While everyone is enjoying the warmer weather outside, it is the perfect time to start designing indoor spaces once the weather begins to change. I will admit, I am not a fan of winter and the cold weather, so when the weather starts to shift, I am sad to leave my outdoor space and come inside. This was one of the reasons we chose a coastal feel to the interior of our house. One of those areas is our main bathroom.
When we were building the house, I think the main bath might have been the most difficult space for me to design. The only thing I knew was that I wanted it to be bright and airy to continue to feel like I was on vacation even when I was at home.
I started by figuring out my vanities first. With the layout of the room, I knew two vanities and a freestanding tub in the middle worked the best, so the next was determining how to give some texture and warmth to the space but keep the airy feel. I chose natural rift-sawn white oak for the vanities to achieve this aesthetic. I kept its natural color to add warmth instead of the washed look.
Once that was determined, the shower was the next big item to tackle. What to do for tile? I find this one of the most difficult pieces when designing my own home. I kept changing my mind and asking myself: “Will I still like this in a couple years?” I have always loved subway tiles, so I knew this would be a good option for us. Because I wanted some contrast in the shower, I opted for two colors. I wanted the white to keep it neutral but also blue to play to the “water falling.” We added multiple shower heads for a spa-like feel. This has also come in handy to wash all the kids after swimming in the pool.
Since we have 10-foot ceilings, I wanted to have a little fun with the space by adding long, rectangular mirrors, especially since mirrors are a great way to make a space feel larger. I wanted the mirrors to stand out but not feel overpowering being extra tall, so I went with a small, black frame edge.
One of the other spa-like features we added was a heated towel rack—my husband insisted upon it. I’ll give him all the credit for this; it was the right call. I love having the heated towels, especially in the wintertime. Speaking of wintertime, I hate how cold tile floors feel in the winter, so we ended up heating the floor. The nice part about heated floors is they help heat the space as well.
I love the look of mixed metals, so I had fun playing with the easy-to-change items like cabinet hardware, light fixtures, and accessories. I kept black to just the mirrors but wanted something other than chrome on the vanities. I love how the gold looks with the white oak and still feels coastal with it being mixed with the chrome.
Designing a main bathroom is a very personal venture, but also rewarding. I overthought the process too many times and would continue to remind myself to do what I like and love and not what others might want. This would be my number one tip to anyone thinking about tackling a home project: do what you love and what will make you happy. You are the one who will be living with it every day.
This article is part of a series chronicling the design-build of Michelle Horst’s Midwest coastal retreat home in West Omaha. Follow her at ThymeandTheory on Instagram.
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Omaha Home Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.