100% Turkish cotton, and the brand touts the towel as quick drying, very soft, and sand resistant (a must for Turkish towels). After use, simply shake it off and toss it in the machine for a wash and dry; no hard and fast rules here.

Best Graphic: Manifatura Turkish Cotton Beach Towel

Turkish Cotton Beach Towel, Manifatura ($72)

Shop

Dimensions: 36-by-72 inches | Hanging loop: Yes | Tassels: Yes

Why we chose it: Kick your waterside days up a notch by adding these colorful checked towels to your beach bag.

There are a few things that separate a forgettable beach towel from a reach-for-it-daily, outstanding beach towel. First of all, it has to be absorbent. Second, it needs to be quick drying so you don’t have to deal with a musty odor. Third, it has to shake off the sand—both from you and itself. (Terry cloth could never.) Check, check, and check: These Manifatura Turkish towels have it all, plus they come in four colorful check designs that make us happy just looking at them.

More Classic Turkish Towels We Love

Pebbled Organic Turkish Towel, Rejuvenation ($35 was $39)

Shop

Breakwater Bay Turkish Cotton Towel, Wayfair ($30 was $45)

Shop

Charcoal Glamburg Peshtemal Turkish Towel, Set of 2, Amazon ($19)

Shop

Mediterranean Organic Towel Set, 6-Piece, Coyuchi ($168)

Shop

How We Chose These Products

On a mission to find the best of the best Turkish towels, we first turned to stylish textile brands that we trust. Many of the retailers we shopped have a long history and hands-on experience with Turkish towels—an important factor in the overall quality of our picks. We kept a close eye on fabric labels, too. Premium Turkish cotton that is, preferably, handwoven and hand-loomed was at the top of our must-have list. Add interesting designs to the mix, and each of these picks is built to get better with time, becoming softer and more absorbent with each wash.

Our Shopping Checklist

Size

Typically, Turkish bath towels measure 40-by-70 inches. (Compare that to 27-by-52 inches for a standard bath towel.) We shopped for a range of sizes, though, from slimmer options that won’t overwhelm kids to oversize ones that a few people could pile on for a picnic. Even though they’re larger in size compared to a plush terry cloth style, the best Turkish bath towels are significantly more compact and will save plenty of space in your linen closet. 

Machine Washable

No matter what you use a Turkish towel for, whether for everyday showering, swaddling your baby, or otherwise, they get put through the wringer. That’s why each option on this list is machine washable, with easygoing care needs.

Pattern and Color

Of course, an eye-catching design tops our must-have list. Turkish towels are available in a variety of striking patterns and colors, so don’t settle for anything less than exactly the vibe you’re going for. 

Ask Domino

Q: What are Turkish towels made of?

The best Turkish towels are made of—no shock here—100% Turkish cotton. What makes Turkish cotton special is its long fibers, which create stronger and smoother threads that are extra-soft and absorbent. The biggest plus? It just keeps becoming softer and more absorbent after each wash. 

Q: Compared to a regular cotton towel, is a Turkish towel better for your hair?

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: The best Turkish bath towels are softer than cotton styles and, therefore, gentler on hair and help to reduce frizz. Their super-absorbent fibers decrease drying time, too, so you can spare your hair the harsh heat of a blow-dryer. Plus they’re lightweight—making them easier to balance on your head. Your neck will thank you.

Q: How do you care for a Turkish bath towel?

Follow the specific care instructions for your Turkish towel, as the recommended care can vary from towel to towel. In general, though, most suggest washing the material in cold water and either line drying or tumble drying on low heat. 

Always avoid bleach and fabric softener when washing Turkish towels, as chemicals can make them—gasp!—less absorbent. Kaysioglu-Anlar recommends washing them twice before using them the first time. This will help to expand the fibers, allowing them to soften and increase their absorbency. Or for the same effect, you can also soak the towels in cold water overnight before use. 

The Last Word

The best Turkish bath towels are lightweight, versatile, design forward, absorbent, quick drying, sand repelling—and will save serious space in your linen closet.

The post From Baths to Beaches to Baby Swaddling, the Best Turkish Bath Towels Do It All appeared first on domino.

You’d never know looking at Leanne Kilroy’s bedroom and bath now, but at one point during her remodel, there were gaps in the shower floor tile, a permanent marker stain on the dresser’s marble countertop, and an irremediable leak coming from the tub spout. That’s the thing about renovating: Sometimes you have to go through all the painful mistakes to get to the right place. “It was actually a blessing in disguise when the original penny tiles I had purchased for the shower were laid incorrectly and had to be ripped out,” says Kilroy, the interior designer and founder of London-based firm Good Bones. Having the opportunity to see them in the space, wonky-looking and all, inspired her to switch gears altogether and purchase the green tumbled marble tile she’d secretly wanted all along. “And I really, truly love it,” she adds. 

