Photos by Spacecrafting
After living with a spacious, yet dark and dated bathroom for more than 13 years—replete with a cave-like, dropped-ceiling shower tucked behind a narrow brick arch—homeowner Susan Sterling was ready for the European-style redo of her dreams. “Susan came into our showroom, I started talking with her, and we hit it off; I started designing her project right away,” recalls Jennie Hjerpe, designer at Minneapolis-based Crystal Kitchen + Bath. “Susan has an art background and has traveled a lot in Europe, so she knew what she wanted.” Her wish list included more natural light, marble, a sense of femininity, softer colors, and a glamorous aesthetic with a touch of dazzle. “Just the right amount of luxury,” Hjerpe concludes. Together, they made Sterling’s dream a reality.
The design team went to work—removing the dark cabinet next to the shower door, as well as the arch and dropped ceiling. From there, a frameless shower with a glass door was added to let in natural light while keeping in the warm steam. Next to the shower, a new base cabinet provides plentiful storage. The shower now has a hexagonal tile floor, porcelain tile walls, double niches for soaps and shampoos, and a bench. The shower tile’s soft-gray pattern repeats throughout the room in the floor and tub alcove, and pairs well with the bright Corian quartz countertops on the vanity, tub deck, and wall ledge—giving the bathroom the marble-like European look Sterling desired.
The designers kept the bath’s original footprint intact and painted all the woodwork white. Within the new alcove and archway, they replaced an oddly angled Jacuzzi tub with an undermount tub that added depth, softened the angles, and incorporated cabinet doors for plumbing access while allowing the vanity sink cabinet to open properly. The custom vanity cabinets with inset doors and drawers were painted a soft blue-gray shade, Jubilee from Sherwin-Williams, while the walls are clad in Sherwin-Williams’ Olympus White. The new chandelier, in addition to the nickel finishes, adds just the right amount of sparkle.
Where there was once a doorless opening between the bedroom and bath is now an inviting, yet privacy-creating French door. The bedroom was also repainted, and the carpet was replaced with white oak flooring to match that found in the hall. The upstairs bed and bath area of Sterling’s 2004 Minneapolis home now has a whole new feel. “And it’s so much prettier, too,” says Hjerpe, “with just the right amount of elegance.”
