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The day has finally come to share the reveal of my transitional black and white basement bathroom project (aka, my basement bathroom)! This bathroom has been over a year in the making, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share it with you. Over the course of the year, the style and design of the bathroom changed slightly from the original plan. This was somewhat due to my inability to make decisions (a constant battle for me!), somewhat due to sourcing challenges, and somewhat due to delays from vendors . But even with all that, I can really say that I am so, so happy with how it all turned out in the end. I guess good things do come to those who wait, right?!
With a lot of tiling work from the hubs, and finding in the right mix of traditional and modern elements – this space transformed from a unfinished concrete floor and studs to a total stunner that is honestly way too gorgeous to be in a basement. You can find the source list at the bottom of this post just in case you see something you have to have. So, without ANY further delay (I know I’ve waited long enough!), I’ll dig right in and share all the pretty from this basement beauty!
The floor is the real stunner of this room. I knew from the start that I wanted to do something fun for this small bathroom. This affordable, cement look-a-like tile from Home Depot was the perfect solution.
The black bamboo towel ladder was the perfect way to make use of am otherwise awkward angled wall. A few Turkish Towels created some softness to all the black, and the lifeguard tower print and faux greenery added a bit of color to this side of the room.
The original plan to was convert a vintage mid-century dresser into a sink cabinet, but the length of the space proved to be too much of a problem All of the dressers I found were too long for the wall. So after an extensive search (which I’ll admit caused much of the delay on the completion of this space), I decided to alter my design plans. Opting for an black sink cabinet turned out to the be right choice for this space in the end. The classic feel of the cabinet goes perfectly with the classic feeling of the floor tile and subway tile in the shower. I changed door hardware to chrome knobs (it came with brushed nickel) to match the rest of the chrome details in the bathroom, and it all came together nicely if I do say so myself!
To accomplish the transitional feeling I was going for (not too traditional and not too modern), I choose to incorporate bold, modern light fixtures. These modern sconces give the space a unique feel and give the best warm glow when on that makes the space feel spa like.
While neutrals are my comfort zone, I do recognize the need for some small splashes of color too. Along with the color that comes from the lifeguard tower print, I added a little color using decorative soaps, greenery, and candles. I get bored with color easily (strange, I know), so these little does of color be changed out as easily as my preference for color changes (aka, often).
The strong contrast of black and white in the space needed something warm to balance it all, so I incorporated a teak mirror, some woven baskets, and a teak shower mat to help warm the space up. Incorporating tropical wood tones and woven materials is my favorite way to warm up otherwise neutral spaces.
I learned a big lesson on this project. Always spend the extra money to go with a frame-less shower door frame. The framed door on this shower totally detracts from the beautiful tile work inside.
In retrospect, brass fixtures would have looked totally amazeballs in this space, but the chrome fixtures in the shower had already been installed years ago when we were finishing out the walls and plumbing for the rest of the basement. At that time, brass wasn’t as popular as it is now…so when it came time to finishing the bathroom I knew ripping out brand new fixtures was not going to be an option. Chrome is a classic and really won’t go out of style, so I rolled with it. We added a chrome sink faucet, chrome on the light fixtures, chrome cabinet pulls and chrome bathroom accessories with a modern look to keep it from looking too traditional overall.
I love how this project turned out, but I also love that it’s done! I’ve listed as many actual sources that I could below, and have linked the others to similar products below.
Bathroom Sources
- Black Sink Cabinet with Quartz Top: Wayfair
- Shower Tile: Home Depot, Daltile
- Paint Color: Glidden Marshmallow White
- Chrome Sink Faucet: Delta (Similar)
- Floor Tile: Home Depot, Merola Tile Arte White
- Lifeguard Tower Print: Etsy Lushaprints
- Shower fixture: Delta (Similar)
- Black Bamboo Towel Ladder: Amazon
- Turkish Towels: CB2
- Woven Vase: Home Goods (similar)
- Tropical Faux leaves: Hobby Lobby (similar)
- Modern Double Bulb Sconce: Due to issues with the supplier, I’m recommending another source Roanoak Co. (similar)
- Mirror: Home Goods (similar)
- Soap Bottle: Home Goods (similar)
- Teak Shower Mat: DIY Project (Similar)
- Body Sponge: World Market (Similar)
- Reed Diffuser: CB2
- Chome Cabinet Pulls: Lowe’s – Allen + Roth
- Towel Hooks/ Ring and Toilet Paper Holder: Amazon – Gatco Laitiude II Collection
- Soaps: World Market & World Market
- Succulents: Michaels (Similar)
- African Black Soap: Target
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