Scandinavian Inspired Bathroom Renovation Project

It was a little less than a year ago that I shared the inspiration and plans for our bathroom renovation project. We completed the bulk of the work this fall and winter, and I’m thrilled to finally share the finished space. While this was not our first time converting a garage into a bedroom and bathroom, this space was smaller and the layout a bit different than the last.

Our vision for this space was Scandinavian inspired, modern, warm, and cozy, with influences from New England too. Ultimately, the finished project is somehow better than I ever imagined, and it makes me happy every time I walk into the room. Here’s all the details about the project.

Scandinavian Inspired Bathroom Renovation Project

This space was built in our existing garage. We converted our attached garage into a bedroom and bathroom. The total square footage was approximately 430 square feet with the bathroom taking up about 64 square feet (see the plans here). It might not sound like a lot of room but we managed to fit everything we wanted into the space.

Scandinavian Inspired Tile Floor

Tile was one of the first things we chose for the bathroom design as it informed a lot of the other finishes. We were thrilled to work with Fireclay Tile after using them in our previous bathroom renovation. In addition to the fact that they make incredible quality products, we love Fireclay Tile because it’s made in the USA, is a certified B Corp, employee owned, and climate neutral certified. It’s an amazing company!

While we initially leaned towards something in the green or blue family, we ended up landing on a gorgeous neutral called Sand Dune. We loved the warmth and how the color changed throughout the day with the light in our bathroom. While the neutral color evoked that Scandinavian design feel, it also reminded us of the sandy beaches in Rhode Island, and that felt like a special nod to the place we called home for so long.

The tile has a glossy finish and the color depending on the light and time of day varies from a sandy beige to a subtle pinky hue. We chose the 3×9 tile size with a straight lay pattern. The tile also has a soft feel underfoot which makes it very soothing to stand on. We used a grout color called Bone which has a sandy off-white look to it. Honestly, it’s my favorite element of the bathroom.

Scandinavian Inspired Modern Bathroom Vanity

The bathroom vanity was one of the hardest things to find and took a long time to land on something we liked and felt fit the space. Once we finally discovered the Ronson Modern Bathroom Vanity from All Modern we ordered it and crossed our fingers. When it showed up we were so pleased with the look and quality. The slat detail on the doors were one of our favorite design elements.

The middle drawers are deep and spacious, it features double sinks with two large cabinets underneath, and the countertop is a sleek white engineered marble. It worked with our budget and looks as nice as some of the vanities that were double the price. The vanity also came with the bronze drawer pulls which matched the finishes we used for the faucets and shower.

For sink faucets we chose Delta Tetra in champagne bronze. I particularly like the lower profile with a 6.5 inch faucet height. The finish on the sink, drawer pulls and medicine cabinet are not all exactly the same but they’re close enough that you really don’t notice the difference.

Medicine Cabinets

To maximize space we wanted to have medicine cabinets with storage. It was a little tricky to find the right size because they had to be narrow but somewhat tall. We found these Seamless Medicine Cabinets from West Elm in an antique brass finish. Luckily I managed to buy them when they were on sale so the price was fairly reasonable. They shipped really quickly and installation was pretty straightforward. The inside is pretty spacious with several shelves for storage.

The Minimalist Shower

We decided to do a plaster shower again (and by we I mean Craig). We did this last time and love the look of a plaster shower. Craig did a few things differently this time around and we will share more about that in an upcoming newsletter (subscribe here if you’re not signed up).

There were two things I really wanted in my shower, a window, and a cubby, and I’m happy to report I got both. We planted a maple tree outside of our bathroom window, so I am very excited to watch the leaves change in the fall. Craig also managed to build a small cubby in the wall and it’s the perfect size.

The shower head is the Delta HydroRain in champagne bronze and the wall mount handle is the Tetra style also in champagne bronze. Ultimately we decided to go with Delta because we’ve used them before and wanted continuity with the bronze finish.

The shower door is a fixed glass frameless panel and the shower pan is a Kohler shower base.

Lighting and Additional Details

Lighting was the single hardest thing to nail down in this bathroom. We looked at so many different fixtures and didn’t like anything. We ended up sending back two separate styles that just did not work in the space, and we finally landed on two simple fixtures that were $50 each! They were on sale, and unfortunately only available in black now, but I’ve linked to them so you can see the style (they’re size small).

The walls and the ceiling in the bathroom are also plaster. I was nervous about doing a plaster ceiling but Craig preferred that to painting and it came out really beautiful. Plaster has a gorgeous texture that’s subtle and hard to capture in photos, but it’s lovely in person.

For heating in the bathroom we installed an electric runtal baseboard heater which we also used when we built our living/dining room addition. They are pricier than a standard electric baseboard but they look amazing, give off incredibly efficient heat, and are very low profile.

We managed to fit additional storage in the bathroom using an IKEA Pax wardrobe. We’ve used them so many times throughout our house and they do not disappoint. Installation can be a bit cumbersome but it’s a fraction of the cost of anything custom. They look great and provide a ton of additional room to store things like towels and other bathroom needs.

additional details