She’d been set on creating an en suite since she and her family moved into the house in November 2020. The space adjacent to the primary bedroom was essentially a smaller replica of it: It had the same orange floor varnish, broken ceiling spotlights, and bulky MDF cupboards. After relocating their youngest child to a different room upstairs, where she could be closer to her sister, Kilroy and her husband decided to join the two areas with a new door and designated the more petite room as the new bathroom. “It was the very first thing the builders did, and it was so satisfying,” recalls the designer. Ahead, a closer look at the three-month-long transformation, its trial and errors, and why it was all worth it in the end.

Go Full Circle

Both the bedroom and bathroom layouts were designed to have circular circulation. In other words, you can walk all the way around the tub and, likewise, you can do laps around the freestanding wardrobe that doubles as a headboard. Not only does Kilroy find that dead ends often lead to gloomy corners, but the openness makes her life as a mom of three easier. “I’m always lugging around armfuls of things that need tidying or cleaning, and I’m constantly forgetting things here and there. Having shortcuts is a small but constant joy,” she says. The same goes for the primary suite’s relationship to the rest of the house: The bedroom and bathroom are connected to each other, of course, but each one also features a separate entrance to the stair landing.

Bring Back Bubble Baths

Wanting to avoid the clinical design trap that so many new bathroom renovations fall into, Kilroy focused on adding pieces with age and character, like an enormous claw-foot cast-iron tub, an eBay score. The designer refurbished the piece herself with Zinsser BIN primer and, once that was dry, two coats of satin paint. Connecting the fixture to a water source turned out to be the trickier part. The taps that had come with the tub were leaky and beyond repair. Kilroy found herself buying a floor-standing filler that she hadn’t initially budgeted for. No regrets: “We’re so happy we have our own bathtub and have taken more baths in the past few months than in the past few years,” she shares. 

Seal It and It’ll Deliver 

Swathing the shower in plasterlike microcement gave the bathroom additional old-world charm, but Kilroy’s decision to extend the treatment beyond the wet zone and onto the adjacent two walls was a more practical one. “Most plasterers have minimum square feet required per job, and finishing the inside and outside of our shower wouldn’t have met those minimums,” explains Kilroy, who tasked CMG Finishes with the job. The Forcrete finish, color-matched to Little Greene’s Portland Stone Light (the paint color used throughout the rest of the room), is in fact waterproof.

Kilroy also gets a lot of questions from Instagram followers about the original wood floorboards in a place that’s prone to H2O. (Psst: After sanding them down and lightening them with Danish lye, she had them covered with a satin lacquer.) For her, keeping them was worth the risk. “It makes the room feel less like a bathroom and more like any other room in the house,” she explains.

Put the Broken Pieces Back Together

The fireplace in the couple’s bedroom was a lucky find. The pair stumbled across the red marble mantel and tiled surround on the side of their road. “We weren’t sure if it could be saved, let alone if all the pieces were there, but I made my husband carry it home anyway,” says Kilroy. The spliced-up parts lived in their basement for a few years while they saved up for the reno. When it came time to install it, they hired a professional restorer who only had to source one extra replacement piece to tie it all together. The dark red stone ultimately inspired the deep burgundy color of the built-ins in the dressing area. To achieve a slightly brownish red, the designer mixed RAL3004 with a Paint & Paper Library color called Scarlet ‘n’ Rust. 

Look for Happiness in Small Places

Kilroy didn’t want to have to compromise between natural light and privacy in her dressing room, so she installed double track window treatments with a heavy curtain on the outside and a light linen-blend drape on the inside. “It’s a small thing, but pulling that voile closed to get dressed and pulling it back open once I’m done really makes me happy,” she says. 

Another precious perk? The dual-outlet shower—there is both an overhead fixture and a handheld hose that can be used simultaneously. “Using both at once feels like the ultimate luxury,” she says. As does the fact that her towel radiator from Etsy is located right at the opening to the shower: “Our towels are not only easily accessible but hot and toasty.” Talk about warm fuzzies.

The post This Primary-Suite Refresh Revolved Around a Room-Dividing Wardrobe, Literally appeared first on domino.

