Cozy•Stylish•Chic Teen Bathroom – 2018 Pasadena Showcase House

Are you looking for teen bathroom ideas?  Well this bathroom turned out to be a dream bathroom for a lucky teenager.   But before we handed it over to the homeowner, it was the teen  bathroom for the 2018 Pasadena Showcase House.  The 2018 Pasadena Showcase House was different than in past years in that there was more construction involved than ever before.  In addition to designing a teen bedroom, I was to tackle a teen bathroom where only an office had existed before.  

CSC TEEN BATHROOM – THE DESIGN PROCESS

The room had to be totally reconfigured  – two doorways sealed, one doorway moved from one wall to another, and plumbing and electrical had to installed to make it fully functional as a bathroom.  The Showcase team of advisors drafted a floorplan of how they wanted us to configure the teen bathroom to be configured, but we had other ideas.  Yes, what was given was probably the easiest way to configure the bathroom, but easiest isn’t always the best use of space and we insisted that our floor plan and design be executed in order to showcase a bathroom that is equally as functional as it is beautiful.  

Persistence paid off with the teen bathroom, but not without some blood, sweat, and laughter (no tears here!  When faced with a challenge and a tight deadline, I’ve found that the best way to handle things and the people involved, is with kindness and a sense of humor. Hurling f-bombs and negativity will get you nowhere.)  And that’s how we were able to pull it off.

CSC TEEN BATHROOM – THE BEFORE

A Lady’s Office with no plumbing, but lots of doors (3 to be exact) and a wall of windows.

CSC TEEN BATHROOM – THE VISION

Before tackling any remodel, I find that the best way to figure out the details, is to sketch everything out in 3D so that I can correct anything that doesn’t look just right before it becomes a problem during construction.  Chances are when that change is made later on in the process, it will cost more money, and no one wants to throw away money!  When we took on the teen bathroom for the Showcase House, the first thing we did was figure out where everything was going to go to minimize headaches later on down the road.

CSC TEEN BATHROOM – THE CONSTRUCTION

Construction seemed to take forever.  We took the entire room down to the studs in order to install new plumbing and electrical.  Below is a quickie overview of the entire demo and construction process.  We went from a woman’s office to a fully functioning teen bathroom in lighting speed (while also taking on a full-scale kitchen remodel) and it couldn’t have been possible without our dream team of a construction crew and amazing sponsors.

Yes, it was a long, tedious process, but we made it just in the nick of time for Opening Day.

THE PRODUCTS  USED

Of the products I used in the teen bathroom, much was what I selected were from companies that I’ve developed relationships with, either through blogging, social media, or the various trade shows I attend.  In addition, I pulled from the many vendors that we carry in our showroom to keep things close to home.

PLUMBING

Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery and Kallista/Kohler took care of the plumbing, which was spectacular – even a bit over the top for a teenage girl.  Looking for something understated yet at the same time detailed and in a finish to reflect the age of the home, we opted for an unlacquered brass from Laura Kirar’s Pinna Paletta Collection.

TILE

For tile, we went with a marble – again, to reflect the age and timeless quality of the home.  When renovating older homes, it is always important to take cues from the architecture, and using materials that will complement the existing materials in the home.

Below illustrates the attention to detail – especially to pattern and scale.  We used the super-luxurious Motor Cities Bianco Dolomiti stone mosaic tile that was generously donated by Artistic Tile and their local dealer, Mission West Tile.  A smaller square mosaic in the same stone was chosen for the back wall of the niches to provide a contrast in pattern while keeping the materials consistent.

For the floor, we used the same Bianco Dolomiti stone but larger 4 x 12 field tile laid out in a herringbone pattern. As anyone who has ever laid out a herringbone pattern knows, it is a lot easier than it looks.  There is much more waste than if one were to use a more conventional layout.  But anyone who knows me knows I am anything but conventional, I’m a glutton for punishment, and I am always up for a challenge – and challenge it was.

THE HARDWARE

Most people would just stick with the standard hardware that comes with the vanity.  However, I am not most people, and to me the details make all the difference.  When I visited KBIS – the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Orlando last January, I already knew I was doing a bathroom so I was on the lookout for hardware for the cabinetry I was incorporating into the bathroom.  Even though the Kohler Jacquare vanity that we chose already came with hardware (which wasn’t at all bad) I wanted something different that would reflect the innovation and newness that people seek when visiting a show house.

