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Upscale Bathroom Remodel: Before and After

Aug 27, 2018 | Posted in Before & After | Share

I’m often asked how to transform bathrooms that are dark and cramped into light and airy spaces. Oh, and also to make the space look high-end or upscale as well, without breaking the bank. A tall order that seems impossible, but I’ve done it here!

View of upscale bathroom remodel showing pale blue tinted wall and ceiling color, 90-degree angled white porcelain floor tiles, white wood vanity with a white counter and a mirror above with white glass sconces either side. To the left is a shower with white subway tiles and silver fixtures, and to the right is a stained glass window.

Design by Kimball Starr, photo by David Duncan Livingston

This San Francisco bathroom was drowning in dark, outdated tiling with the toilet, tub, and sink all in tan. While I appreciate the effort from the original installer to color-coordinate everything, it unfortunately hasn’t stood the test of time, as you can see below in these “before” photos I took on-site.

"Before" images of an outdated San Francisco residential bathroom with tan tub, tan sink, matching tan tiling and towel rails, plus orangey-red edge tiles that are triangles pointed down, with dingy white painted walls above. This bathroom needs an upscale remodel!

The lonely mirror looked unfinished above a motel-style tiled edge, and the lighting was severely lacking. Those triangle tiles remind me of broken teeth!

View of bathroom showing pale blue tinted wall and ceiling color, 90-degree angled white porcelain floor tiles, white wood vanity with a white counter surface, silver hardware, and a silver-framed mirror above with silver and white glass sconces either side. To the left is a walk-in glass shower with white subway tiles, a real Calacatta and Celeste marble patterned shower wall niche, complementary angled white porcelain marble-look floor tiles, and silver shower fixtures.

Design by Kimball Starr, photo by David Duncan Livingston

What a change in the “after”! To make the room feel bigger, I turned the floor tiles at a 45-degree angle, which visually widens the space and feels more welcoming, and kept the color palette to pale light tones. The angled flooring is repeated in the shower pan in a smaller-scale pattern, the repetition of materials visually elongating the entire bathroom. All the flooring is durable, stain-proof, and maintenance-free porcelain that replicates the look of Calacatta marble.

Closeup of shower wall inset niche, pattern created in pearly white Calacatta marble, shaped almost like snowflakes, alternating with speckled pale blue diamond-shaped Celeste marble, framed by off-white subway tiles.

Design by Kimball Starr, photo by David Duncan Livingston

To create a high-end look, we added a custom detail for the shower niche. We splurged on real Calacatta and blue Celeste marble, and had our custom pattern fabricated just for us. The added bonus of having the marble recessed inside the niche and on a vertical surface means there will be minimal issues with staining.

"Before" remodel image: Open window above tan square tiles with orange-red subway tile edging plus downpointing "teeth"-effect tiles in the same orange-red, and a towel rail matching the tan squares. The tiling continues around the corner into a step-in arch-fronted shower with curtain pushed back to the right side. The rest of the painted walls are off-white.

Another way I opened up and lightened the space was by relocating the toilet where the shower enclosure was previously located. That allowed us to remove all the old shower tile, add a second window for more light, and brighten up the walls with a soft shade of blue.

Corner view of bathroom showing white counter surface and white wood cabinetry with blocky silver hardware that matches the silver taps and mirror frame, and one visible of a pair of silver sconces with white glass shades. Next to the light fixture and above the silver double towel rail, are two windows at a 90-degree angle creating a light-filled corner coming in to the space - the window facing the sink is a custom stained glass feature window - and to the right side of the second window sits the toilet in its new location.

Design by Kimball Starr, photo by David Duncan Livingston

A favorite custom detail is the stained glass window. The homeowner found a pattern she loved, and we had the stained glass window fabricated for us, installed to the right of the vanity. Custom elements like this and the marble shower niche elevate a simple utilitarian area into a higher-end space that’s unique and sophisticated.

Closeup of custom stained glass window with a prairie-style pattern almost like an arrow coming down from the sky, above a silver double towel rail, and next to a sconce light fixture in matching silver with a white glass shade. The walls are a pale blue and contrast with the white trim.

Design by Kimball Starr, photo by David Duncan Livingston

Completing the bathroom with paint in a soft powdery blue color gives enough contrast to the white fixtures and finishes to make the space interesting, while maintaining the serene and airy look.

If you’re due for a bathroom update, and are excited to bring in custom design elements for an upscale space, contact Kimball Starr today!

Kimball Starr Interior Design works with homeowners all across Northern California to create beautiful “afters” of your bathrooms, kitchens, and interior spaces throughout your home!