Keren Richter, cofounder of design firm White Arrow, jokes that when Jill Singer told her she wanted to build a bathroom around a funky toilet paper holder, it felt like an art-school entrance exam. Nevertheless, when Singer, cofounder and editor in chief of Sight Unseen, showed Keren the colorful piece by British artist James Shaw that she had in mind, the designer was up for the test: “Her points of reference really helped us get inspired.” Singer had waited patiently for the recycled plastic TP holder—Shaw’s drops are sporadic and online only. 

“A friend told me recently, ‘You’re either the dream client or the absolute most nightmare client, because you know so specifically what you want,’” says Singer with a laugh. And it’s true, she had a particular vision in mind when she set out to update the kids’ and guest bathrooms in her East Hampton, New York, home: She wanted them to be reminiscent of the tile-covered bathrooms in the Gerald Luss House in Ossining, New York, where Object & Thing hosted a show in 2021. But when it came to actually fine-tuning the details, Singer depended on Keren and her husband, Thomas, for guidance.  

A Moment for the TP

Once it was established that they would mount Shaw’s toilet paper holder in the kids’ space, the Richters looked to its powdery blue and pink components for direction. The former color became the standout choice: They swathed the room in two different tones of blue grid tile. The dusty blush tones made their way onto the vanity, which the designers concocted essentially from scratch. While the base itself is an ordinary stock cabinet, they upgraded it with an onyx counter (sourced from Keren’s favorite website, stonetrash.com), Shaker-style doors, round knobs, and a vintage Italian faucet. “I ended up hacking it so hard that it doesn’t look anything like what it started out as,” says Keren. 

Bathroom Blues

While Singer practiced patience with her special TP holder, she regrets not having more when it came to picking out a tub. Initially, she fell in love with a freestanding one with giant ball feet (if you’ve seen her kitchen, you know she has a thing for items with spherical details), but its lead time was way too long.

In the end, they went with a fully tiled tub that exudes cool mid-century vibes, but she still can’t help but wonder if should she have waited. “Maybe the openness wouldn’t have been the best option for two kids showering in it…but it would have looked really cool!” shares Singer. 

Hit the Showers

Keren admits butter yellow isn’t a color that typically makes its way into White Arrow’s projects, but given it’s one of Singer’s all-time favorites, the designers took a leap. “It’s like a refreshing glass of lemonade,” she says. After looking at 30 different tile samples, they ended up with two harmonious shades (a mid-tone and a highlight) and wrapped the saturated hue around the base of the room, stopping at the knee wall. “It’s a nice way of dividing a small space and keeping it feeling bright and light,” says the designer.

There might not be a funky toilet paper holder in the guest space, but the Richters played with pink once more, this time in the form of a custom medicine cabinet and wall-hung concrete sink. A friend recently told Singer that the compact yet colorful setup gave off “a really fun locker room vibe,” and she took it as a great compliment. 

The post What Does a Bathroom Inspired by a Toilet Paper Holder Look Like? A Pastel Dream appeared first on domino.

Designer and architect Susan Nwankpa Gillespie’s latest clients, a young family who recently moved to Glendale, California, from New York City’s Lower East Side, were used to tiny bathrooms. So when they gave Gillespie a tour of their new house, they were adamant that they didn’t need much more space. “I was like, come on, guys, this is terrible,” says Gillespie with a laugh. Having been friends with the couple for nearly 20 years, the founder of Nwankpa Design was comfortable being frank. She guessed the home’s two bathrooms probably hadn’t been renovated since the 1990s, and with two fast-growing boys to consider, she knew the kids’ area wouldn’t be functional in the long run. 

Luckily for the designer, the homeowners were as open as anyone could be: They like minimalism and maximalism. Gillespie put both to the test. She turned their primary bathroom into a zen retreat with plaster-coated walls, and brought an explosion of color and tile to the boys’ shower. The former turned into a personal endeavor for Gillespie: She drew on her Nigerian American upbringing and the West African concept of wearing clashing patterns. “The woman wears the outfit rather than the outfit wearing the woman—that was the goal with this bathroom,” she explains. Ahead, Gillespie takes us behind the scenes of the two transformations and reminds us why a little extra room is never a bad thing. 

The Closet Combo

By removing a wall in the 40-square-foot primary bathroom that hid a nonfunctional alcove, the designer more than doubled the space to 90 square feet. This move also allowed her to integrate a built-in oak-wood closet, complete with two cupboards for the couple’s long hanging items and plenty of drawers.

