Welcome!
This is a new category on our blog that is all about spaces relevant to our area, our clientele, and what I find to be a beautiful home design. You can find posts like this under the category name Dovetail Design Corner and on our social media with the hashtag #dovetaildesigncorner.
Though I'm not a designer, I have spent my life around home building and remodeling, and I thoroughly enjoy pulling together a room's canvas.
I grew up walking through home-building sites from foundation to staging, taking in each element that contributed to the space. In the final stage, I loved to see what the interior designer would come up with for each home; the design firm had fantastic people with great personalities.
Over time, I noticed that I was continually drawn to the foundational materials the most; the cabinetry, the flooring, the trim work, etc. The carpentry of the home determined which palettes the designers would use.
If the cabinetry and trim were white with a wood floor that leaned toward an orangish stain, the home's interior would be decorated in a brighter, more colorful palette. Remember all the bright florals of the '90s?
But warmer and darker tones were used if the home had darker cherry-stained cabinets, trim work, and wood flooring. This was my favorite during the later '90s. For this palette, the designers would use plaid and classy animal patterns with oil-rubbed bronze hardware. (My description might not sound like it would match well, but >Chef's Kiss< it was gorgeous!)
The color and style of the cabinetry, the flooring, the woodwork, the wall color, the windows, etc., all created a feel and a canvas for the home. That feel could be further communicated through furniture and artwork in personalized ways. But the home's base is where it all began for me and where my focus remains.
My design preference
In home remodeling, there is a lot of conversation around how to blend what a homeowner would like for their space and how to arrange those requirements functionally. Most important to us at Dovetail Contracting LLC is a purposeful and comfortable home design that creates a calm space utilizing material choices.
These are always the goals for my home and what is behind my encouragement to others. So, rather than a particular design style, we focus on the feel of the home, which lends to the homeowner’s personality being able to shine through like a fingerprint.
So, I enjoy the excitement of assisting clients in their search for what fits their family and home the best.
I’ve begun with a bathroom
I chose a bathroom for the first space to write about because I highly value where I begin and end my day. If you were to ask me which room I would remodel first in a home, nine times out of ten, I would answer, "The bathroom!" For me, the kitchen would need to be unsafe or unusable to change my preference.
I find it very uncomfortable to use a supposed hygienic space with definite signs of neglect, and making sanitizing difficult. (I'm, let's say, finicky about the cleanliness of my kitchen sink as well.)
In addition, after having four children, there is a difference between what I would choose for a main bathroom for younger children versus older children. Therefore, I have included two versions of the bathroom based on that mindset.
A calm gray and gold bathroom
I decided to begin with the color gray as it became so popular that it still dominates the color palette in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington.
Gray can be a calming color, especially with modern color variations. Still, you can quickly veer into a gray cave if you're not careful. For this reason, I like incorporating whites that have gray and greige (an actual color between gray and beige.) undertones and warm lighting.
Main bath design
Easy to clean and little ones were my main focuses for this main bathroom. For my lifestyle with younger children, the easier to clean, the better for me. But there's no need to forego your style, as you can pull together a serene bathroom utilizing child-friendly elements
The bathroom's focal point is a silver-gray, dual-sink furniture-style vanity with an engineered stone countertop in Carrara and great storage. I preferred to change out the hardware for French gold and keep the tone warm. I continued the warmth throughout the vanity space with elegant gold faucets, gold-edged mirrors, and brushed gold lighting fixtures above each mirror.
If a dual-sink vanity is too large for your space, a one-sink vanity with the same palette will be just as beautiful. However, I would change the mirror when going with a smaller vanity. I prefer a mirror where two smaller children could simultaneously look into it at the same time, most likely a large round mirror or a square shape.
For the tub/shower area, I chose a subway tile-look fiberglass surround, utilizing a gold curved shower curtain and brushed gold fixtures. A solid surround is a surface for fast cleaning as there is no grout.
The flooring is a luxury vinyl plank in a greige tone and is comfortable on your feet while being nearly indestructible; translation, the floor easily stands up to the splishy-splashies of bathtime.
I chose a wall color in Sherwin-Williams #7004 Snowbound. You could pick from various pale grays and whites for your walls and be happy. I lean toward white versus gray walls, and this white has gray undertones. Sherwin-Williams even describes this color as complimentary to gray decor.
We love the quality of Sherwin-Williams paint and have a great relationship with Post Falls and Spokane stores. Both of the managers are fantastic, and we enjoy working with them. (This is our opinion, and I'm not being sponsored to say nice things about them.)
Ensuite bath design
The ensuite bathroom has the same silver-gray vanity and French gold features as the focal point; however, the shower is tiled, has a glass surround, and I included an option for a freestanding soaking tub that would work for a homeowner's ensuite.
Glass shower surrounds are super popular and come in many styles. I chose a clear glass with gold edging that provides a fantastic aesthetic of the creamy, natural stone tile and brushed gold fixtures.
The shower wall tiles are a slim herringbone pattern with flecks of brown and gray that will read more of a texture from a distance, and the shower floor tiles, made by the same designer, are of the same natural stone but in an interlocking pattern.
The same luxury vinyl plank flooring is hard to beat, and in this greige tone, it fits very well. LVP is very cost-effective compared to tile flooring. However, choosing a tile in this same color family would also be beautiful for devoted tile fans. In my opinion, I wouldn’t use a pattern on the floor and allow the shower’s herringbone walls to provide the pattern and main texture.
The last elements to discuss are the freestanding tub and gold floor-mounted tub filler. The designs of freestanding tubs are endless, and it can be quite a rabbit hole to go down. So, the three factors I recommend considering are the tub dimensions that will fit your body type, a shape that melds well with the fixture shapes, and how insulated the tub is.
I chose a freestanding tub made from acrylic with a lightweight fiberglass lining for insulation and strength. It has positive reviews from people who have used it, and I thought the shape beautifully matched the profile of the three faucets.
I like purposeful details; they create fluidity and calmness, especially in a smaller room.
Wayfair
The links and photos I used are from Wayfair. However, this post is not sponsored, and we are not making money from anyone visiting or purchasing by clicking the links.
We are a part of Wayfair Professional, a partnership where when we order items for our clients, we receive a discount that beats most other stores carrying that item.
I have purchased many items in my home from Wayfair, and it's been one of the stores I look at first when I think of shopping for items for my home. That sounds a little commercial-y, but it's literally what I said to Nathan the other day. We all have our favorite places to shop, and this just happens to be one of mine.
Final thoughts
While this is my preference for approaching a gray bathroom, I wanted to acknowledge that there are many ways to create a serene gray bathroom.
It could be the ‘90s coming out in me, but I was thrilled when gold finishes began making a comeback! However, a substantial majority prefer matte black fixtures, and I also think that looks beautiful. I even considered using matte black for that reason, but I decided to be true to myself and go with the gold.
I’m excited about this first Dovetail Design Corner post, and I look forward to sharing my preferences on other popular room palettes.
If you would like to follow along, you’re welcome to subscribe here; we’d love to have you!
And if you're in our area and interested in remodeling your bathroom with this design, we'd be happy to schedule a consultation meeting with you!
Happy home remodeling!