Before & After: A Bathroom Goes from Nondescript to Light-Filled & Modern

Prior to Bridget and Ethan Healy moving into their building in Cambridge, MA in 2012, it was renovated by a developer in 2008. While they love their home, some of the renovation decisions are not what the couple would have chosen themselves, nor are they reflective of their personal styles. “We had been considering a few updates to our home for the past couple years, and improving the function and flow of our entryway and bathroom was high on the list,” Bridget shares. Specifically, they wanted to move the door to the full bathroom out of the entryway and into the bedroom to create an en suite master bathroom; and this would also increase their storage. Not knowing the first thing about how to start a project like this, Bridget decided to reach out to Homepolish for design help. Shannon Tate, an interior designer, is also part of the Boston Homepolish team. Right from the beginning, she, Bridget, and Ethan hit it off and she was able to give them exactly the bathroom renovations they had dreamed of. “I’m so happy that Shannon was the designer we were paired with,” Bridget says. “She has such a great eye and really helped transform our small bathroom into a beautiful space — who knew that moving a doorway could open up so many possibilities? I love seeing that gorgeous tile every day, too.”

Shannon tells us, “Their home had two bathrooms side-by-side, one full and one a half bath and neither one of them was an en suite. This seemed so silly, since the whole building had been renovated in 2008.” The goal was to make the bathroom feel more luxurious and also have more function in terms of storage, but staying within the same footprint was a must. “The plan I devised [was to move] the door of the bathroom from outside the bedroom to inside,” Shannon explains. “We did a pocket door so it wouldn’t take up any space on the interior of the bathroom. I was able to squeeze in a double vanity by flipping its positioning and getting a custom vanity that was a little less deep than standard. They now both have two full drawers for storage, which is huge, especially with a baby coming and all the little bath toys that will follow.”

The jumping-off point for Shannon’s design was Bridget’s dream of having “mermaid tile,” so from that idea the design plan was born. The Ogee Drop tiles from Fireclay for the shower worked perfectly, while bringing in a green tone that feels like it came straight from the sea. Those tiles were then paired with marble penny rounds on the floor, a compact toilet, and a more minimal window trim. “With the use of mirrors, the natural light, and a light white/wood color palette everywhere in the bathroom (except the shower), it really makes it feel so much bigger. I couldn’t be happier with the end product,” Shannon muses. I think this is a fantastic transformation that shows how a big impact can still take place in a small space. —Erin

Photography by Shannon Tate-Giordano / @shannontateinteriors

Image above: The Ogee Drops from Fireclay tile and a shelf that the contractor created to perfection.