THE NEW MODERN

4THE NEW MODERN • • spa-worthy bathrooms bursting with panache

These four sleek, stunning ensuites are big on drama, finessed for function and imbued with a little luxury. Here’s what makes them work.

TEXT LAURA MUIR

CLEAN CONTEMPORARY

NEUTRAL ENVELOPE + HITS OF BLACK + SUBTLE PATTERN + SAVVY STORAGE

PHOTOGRAPHY EMA PETER

GO WITH THE FLOW Two-tone cut-marble floor tiles add a soft and subtle pattern that becomes high-impact when carried up one wall of the shower (shown opposite). “The shower’s glass enclosure shows off the tiles, establish- ing continuity, and keeps the room feeling open and airy,” says designer Amber Kingsnorth.

Modernizing

this handsome master bathroom meant going back in time. “It is a heritage property that was converted into townhomes,” says designer Amber Kingsnorth, who was enlisted to update the entire townhouse, located in Vancouver’s vibrant South Granville area. “It had builder-grade finishes inside, and the homeowners wanted it to feel more true to its origins.” By incorporating traditional architectural details, cleanlined elements, subtle pattern and a crisp, neutral palette, the designer created a tailored space that respects the property’s history but still feels modern and fresh.

A wall-mounted faucet keeps the counter looking clean and spacious.

SEE THE LIGHT A single smoked-glass and black aluminum sconce serves as a statement piece and adds a stunning vintage hit to the room. “I like how the smoky glass brings in warmth,” says Amber. The marble-look engineered quartz countertop and backsplash tie in with the marble floors. Matte black elements like the wall-mounted faucets and mirror frames offer crisp contrast to the soft white and grey hues dominating the palette.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS Small details were added to increase functionality. For example, the vanity’s two top drawers were outfitted with shallow internal units. “You can keep smaller items, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and hairbrushes, in there and store larger items below,” says Amber. Next to the built-in armoire, a small nook with outlets allows the homeowners to keep items that plug in, like hair dryers, tucked in the corner and out of the way.

DESIGN, Mak Interiors, makinteriors.ca; CONTRACTING, Fifth Element Construction; Chantilly Lace OC-65 WALL PAINT, Pewter 2121-30 CABINETRY PAINT, Benjamin Moore; CABINETRY FABRICATION, Munro Woodworking; FLOOR & WALL TILE, Aeon Stone +Tile; custom MIRRORS, Niki Design & Glass Studio; SCONCE, Roll & Hill; SHOWER FIXTURES, Brizo; CABINETRY HARDWARE, Bradford Decorative Hardware.

OPEN & SHUT CASE Enlarging the bathroom allowed Amber to incorporate both extra storage and a double-sink vanity. A built-in armoire serves as a linen closet and houses a tilt-out laundry hamper, while open shelves provide a spot for attractive toiletries and useful accents. Traditional detailing, such as the feet on the toe kicks, crown moulding and Shaker-style cabinetry, add character: “It’s a nod to the heritage vibe of the house,” says Amber, “and prevents the room from feeling too austere.”

Wire baskets are perfect for keeping clean hand towels and face cloths within easy reach.

REFINED REGENCY

BOLD BLACK WALLS + SCULPTURAL BRASS ACCENTS + BORDERED FLOOR + VARIED TILE TREATMENTS

PHOTOGRAPHY TRACEY AYTON

Brass-hued hardware and fixtures warm up the cool black and white space.

IN THE BLACK The Calacatta marble floor with black granite inlay is the elegant nod to Old Hollywood that designer Chrissy Cottrell was looking for. “Black and white bathrooms aren’t uncommon, because they are incredibly classic,” she says. “So I wanted to bring this one up a notch by adding an extra punch.” The rich black walls make the floor pop and let the inlay detail really shine.

Subtle contrasting tile treatments in the shower stand out amid all the black.

With green granite countertops and white cabinetry that had turned peachy-cream over time, this master bath was in desperate need of an overhaul. “It was like the 1980s called and wanted their bathroom back!” says designer Chrissy Cottrell. Part of a complete condo renovation in Vancouver’s Yaletown area, the bathroom was given a dramatic elegant vibe that blended with the rest of the Hollywood Regency-inspired space. Contrasting the room’s white elements with a black envelope creates striking drama, while brasshued faucets and fixtures enhance the richness of the space and pay homage to the home’s glamorous old L.A. feel.