The Ultra-Reflective Mirror

Adding a frosted window to the shower brought more natural light into the room, but the real game changer was incorporating a sliding door leading to the lush backyard. As if mimicking the plant life outside, the designer created a custom mirror with a zellige tile border that amplifies the golden California light with its glistening surface. “You’ll be washing your hands or face, looking into this mirror where the greenery is reflected behind you, and you just feel transported,” she shares. 

The Sealed Deal

Gillespie’s contractor flew in a seasoned plaster worker to coat the entire space. After waterproofing the room using a method called hot mopping, which involves heating asphalt in a kettle and applying it between layers of felt using a large mop, he began work on the textured treatment. While you can’t tell at first glance, the space actually features two finishes: a robust version on the floor and a softer veneer on the walls.  

The Fashion-Forward Shower

Like layering a colorful outfit, Gillespie knew that not every detail in the boys’ bathroom could be the star. “There is a graphic element in pretty much every surface, but it’s about finding that mixture where you’re still able to see certain focal points,” she says. Gillespie honed in on the shower. The interior walls are covered in a triangular pattern (a combination of two Zia Tile hues: Rouge and Casablanca), while solid amber zellige tiles encompass the facade. “You have to figure out which materials are going to help it shine but also have their own points of interest,” she adds. 

The Happy Accident 

Setting the stage underfoot is a custom pattern of dusty pink concrete tile that runs from the floor to the wall behind the sink. The designer opted for a mix of sizes, but it was really a delivery mistake that determined how it was laid out. The company didn’t send them all the sizes she originally ordered, so Gillespie redesigned the pattern with what they were given, resulting in a cadence of one, two, and three 2-by-8 tiles separated by 8-by-8 squares. 

The Stone-Cold Winner

The floating vanity cabinets are crafted out of white oak, just like Mom and Dad’s, and finished in a semitransparent gray stain to accentuate the grain of the wood and the oversize terrazzo knobs. The initial plan for the sink was to go with a quiet limestone, but when Gillespie spotted this red and green marble slab peeking out behind another at the stone yard, she turned to her clients and asked: Is this too much? “They were like, not at all!” says the designer. It was just enough.

The post In This Home’s Main Bathroom, the Vanity Mirror Gets to Be the Star appeared first on domino.

British designer Hannah Drakeford’s South London one-bedroom apartment is full of crafty home projects, from upcycled IKEA storage to a geometric hallway mural, but that wasn’t always the case. When she moved into the new-build Deptford flat in 2017 “it had zero character and everything was beige,” she recalls. While the bathroom was decent, it resembled something you’d find at a Holiday Inn, with a lackluster palette, wood laminate countertops, and no natural light. “It wasn’t me at all,” she adds. 

In an effort to pack the same colorful punch showcased in the rest of her space, she looked to a trip to Marrakech for inspiration. “I went a few years ago with a friend, and we stayed in this amazing riad with Moroccan tile everywhere. The bathroom was actually black and white, but the tile had circular motifs,” she says. With many photo references in hand, she set out to uplift the basic and boring bathroom for $400 with essentially just paint.

Start With a Blank Canvas

Before any primer was poured, she carefully laid out a 3D model of the room in SketchUp. “I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t overbuy paint but still had enough to cover all the surfaces, as I was on a tight budget for this project,” she says. Drakeford also did plenty of research and read reviews to find paint that would adhere to a range of surfaces, finally landing on two coats of V33 Renovation Floor and Stair Paint, a durable formula for high-traffic areas, for the floor tile, laminate countertops, shower screen metalwork, and radiator. She then made it waterproof by adding one coat of Zinsser Bullseye 123, a primer she regularly uses for her furniture DIYs, on top. “The room needed lightening up, as it’s in the middle of the apartment and there are no windows,” she says. “The white paint helps light reflect off the walls and makes it feel bigger.”

Get Creative With Paint

There are plenty of circles, triangles, and squares painted elsewhere in Drakeford’s apartment, so it’s only fitting that ovals drawn in Lick’s Pink 03, a matte bubblegum hue, come to play in the bathroom, stretching from the shower wall to the floor. “The pink paint was a regular wall paint, but I sealed it with this clear varnish so that it’s waterproof and doesn’t discolor,” she says.

Try Out Faux Terrazzo

Terrazzo is Drakeford’s dream countertop material, but in order to keep things on budget, she decided to upgrade the wood laminate with hand-painted pebbles. “I primed it first, then went in with black wall paint and two coats of watered-down white paint with a little brush to create the stone effect,” she says. While it was free-handed, she used an image saved on Pinterest as a reference. She then sealed it with silicone around the sink. While Drakeford loves how it turned out, it was a project she’d never do again, as it took two full days of detailing. “I’m still a little traumatized from it,” she says. 

