An “Outdated and Cramped” Bathroom Gets a Colorful Pink Update
With just under 40 square feet to work with, TJ’s Dwellings & Designs couldn’t increase the footprint of their client’s primary bathroom, but they still needed to add functionality and personality.
Jordan Gilbertson, the interior designer behind TJ’s Dwellings & Designs, and Tony Gilbertson, the woodworker and general contractor of their business, were used to tackling this kind of project. “We do these routinely,” Jordan adds.
But that didn’t mean there weren’t difficulties. “The space had gone through a few different remodels, so the room felt disjointed with updates that didn’t match the original pink shower tile and tub,” Jordan explains.
Jordan and Tony wanted to honor the history of the 1956 ranch-style home, but also “find a way to make the room feel larger, function better, and offer more practical storage without changing the footprint.”
The Hall Closet Was a Game-Changer for the Bathroom’s Functionality
The small space was used as both the primary and guest bathroom, which meant it served a lot of purposes for the family — even if it wasn’t working in ways they needed it to.
So the first step in the renovation was adding more storage. A hallway closet wasn’t used to its full potential, and Jordan saw an opportunity to create more space (without officially expanding the square feet or moving any major walls). They closed off the existing doorway and opened the wall within the bathroom to access the space.
Tony’s experience with woodworking and construction means TJ’s Dwellings & Designs builds bespoke furniture and cabinets for their clients. He created custom white oak built-ins for the closet-turned-functional-storage in the bathroom — with three extra-deep, soft-close drawers and open shelving.
Once the closet configuration was finished, a space opened up during the process — creating a prime opportunity for Jordan and Tony to install a pocket door. The previous door swung into the bathroom and blocked access to the shower and tub, hitting whoever was using the vanity.
“Installing a solid core pocket door saved on space, added better sound mitigation than the hollow core door there before, and enhanced the multi-person usability of the room,” Jordan explains.
These small changes left a big impact on the already space-limited bathroom, solving many problems for the clients. “[It] was a game-changer for the bathroom,” Jordan says.
Small Upgrades and Custom Woodwork “Level Up [the] Bath Game”
Jordan and Tony built a white oak vanity to match the custom built-ins in the new closet, featuring double 15” wide vessel sinks with aged brass wall-mounted faucets. The space underneath the off-white terrazzo quartz counter was maximized for storage with six soft-close drawers.
“Having two sinks was a huge priority, and we found a way to make them work despite the bathroom’s small size,” Jordan says. Plus, the tub that replaced the original offered more internal room for soaking, but took up less space in the actual square footage.
They also upgraded the shower with modern, sleek fixtures, a tile surround, and a sputnik-style light fixture above the shower. And for all of the custom builds, they stained the wood in a rich golden oak, honoring the home’s history of a ranch-style, and complementing the soft pink walls.
Fun details like a Verner Panton Flowerpot Pendant light over the toilet, a Quiet Town Indigo Linen Shower Curtain, and Cedar & Hyde Leggy Crossed Wall Hooks make the small space feel curated and balanced.
Every upgrade, large or small, “enhances the experience through little moments of joy,” Jordan adds.
White Tiles and Pink Grout Were an Affordable and Impactful Design Move
“A huge part of this project was identifying our clients’ shared design style and how it should show up in their bathroom,” Jordan explains. The clients “longed for a space that felt as creative as they are,” and every design decision combined colorful, mid-century modern style with multi-functional living.
The original shower and bath were pink on pink, and they pulled inspiration from the tiles to curate a color palette. They featured “sunset pinks, burnt siennas, dusty sky blues, and golden oaks.”
“We opted for an affordable white tile paired with a really beautiful pink grout to tell [the] design story,” Jordan says. “Sometimes [grout] plays a supporting role and other times it can be a star.”
In this case, they intentionally matched the tile grout with the soft pink they painted the walls. The results turned the otherwise white tiles into something whimsical and visually impactful — with the grout as the star of the show.
Everything added up to creating a bathroom with “clean lines, patterns, and balance, but with an artful take on key elements like the colors, textiles, and vanity mirrors,” Jordan describes.
The clients later told her, “We love how the bathroom turned out. [It] has really leveled up our bath game.”
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