Before & After: A Classy New Look for a Brooklyn Bathroom

Written by

Nancy Mitchell
Nancy Mitchell
As a former Senior Writer at Apartment Therapy, Nancy split her time among looking at beautiful pictures, writing about design, and photographing stylish apartments in and around NYC.
updated May 3, 2019
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We love the idea of keeping the tile in a vintage bathroom, but unfortunately, sometimes that’s just not possible. The lavender tile in the bathroom of Laura and Matthew’s Brooklyn co-op was cracking in several places and needed to be replaced, and storage in the small, cramped room was almost non-existent. They envisioned a new bathroom that would be clean, modern and bright — while still maintaining a bit of the quirky character of the original.

(Image credit: Sweeten)

Here’s the new bathroom, sans purple tiles. But, if you look very closely, you’ll notice that they kept the original floor — a pattern of grey tiles with black and white accents that gives the new bathroom a bit of Art Deco flair. The red vanity is an unexpected but welcome choice, one that adds a lot of storage — and a lot of character — to a small bathroom.

(Image credit: Sweeten)

The lavender tile has been replaced by subway tile with a dark grout, which gives the new bathroom a fresh but classic appearance.

(Image credit: Sweeten)

An important space-saving feature of the new bathroom is the sliding barn door, which frees up the space that would normally need to be clear for the door swing.

(Image credit: Sweeten)

Although the sink and toilet were replaced, the old tub stayed. After re-glazing and new fixtures (and a cool curved curtain rod that makes the shower feel more spacious), it’s as good as new.

Want more bathrooms like this one?

Laura and Matthew found their contractor, Santiago, 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.