Bonnie J. Lewis, Bonnie J. Lewis Design in Scottsdale, Ariz., used light as a safety feature and to draw attention to room’s wall tiles. Architect Randy Hatchard’s lighting strategy took advantage of the reflective surfaces used in the Modern Classy Coastal Bathroom in Boca Raton, Fla., to help the space feel grander and more impressive.

With constrained space also comes conspicuous opportunity: fewer square feet means higher-end materials like tile are less of a budget buster. If a floor is only 75 sq.ft., the fancy tile only adds a few hundred dollars. Farhad Noory,  Royal Premier Homes, economically splurged on Versace wall tiles in the Stoney Scenes remodel.

Each of these projects is a beautiful, purposeful space that’s been reinvented as a luxury setting. 

When designing the Modern Classy Coastal bathroom remodel for TR Design Group, architect Randy Hatchard incorporated LED lighting throughout the space to add depth and make the room feel larger. The lighting works in tandem with the reflective tiles and mirrors used throughout the project to meet the client’s desire to have their bathroom feel grand and to create the illusion that it is larger (and deeper) than it is.

Hatchard balanced the heavy use of mirrors and white, reflective tiles with a matte Venetian plaster wall on the far end of the room to bring contrast to the project. The room was intentionally designed to imbue a “nice clean look with simple materials,” and no wall art. This allows the homeowner to liven it up with her own décor and flower arrangements, creating a contrast where the lively decorations become more attention-grabbing when framed against the sterile backdrop of the environment. “The main theme was really simplicity and subtle details,” says Hatchard.

A remodel inspired by a couple’s decision to stay in their home rather than move to a senior living center, had Bonnie Lewis of Bonnie J. Lewis Design opting for a safe and accessible design with the Modern Organic Aging-in-Place Bathroom. Her goal was to “blend biophilic design, safety, and accessibility to support physical and emotional wellness.”

With safety being a major factor in the design, lighting under the vanity acts as both an aesthetic choice and a means for providing homeowners with a night light for late-night bathroom use. Additional lighting sources, such as the vanity lights and the Hubbardton Forge chandeliers, keep the room well-lit and bright to help prevent falls; this is a particularly handy feature for aging homeowners with vision impairments. These choices give the space an especially luxurious feel when paired with the nature-inspired tile hues, “providing beauty and tranquility.”

Black is heavily used as a contrasting element throughout the bathroom, most notably in the Brizo fixtures and the many grab bars. A distinction had to be made between the tile choices selected for the floor and walls to avoid creating a tripping hazard. This also factored into the shower, where Black Jolly Schluter was utilized as a trim between the walls, floors, and shower niche, and more innovatively, was used decoratively “to highlight the natural stone deco tiles.”

Farhad Noory of Royal Premier Homes chose contemporary wall sconces that would “highlight material textures and create a soft ambient glow” when designing the Stoney Scenes remodeled bathroom. Their placement was a deliberate choice to call attention to the dramatic feature wall made from Versace palm leaf tiles sourced from Italy. The full-height mirror also enhanced the spatial perception of the room to make it feel larger.

Contrast is featured heavily throughout the design. Maintaining harmony without overwhelming the space was a key goal of Farhad’s during the design process, which inspired a carefully curated black-and-white color palette, breaking only for the gold Riobel fixtures. The countertop exhibits a sharp contrast in its design, with a sleek black texture interrupted by white veining.

The namesake stone aesthetic present on the vanity wall and in the polished river pebbles in the sink serves as a direct contrast to the smooth textures of the marble countertop and walls. The use of stone and palm tree designs also calls back to our previous coverage on the growing trend of  blending indoor and outdoor spaces.