GET IT TOGETHER The bathroom’s unusual footprint presented some challenges. “It’s like a rectangle with a corner cut off,” says Chrissy. “I usually like to have two sinks in an ensuite, but we didn’t have the space for that.” Instead, the designer created an elegant vanity with recessed cabinets highlighted by geometric brass pulls and a sleek marble countertop that matches the floors. The wall-mounted faucet and simple cylindrical sconces are integrated into a counter-to-ceiling mirror. “I wanted the vanity and mirror to look like one cohesive unit,” she says.

TAKE A SEAT A typical tub and shower combo was ripped out and updated with a stand-alone shower featuring classic dark-grouted ceramic subway tiles and a mosaic marble tile floor. Brushed champagne bronze fixtures complement the room’s luxe look, and a built-in bench (not shown) clad with a marble top, adds functionality. “Every shower should have a bench,” says Chrissy. “Who wants to shave their legs standing up?!”

DESIGN, Chrissy & Co., chrissyco.com; CONTRACTING, custom VANITY, MIRROR, LIGHT

FIXTURE, SCONCES & VANITY HARDWARE,

Curated Home by Chrissy & Co.; Onyx 2133-10 WALL & CEILING PAINT, Benjamin Moore; VANITY COUNTERTOP, FLOOR TILE, Aeon Stone + Tile; SHOWER WALL TILE, Ames Tile & Stone; SINK FAUCET, SHOWER FIXTURES, Universal Supply Co.

PARISIAN PRETTY

LUXURIOUS SOAKER TUB + GLASS & MARBLE GALORE + VINTAGE-LOOK FLOORING + CLEAN-LINED VANITY

PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHANI BUCHMAN

By recessing the mirror into the wall beside the tub, the designer created a decorative ledge for pretty and personal items.

Large mirrors reflect the stunning porcelain marblelook wall treatment, amplifying its luxe look.

Designer Ali Budd was renovating her north Toronto home slowly but surely when things took a surprising turn. “The master bathroom wasn’t a priority until it was pretty much falling through the ceiling and I had to do it out of necessity,” she says. To create a retreat-like setting, inspired by a Parisian bathroom she found on Pinterest, Ali expanded the footprint. The resulting 14½-by-8½-foot room was injected with bold pattern, textural elements and unexpected juxtapositions, creating a classiccontemporary look with just the right amount of edge.

THE BIGGER, THE BETTER The shower’s Nero Marquina marble bench is a functional element that offers a hit of contrasting black and serves as a striking decorative piece. “I didn’t want to have a built-in bench because we were doing the whole shower in glass,” says designer Ali Budd. “This is a beautiful piece and I love that you can see it from all sides of the room.”

MIX MASTER Ali incorporated a mix of textural elements and patterns while adhering to a sophisticated neutral palette to create a serene sophisticated space with wow factor. The floating vanity has a reclaimed-wood veneer that adds essential warmth, and its thick porcelain countertop ties in with the stunning porcelain-clad walls on the opposite side of the room (both of which look like marble). With their bold geometric design, the black and white porcelain floor tiles are both classic and modern. Porcelain tiles covering the wall behind the vanity have a white-painted brick look that offers urban edge. “Mixing a lot of different materials and finishes is what makes a space pop,” says Ali.

DESIGN, Ali Budd Interiors, alibuddinteriors.com; Cloud White CC-40 WALL PAINT, Benjamin Moore; VANITY, Watchtower Interiors; porcelain

WALL & SHOWER SLABS, VANITY COUNTER-

TOP, Stone Tile International; FAUCETS, SHOWER FIXTURES, BATHTUB, Taps Bath Centre; FLOOR TILE, Mettro Source; BENCH, Marble Treasure; MIRRORS (above vanity), RH Restoration Hardware; PENDANT LIGHT (above bathtub), Elte; SCONCES (customized), The Home Depot.

MODERN MINIMAL

BLACK, WHITE & GREY PALETTE + WARM WOOD ACCENT + GRAPHIC TILES + SUBTLE TEXTURE

PHOTOGRAPHY STACEY BRANDFORD

A single hit of wood warms up the space and ties into the wood-look wall treatment.

