Bathroom of the Week: Open, Airy Update With a Curbless Shower

Maddy

2 weeks ago

Bathroom of the Week: Open, Airy Update With a Curbless Shower

When it came time to refresh their dated primary bathroom, this retired Keller, Texas, couple turned to a familiar face. Three years earlier, they’d found design-build pro Chris Chumbley on Houzz and hired him to update the kitchen in their 2006 traditional-style home. Now they called him back to tackle the bathroom’s outdated finishes and cramped layout.

Seeking better function and a high-end look, the couple envisioned a more open, airy layout with ample storage and a spacious shower. Chumbley, who uses Houzz Pro software, delivered with a sleek, curbless shower free of glass or doors, a custom white oak double vanity with all-drawer storage and an elegant freestanding tub that enhances the sense of space. Soft neutral tiles and refined details complete the calm, luxurious retreat.

Before Photo

USI Design & Remodeling

“After” photos by Ken Vaughan of Vaughan Creative Media

Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple
Location: Keller, Texas
Size: 200 square feet (19 square meters)
Design-build pro: Chris Chumbley of USI Design & Remodeling

Before: The bathroom, with its tall cove ceiling, skylight, taupe walls and abundant light brown tile, felt dated and divided. Two separate single vanities with oval sinks — including the husband’s smaller one seen here — occupied opposite walls, while a corner shower beside the vanity felt squeezed in. “They wanted a walk-in shower with a wider entry,” Chumbley says. “They also didn’t want any glass in the shower, so we had to create a much larger footprint.”

An arched doorway by the shower led to the wife’s dressing room, home office and laundry area. Across from the shower, a tiled deck surrounded an oval tub, part of which is visible at right. The homeowners wanted to incorporate the water closet in the new design.

USI Design & Remodeling

After: Chumbley removed the two single-sink vanities, floor tile, corner shower and decked tub to start fresh. In their place, he created a larger, curbless shower with no glass or doors — the feature that inspired the bathroom’s new open layout. “It all started with the shower,” Chumbley says. “We wanted to create a universal design. The wider opening is for that, and getting away from the glass was about less maintenance.”

Durable marble-look porcelain tiles wrap the shower walls and enclosure, setting a luxe tone. The shower includes both a fixed head and a hand shower in satin brass. A long niche with matching satin brass Schluter trim keeps hair and body products organized, while a built-in bench offers a relaxing spot. Beige matte porcelain floor tiles slope gently toward a linear drain in front of the bench to keep water contained.

A new white oak double linen cabinet now stands where one of the old vanities sat, coordinating with the updated double vanity (see below). “It’s a 24-inch-deep cabinet that’s nice and spacious,” Chumbley says. “We put organizational racks on the inside of the doors too. It’s very functional in terms of zones for storing what you need.”

Wall tile: Golden Reverie, 12 by 24 inches, Daltile; floor tile: Reside USA in beige, Arizona Tile

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USI Design & Remodeling

This wider view showcases the bathroom’s open, airy layout. “It’s about style but also performance,” Chumbley says. “It’s a daily indulgence that effortlessly supports routines.” The existing arched doorway to the updated dressing room and home office received new trim. “They have grasscloth on the walls in the home office now, and I needed to terminate it in the doorway, so I had that trim made to create a stopping point,” Chumbley says.

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Before Photo

USI Design & Remodeling

Before: The wife’s vanity on the opposite wall included a sit-down makeup area. “She told me she didn’t use it,” Chumbley says. “It’s one of the first things we find out in the interviews — what they use or not.”

The white vanities, with white-framed mirrors and dated lights,

had limited storage. A double linen cabinet appears here to the right of the wife’s vanity. “Because the other vanity was going away, we wanted a larger scale for the double vanity on this wall,” Chumbley says. A door partially visible at right leads to the husband’s closet.

USI Design & Remodeling

After: Moving the double linen cabinet next to the new open shower made room for a custom 10-foot-wide white oak double vanity with a neutral finish and all-drawer storage “for ease of access,” Chumbley says.

A Cristallo quartzite countertop and backsplash deliver durability and drama. The rare natural stone features a white base with bold gold veining, orange and gray flecks and subtle translucency. A mitered edge enhances the countertop’s hefty look.

Wall, ceiling and trim paint: Modern Gray, Sherwin-Williams

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USI Design & Remodeling

The double vanity features undermount rectangular porcelain sinks with solid brass widespread faucets with a satin brass finish and ADA-compliant handles. Above, a custom mirror integrates two recessed LED lighted medicine cabinets for a sleek, built-in look. A pair of three-light sconces in a brushed bronze finish, mounted directly on the mirror, provide bright task lighting and maintain symmetry with the sinks below.

Faucets: Skylar in satin brass, Newport Brass; sconces: Lanza in brushed bronze, Hinkley

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USI Design & Remodeling

The recessed medicine cabinets feature soft-close doors, adjustable glass shelves and built-in electrical outlets. A defogger keeps the mirrors clear after showers. “It was about maximizing storage,” Chumbley says. “I think that’s important when a couple shares a vanity.”

Medicine cabinets: Krugg Reflections

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USI Design & Remodeling

The double vanity’s drawers were customized to fit the homeowners’ storage needs, with built-in organizers and internal drawers. The top drawer shown here keeps hair appliances off the counter but within easy reach, thanks to a built-in outlet.

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Before Photo

USI Design & Remodeling

Before: The oval jetted tub sat in a tiled deck with sharp corners. “They just didn’t like the deck design and wanted a freestanding tub,” Chumbley says. A shallow arched niche above the tub was painted green.

USI Design & Remodeling

After: An elegant 31-by-67-inch white acrylic freestanding tub with soft curves takes up less floor space and enhances the bathroom’s open feel. A floor-mounted tub filler in a satin brass finish coordinates with the vanity faucets and shower fixtures.

Chumbley expanded and squared off the former niche to create an accent wall clad in 13-by-39-inch fluted ceramic tiles featuring a crisp white background with soft taupe and gray veining and touches of gold. “That particular tile is art to us,” Chumbley says. “We made the accent wall taller to separate it from the arched doorway next to it. Also, cutting those fluted tiles on a straight line is easier than a radius. It gives you a more successful and cleaner outcome.”

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