Designing a new primary bathroom

Sep 20, 2023

Converting a rundown two-family near Central Square back to a single family involved totally rethinking the floor plan. As such, area businesses Joe the Architect and Fresh Start Contracting created the primary bath, complete with a large steam shower, from scratch. "Everything needed to be replaced," Nadya Voitenok says. The architectural designer collaborated closely with the owners to create the airy, high-contrast look. "They had a defined list from the get-go, which included subway tile with dark grout," Voitenok says. "It's a classic, timeless aesthetic with some contemporary touches."

1 Instead of bullnose tile, Voitenok installed a metal detail called a Schluter strip — which she calls an "eyeliner moment"—around the shower to cover the raw edge of the tile.

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2 An industrial-style shower enclosure was another must-have. A desire for symmetry drove the design; the gridwork is inside the glass to allow for easy cleaning.

3 After much discussion on where to locate the storage niche, the team settled on the back wall, deciding that the more elongated the niche, the better. "This helps the space feel longer," Voitenok points out.

4 Floating shelves with a towel bar mounted on the underside of the lower one fill the space between the pivoting mirrors with function. "A huge mirror would make the space feel cold," the designer says.

5 Marcos Dasilva made the almost 7-foot-long white oak vanity, which is stained dark brown with charcoal undertones. The piece features cabinets, drawers, and open shelving across the lower portion. "We balanced closed and open storage so it wouldn't feel heavy," Voitenok says.

6 The knee wall creates a nice nook for the bench on the shower side and a clean stopping point for the vanity.

Marni Elyse Katz is a contributing editor to the Globe Magazine. Follow her on Instagram @StyleCarrot. Send comments to [email protected].