Add Character With Paneling

Another cost-saving hack: purchasing preprimed wood paneling for the vanity wall from B&Q, the U.K. equivalent to Home Depot. After measuring the height between the counter and ceiling and cutting the boards to size, she first applied them using a removable puttylike material called Blue-Tack so she could get a rough idea of her desired spacing. Then she put them down for real with Diall Grab Adhesive. As with the shapes, she went for the same muted blush tone and covered it in varnish to make it waterproof. 

Keep on DIYing

The bathroom was the last room in the home the designer put her mark on. “I was intimidated by the scale of the project, and it was the first full bathroom renovation I’ve done,” she says. It all came down to precise planning and ultimately took four months to complete. With so much paint on an array of surfaces, she’s also impressed with how everything has held up. “I did have an accident where I spilled some acetone and had to repaint a patch, but that’s all,” she says. 

Since completing the bathroom, she continues to share design tutorials online. “My aim is to make design accessible,” she says. “I want to empower people to try out things for themselves, because it’s brought so much joy to my life.”

The post The Terrazzo Vanity in This $400 Bathroom Makeover Is Shockingly Just Paint appeared first on domino.

In this Long Beach, California, home, mother doesn’t just know best—she gets the best. After a young couple purchased their longtime rental home, they embarked on a renovation with interior designer Natalie Myers that included upgrading a space primarily used by the husband’s live-in mom (and now grandmother to the pair’s baby): the guest bathroom. Myers, founder of Veneer Designs, didn’t hold back when it came to remodeling the spot. “I think it’s okay to get exactly what you want when it’s a tiny bathroom,” she says. “Just go for that nice, expensive tile.”  

Go for it she did: The floors and shower walls are now swathed in Fireclay tile. But before she got down to the details, the designer focused on expanding the space slightly by getting rid of a small closet with a water heater (the new tankless water heater moved to the garage). “There’s just more breathing space for the vanity now,” says Myers. Ahead, she gives us the rundown on the refresh. 

The Timeless Tile

Knowing that this space would eventually become the homeowners’ daughter’s bathroom, Myers felt like a playful checkerboard moment was the perfect fit. But to keep the pattern from feeling overwhelming, she opted for a subdued grayish green and off-white color scheme—anything more high contrast would have been too busy. “It’s clearly having a moment, but I don’t think it’s going to go out of style. People have been doing checkerboard for centuries,” says the designer of the look. Stopping the motif around the 4-foot mark and switching to a stacked vertical field tile also helped dial down the volume. 

The Much-Needed Divider

While the family had no need to keep the ADA-compliant walk-in tub that was in the space previously, Myers maintained a similar partition wall in the new setup, mostly because it offers a little privacy. “You just feel a bit more enclosed,” she says. Plus it was an excuse to further show off all that new tile. Additionally, inside the shower, the half-wall serves as an anchor for a floating stone bench. The element is handy for anyone sudsing up, but in particular someone aging in place.

The Right Kind of Storage

In the spirit of staying consistent with the millwork in the kitchen and primary bathroom, Myers custom-designed a floating ash-wood vanity with an undermount sink surrounded by a Caesarstone countertop (the durable surface was her biggest money saver in the room). While the handmade ceramic knobs bring an artful touch to the piece, it was the pop of matte black in the form of the faucet that the wife, an artistic director, pushed for. “It adds a graphic contrast,” notes Myers. 

Above, the designer kept things simple with a frameless rectangular mirror. See you never, medicine cabinet. “I don’t know how many people actually use them these days if there’s enough storage in the vanity,” Myers explains. The bulky feature’s other sticking point: Builders frequently get the installation wrong. “They have a hard time framing it, and it’s often too low or too high. Then you have to move it and repair the drywall,” she says. Not to mention, with it gone, the room automatically looks bigger—and that’s worth skipping the additional shelving.

Get the Look

Rectangular Undermount Bathroom Sink, Kohler ($184)

Shop

Frameless Rectangular Mirror, Rejuvenation (from $299)

Shop

Cylinder Double Sconce, Schoolhouse ($199)

Shop

Dolomite 4×4, Fireclay Tile ($47 per square foot)

Shop

The post Nixing the Medicine Cabinet Streamlined This Tiny Bathroom—During the Remodel and Beyond appeared first on domino.

The post Green Cabinetry, Concrete-Like Countertops—The Options Are Endless With These Formica Surfaces appeared first on domino.