An intriguing tile combo (porcelain blackened-oak- look on the walls and patterned on the floors) keeps the eye engaged.

The third-floor master bathroom in designer Shirley Meisels’s midtown Toronto home was meant to be. After moving into the 100-year-old Edwardian house with her family several years ago, she gave the interior a facelift and decided to create a master suite on the third floor. It was previously a big, open family room and bedroom. “We used the footprint of the bedroom as our bathroom,” says Shirley. “The previous owners had actually already plumbed it in hopes they would one day create a bathroom there, so we got lucky.” In the spacious area, it was easy to design the eclectic, modern and edgy space Shirley envisioned.

SOLID PERFORMER A mix of patterns, textures and neutral colours (the warm wood tones with crisp black, grey and white) adds depth. The contemporary walnut vanity has slim metal legs to make it look like furniture and provide an edgy aesthetic; its thick acrylic countertop, which has integrated sinks, feels substantial. Niches in the wall behind the mirrors provide handy storage, and a Jonathan Adler sconce lends glamour to the space.

EAVES DROPPING Tucked under the eaves, the master bathroom’s sloped ceiling offers both cozy architectural character and a few challenges. “We tested all sorts of different configurations to see what would get us the best flow, and it made the most sense to put the stand-alone tub under the eaves,” says designer Shirley Meisels. Pulling it out from the wall allowed for the necessary head clearance, and a floor-mounted faucet takes advantage of the plumbing underneath the floor. “I didn’t want to have to build out a wall to accommodate a wall-mounted faucet,” she says.

DESIGN, MHouse, mhouseinc.com; Oxford White CC-30 WALL PAINT, Benjamin Moore; VANITY

COUNTERTOP, BATHTUB, MIRRORS, SINK

FAUCETS, SHOWER FIXTURES, Roman Bath Centre; FLOOR TILES, Mettro Source; SCONCE, Universal Lamp.

BUILDING BLOCKS FOR THE NEW MODERN

black tiles

At once classic, bold and striking, black accents, whether in large or small doses, ground a room. A healthy dose of statement tiles in pretty patterns is a trusty antidote to a lacklustre room soft on drama.

Beauti-Tone Silent Sea C12-1-0515-3 PAINT, Home Hardware, homehardware.ca. Cement Zenith TILE in Black and White, 8", $6 US per tile, Clé, cletile.com.

Large Vintage MIRROR in Bronze, $329 US, Pottery Barn, potterybarn.com.

Marble Spot WALL KNOBS in Black, $25 each, EQ3, eq3.com. Rubber-Coated stoneware SOAP DISPENSER, $7, CB2, cb2.ca.

in the dark

MELT OUR COLD BLACK HEARTS! WE’RE CRUSHING ON BLACK MARBLE AND MATTE, ALL THE WAY!

Encaustic cement Valencia TILE, 8", $7 per tile, Saltillo Imports, saltillo-tiles.com.

Encanto encaustic cement Cean TILE in 01, 8", $13 per tile, Creekside Tile, creeksidetile.com.

BATHROOM

faucets sconces

Sleek modern faucets imbue a clean spa-like feel. We love these ones for their striking geometric shapes. Vintage schoolhouse-inspired sconces temper the new modern look and offer striking style juxtaposition.

Moen chrome-plated brass Arris one-handle FAUCET in Chrome, $345, The Home Depot, homedepot.ca. Jonathan Adler for Robert Abbey electroplated brass and glass Rio SCONCE, $360, Universal Lamp, greatlighting.com.

Grohe chromeplated brass Feel Starlight one-handle single-hole FAUCET, $184, Lowe’s, lowes.ca. Jason Wu for Brizo powder-coated brass two-handle wall-mount FAUCET in Matte Black, $840, Masco Canada, mascocanada.com.

wall flower

A MINIMALIST’S DREAM, WALLMOUNTED FAUCETS KEEP COUNTERTOPS FROM FEELING CLUTTERED.

Stoneware and glass Vitemölla SCONCE, $30, IKEA, ikea.ca.

Cedar & Moss brass and glass SCONCE in Oil-Rubbed Bronze, $254 US, Rejuvenation, rejuvenation.com.