Sharing our design plans, including sources, to create a character-filled ensuite bathroom.
This little en-suite has been under construction for more than year. Well, to be fair, it’s only really seen a few weeks worth of work through that time – mostly it’s just been sitting here waiting patiently for me to make up my mind about what exactly I wanted to do in here. We had floor plans to figure out, plumbing to move, in-floor heat to work around, walls to build, electrical to map out – with a totally clean slate in here, there was a lot to plan out and even more work to do to make it all happen. At this point, the plumbing and electrical have been roughed in and all of the walls have been framed out.
And then, things were at a stand-still again while I hummed and hawed over light fixtures, plumbing finishes, wallpaper options and every little thing in between. Shocking, I know.
Buuuut, after a few more weeks of overthinking every detail, I’ve finally, FINALLY, landed on our final design plans for the space and I cannot wait to share them with you today!
Are you ready?
Design Plans for our Tudor Cottage Style Ensuite
Towel Ring | Toilet Paper Holder | Hook | Vanity Drawer Knobs | Plumbing Fixtures | Vanity Sconces | Vanity Mirror Medicine Cabinets | Vanity – custom | Shower Door Knob | Shower Door Hinges | Wallpaper | Ceiling Light | Wicker Sconces | Bathtub
Now that you’ve seen the mood board, let me tell you all about how I plan to put this all together. Let’s start with the main bathroom area, which will feature a wood-look tile floor and vertical shiplap wainscotting. I’m envisioning the wainscotting and trim all painted out in a warm beige – I haven’t got this colour picked out yet, but something that will go well with the wallpaper we’ve chosen. The walls above the wainscotting will be painted in my favourite warm white (Cloud White from Benjamin Moore). The little ceiling light will be centred between the bathroom entrance and the water closet (where you see the bulb hanging in the construction photo above).
To the left of the main entrance you’ll find our shower. Rather than wrapping it in glass (I cannot stand looking at those water spots all the time), we’ll have a cozy, enclosed space. The shower walls will be covered with a square, warm cream tile and the floors with a penny tile that matches. We’re planning to create an arched wall entrance to our shower, but use just a simple rectangular glass door.
Straight ahead from the main entrance will be our water closet, which will be covered from top to bottom with the prettiest wallpaper (including the ceiling). Ever since laying eyes on it in this gorgeous space, I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. I’m SO excited to put it to work in here! I’m thinking I may also tie it into our closet too, what do you think? Planning to add a little wicker sconce to the interior wall (where the lightbulb is now in the photo above).
Our little tub nook will be surrounded by the same vertical shiplap wainscotting that will be running around the rest of the main bathroom area. I’m planning to add a half wall behind our tub to create a shelf that I can use while I’m soaking in the tub. We’ll also add two wicker sconces (matching the water closet light) above the tub as well.
This vanity are has been a huge source of indecision for me as I struggled with various layouts for the sinks, storage and lighting above. I walked my way through each decision slowly though, first deciding on double sinks, then drawers below each sink next, and finally, landing on two separate mirrors (medicine cabinets for extra storage) with a single sconce between each. My sister-in-law was such a HUGE help with this for me as she sketched up all of my ideas (with correct proportions), which really helped me to visualize how everything would look together in real life. She’s actually offered up this service for purchase, so if you find yourself struggling to visualize or plan out a space, I’d highly recommend reaching out to her! If you’re interested in chatting more about your options with her, you can message her on Instagram here. Here’s an example of a few of the layouts she drafted for our vanity mirrors and lighting options:
As I mentioned, we ultimately landed on Option 4.
The vanity itself we will have to have custom made, so we’re just shopping around our options for this now. I’m picturing white oak in a medium-toned stain with 3 drawers centred under each sink and two brass knobs mounted on each drawer. The counter will likely be a creamy white marble, with a lot of browns and blacks woven through it – something that feels bold and not too boring. I wanted to do something different with the sink faucets and so, I opted for the wall mounted version rather than deck mounted – I like that it feels a little unexpected.
I think bathrooms can often feel cold and sterile, but I really wanted this space to feel cozy and collected, like a little retreat every time we walked into it. I think all of the various materials – the different wall-coverings, the mixed metals of the finishes, the different tile choices, etc. – they’ll all come together to create a space that feels collected and far from boring. For all the spaces we’ve renovated over the years, this is the first that feels a little more out of the box for me in terms of mixing + matching different patterns and colours and textures. Pulling all of these different elements together has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone in terms of design and I’m SO excited to see it all brought to life over the next few months! And of course, I promise to bring you along for the ride with us, every step of the way my friends.
Wishing you SUCH a lovely day my friends!
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Emily Radkie says
I’m so excited you’ve finally reached a decision with your ensuite! I know this has been such a journey, but I feel like it will be so worth it once you see the end result. Everything you’ve selected feels perfect, I think you’ve nailed keeping it cohesive but collected and I am so looking forward to following along as you start completing the space!
Kristi says
Awww, thank you Emily! I can’t thank you enough for all of your help along the way! I couldn’t have done it without you!