We’ve been madly working on specifications for a total reno for an antique farmhouse. This is a twin to the New England farmhouse where we recently did an installation. Our clients purchased this house next door to save it from ruin and are in the process of completely renovating it. Most of it has been stripped down to the studs.

At this phase of the project, we are consulting on finish specifications and furnishings for the front of the house. This includes 2 full baths and a powder room, a great room space with a kitchenette/bar, 3 bedrooms, a bunkroom, and the various passageways, closets, entries, and porches.

This post is a peek at the main floor bathroom which will also contain the laundry closet. The only thing being salvaged in this bathroom is the shower with its slate tile walls and white shower pan. The shower fixtures and door will be replaced.

The toilet is staying next to the shower and a window is being relocated to make space for a sink vanity on the same wall. The opposite side of the room has been reconfigured to house a closet and washer/dryer. This bath has an entry from the front hall as well as a second entry directly from one of the bedrooms.

Tile Considerations

Due to the age of the structure, the floor is a bit uneven, so we need to choose a small mosaic tile for the floor as a larger tile is more likely to crack. And we need to choose colors that work with and stand up to the charcoal-brown of the slate tile that is staying.

Color Palette and Style

The house color palette will be neutrals in black, white, and taupe accented with various shades of blue and green from deep navy to lime. The style of the house is antique farmhouse with clean-lined classically inspired details interpreted in a fresh way. The bathrooms will need to flow with the color scheme and style for the remainder of the house.

Main Floor Bath

We are offering two options for this main floor bath.

The first maintains the neutrals with taupe painted walls and white trim. A floor of mosaic stone in a basketweave pattern pairs nicely with the slate colors, as does a dark accent wall behind the vanity and toilet in a large pattern of encaustic cement tile. This mirrors the colors in the shower but adds some pattern and a dramatic backdrop for the white plumbing fixtures.

The second option uses more color, introducing a deep teal rustic elongated subway tile to the accent wall behind the sink and toilet, and a patterned wallpaper in a watercolor leaf motif that pulls together all the colors and echos the blue-green colors from throughout the house. A classic black and white mosaic basketweave tile finishes the floor.

Clean lined plumbing fittings and accessories in timeless chrome finish the room. A rustic wood framed mirror adds warmth, while a pair of tall slender sconces flanking the mirror add a touch of elegance.

This is our design development stage of the project and the time when we refine our decisions to arrive at the final design selections. It will be interesting to see what they prefer and how the design evolves. I can’t wait to see this all come together!