Before & After: A Modern Update for a Brooklyn Bathroom

Remember Sophia and Leon’s Manhattan apartment? Last week we witnessed the transformation of their kitchen, and this week we’re looking at the overhaul of the unit’s main bathroom. While the old bathroom wasn’t yet completely falling apart, it had poorly installed, mismatched fixtures — and the fact that it needed to serve for three people meant extra storage space would be welcome. Sophia and Leon were looking to create a modern, streamlined space, all within the bathroom’s existing (very small) footprint.

For their renovation, the couple’s focus was on finding simple, elegant finishes that would be easy to clean. With this in mind they chose a black hex tile for the floor, and a slightly elongated subway tile for the walls and shower — just a bit of a twist on a classic look. The vanity, from IKEA, features a light woodgrain that coordinates nicely with the rest of the bathroom’s finishes, as well as two deep drawers for plenty of hidden storage.

The new medicine cabinet has a much more streamlined look than the old one, and a simple, modern fixture keeps the bathroom bright. A shelf over the toilet provides additional space to stash things that might not fit on the vanity, and the simple, modern artwork coordinates nicely with the black and white theme in the rest of the bathroom.

Shiny new chrome fixtures are the finishing touch — and they match the wall-mounted storage baskets, which keep the area around the tub clutter-free.

Sophia and Leon found their contractors, Paulina and Albert, on Sweeten, an online resource that connects homeowners with local design and construction experts for home renovations. You can read more about the project, see more photos, and find sources on the Sweeten blog.