Belwith-Keeler’s newly introduced Firenze collection fit the bill with white marble and a brushed brass post.  An added bonus, our store Cozy Stylish Chic is a Belwith-Keeler dealer!

THE VANITY AREA

As previously mentioned, the vanity was provided by Kohler.  It is from their Jacquard line which was perfect, as it is at the same time both traditional and modern.  The bells and whistles concealed within are what I liked best about it. An organized place for everything in a place that is normally the most chaotic and messiest in the house.  A couple of years back I featured Kohler’s Tailored Vanity Collection when they were first introduced to market and I’ve been a fan ever since.

I was pretty picky about the countertop and had to be careful.   A teenage girl would ultimately occupy the space.  Remembering back when I was a teen, girls can be pretty careless and messy in the bathroom.  Makeup and the biggest culprit, nail polish, make a mess, so natural stone was not going to do.  

I wanted a stone that was a warm white with subtle grey veining – a calacatta gold marble.  However, I didn’t want the maintenance as I knew it would be ruined in a matter of days.  So I turned to Compac Surfaces.  I’ve been a fan of Unique Calacatta from day one, having first seen the product at KBIS. Their Glacé finish is the smoothest, silkiest matte finish on the market. This bath was the perfect spot where both looks and performance were key.  It was a no-brainer to use Compac’s Unique Calacatta.

The Art and Accessories

Just because it is a bathroom doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t display art.  There were several opportunities to showcase art,  and we did.  In view in the reflection of the mirror is a work by Emily Van Horn that was graciously loaned through the artist herself and Mary Linda Moss of Source Art.

I couldn’t find the right ready-made mirror to hang in front of the window.  How did I solve the problem?  I pulled out my sketchpad (actually,  my iPad!) and drew exactly what I wanted.  Then I had it custom fabricated. (P.S. The mirror swivels, too!)

With three windows facing to the front of the home, window treatments were necessary, but in order to keep the vanity and mirror center stage, we opted with a simple cordless roman shade from Superior Shades with a simple contrasting grey grosgrain ribbon trim from Samuel & Sons.

BUILT-IN STORAGE AND DISPLAY

The art on display was not only limited to what was hung on the wall. No room is ever complete without great art and collected pieces.  These pieces tell the story of the person occupying the space.  

The Cabinet

For this, we turned to Jeannot Fine Furniture to construct the built-in and supplied them with our sketches.  The depth was an issue because of the adjacent shower on one side, and a toilet on the other.  Space planning is so crucial when designing a bathroom.  One inch off and you don’t pass code.  We experienced several of these issues so it was important for us to do all our homework on the front end.  This made construction a breeze on the back end.  We still had a few hiccups, but that’s to be expected when doing a remodel.  There were far less than we would have had we not done our homework!

The Art, Tchotchkes and Final Layer – the “Soul” of the Room

We filled the Teen Bathroom shelves with a variety of objects to provide visual interest.  We had soaps, towels, books, and vintage finds.   I also showcased the work of Pasadena artist Kari Kroll and quirky, artisanal ceramics from Leslie D Plunkett. I use Kari’s smaller paintings, which I affectionally call “littles” to create backdrops when styling shelves and book cases. This creates a balanced canvas for all the little objects.  When styling a bookcase it’s all about finding balance, and that’s exactly what Kari’s paintings do.

Want some more teen bathroom ideas?  The biggest hit were the fun elements such as the concrete toilet paper holders.  You can never have enough toilet paper.  Having to store it and  where you need it WHEN you need it seems to always be an issue.  We solved that problem by using toilet paper to create art within the room.   It is always in close proximity if the need should arise!  We sold several of these toilet paper holders during Showcase.  I am not the only one annoyed with an empty toilet paper holder.  

The teen bathroom was a challenge.  We took on the kitchen with seven weeks to go before opening day, so that was much more difficult. Next up I’ll be showing off the teen bedroom that accompanies this teen bathroom.   We also have lots of great resources to share.  

I hope this post gave you  plenty of teen bathroom ideas.  There are so many layers that there have to be at least a couple.  Let me know if you need any resources for the product that we put into this teen bathroom.  I’d love to share those sponsors who helped make this bathroom for the Pasadena Showcase House a reality.  We can also assist in obtaining any of the product that we used.  Several of the products we even carry in our store.  If we don’t,  we can point you in the right direction, so feel free to reach out to us at sales@cozystylishchic.com.  Be sure to watch out for our next post!