Farmhouse-Style Bathroom Before and After
An unexpected water leak prompts an interior designer to finally renovate her master bathroom
Morgan Province
February 15, 2018
Houzz Contributor. Enjoying a life of travel around the world and writing fun stories along the way. In my spare time, I plan my dream home on Houzz, read all kinds of books, and cuddle with my two Westies.
Houzz Contributor. Enjoying a life of travel around the world and writing fun stories... More
“After” photos by Grace Laird
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Ashley Moore, designer and owner of Southern Farmhouse Designs, her husband, Matt, and their two kids, ages 5 and 7
Location: Tomball, Texas
Size: 350 square feet (33 square meters)
When interior designer Ashley Moore and her husband, Matt, moved into their home, they renovated every square inch of the house except their master bathroom. They decided to wait on it because of budget constraints.
However, the time to renovate came sooner than expected.
“One night my husband was giving the kids a bath in our bathtub. He was kneeling down, and his foot went through the Sheetrock that backs up to our shower,” Ashley says. “We found a slow leak there.”
The Moores had no idea how long the leak had existed, but they did know that the problem had to be fixed quickly. Because they would need to rip up the floors and shower, the Moores decided to dig into their savings and finally update their master bathroom.
Remodel goal. The Moores wanted a relaxing place that not only functioned better for them but also matched the farmhouse style found throughout their home.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Ashley Moore, designer and owner of Southern Farmhouse Designs, her husband, Matt, and their two kids, ages 5 and 7
Location: Tomball, Texas
Size: 350 square feet (33 square meters)
When interior designer Ashley Moore and her husband, Matt, moved into their home, they renovated every square inch of the house except their master bathroom. They decided to wait on it because of budget constraints.
However, the time to renovate came sooner than expected.
“One night my husband was giving the kids a bath in our bathtub. He was kneeling down, and his foot went through the Sheetrock that backs up to our shower,” Ashley says. “We found a slow leak there.”
The Moores had no idea how long the leak had existed, but they did know that the problem had to be fixed quickly. Because they would need to rip up the floors and shower, the Moores decided to dig into their savings and finally update their master bathroom.
Remodel goal. The Moores wanted a relaxing place that not only functioned better for them but also matched the farmhouse style found throughout their home.
Bathroom door. The first thing you notice when you enter the Moores’ master bathroom is the vintage top-hung sliding door. The previous entryway had two small swinging doors that blocked both closet entrances when open.
Ashley came across this old bank door at a local antique store, and she knew exactly where she wanted to use it.
The only downside to this door, she says, is that light in the bathroom filters into the bedroom in the morning. Luckily, Ashley says her husband can sleep through anything, so this downside was not a deal-breaker and hasn’t cost them any shuteye.
Browse sliding doors
Ashley came across this old bank door at a local antique store, and she knew exactly where she wanted to use it.
The only downside to this door, she says, is that light in the bathroom filters into the bedroom in the morning. Luckily, Ashley says her husband can sleep through anything, so this downside was not a deal-breaker and hasn’t cost them any shuteye.
Browse sliding doors
Style. Past the vintage door and the couple’s closets, shiplap walls and exposed beams give the bathroom a farmhouse feel.
This works well with the rest of the home, which Ashley describes as classic Southern style with a mix of farmhouse charm. She wanted to carry that style over into the master bathroom, but she also wanted to add elegant touches. She designed the bathroom with mostly white features and natural wood accents to achieve that look.
Find a bathroom designer in your area
This works well with the rest of the home, which Ashley describes as classic Southern style with a mix of farmhouse charm. She wanted to carry that style over into the master bathroom, but she also wanted to add elegant touches. She designed the bathroom with mostly white features and natural wood accents to achieve that look.
Find a bathroom designer in your area
Before Photo
Before. Though the bathroom was large, it didn’t function well for the couple and didn’t have the farmhouse style they wanted.
“I didn’t need that large of a vanity, and the storage options in there just weren’t right for what we were needing,” Ashley says.
“I didn’t need that large of a vanity, and the storage options in there just weren’t right for what we were needing,” Ashley says.
Bathtub. A new freestanding bathtub sits in a once-closed-off nook. The homeowners use the shower regularly, but they like having both a shower and a bathtub. Ashley wanted this space to be the focal point of the bathroom, so she opened up the space and added a more comfortable and stylish tub.
When choosing a bathtub, the designer considered a few options. As much as she would have liked a cast iron bathtub, it was outside their budget. She also likes the look of clawfoot tubs, but putting one in this room did not feel right to her. Finally, she settled on a freestanding bathtub.
“When choosing a freestanding tub, size is really important,” she says.
After lots of measuring, Ashley narrowed down her options and ultimately chose this tub because of its elegant look. The high back of the tub is also unexpected and oh so comfortable, she says. Ashley added vintage-looking faucets for a more rustic look.
Privacy. Windows surround the bathtub, but privacy was not a concern. The home sits on a large piece of land without nearby neighbors, and a row of hedges outside the windows gives the room a layer of privacy.
Area rug. Moore found this area rug before she had a color scheme in mind. She fell in love with it and knew that if the rug fit in the space, it would be the inspiration for the room’s color palette. “I bought it, praying that it would fit — and it did,” she says.
She chose to use an area rug for a few reasons. First, she feels that an area rug in the bathroom is unexpected. Second, too much wood tile can make the room feel cold. A rug adds warmth to the floor and the bathroom as a whole. Finally, rugs make it a bit more comfortable when walking around.
Pro tip: The plus side of having a patterned rug is that it hides little messes, such as makeup spills. “My one rule of thumb when shopping for rugs is to make sure it’s easy to hide small messes,” she says. “I have two young kids, so I’d be a fool to think I could always keep [rugs] spotless.”
Moore vacuums the rug once a week, and her family still uses traditional bathmats outside the shower and bathtub to keep water off the floor.
Ceiling. The dark ceiling in the old bathroom made the Moores feel closed in. Exposed beams were added throughout the house during the home’s initial remodel, and the designer felt it right to continue that element in the master bath.
Ashley shared her vision with the contractor, and together they ran through possible solutions. Real beams were expensive and faux beams would have taken too long to arrive. So the contractor’s team built 1-by-6-foot hollow beams out of wood and stained them to match the floors. “It is a great cost-effective way to add character to the space,” she says.
Chandelier. With the new floors below and exposed beams above, Moore felt that it was right to add a dainty chandelier in the nook above the tub.
“It gives the room a completed feel,” she says. When Ashley can, and building code allows, she likes to add a light above a bathtub. She tried two other chandeliers before settling on this four-light pendant.
Bathtub: Rione freestanding slipper tub, Signature Hardware; fixtures: freestanding telephone tub faucet, Signature Hardware; chandelier: Chloe four-light foyer pendant, Wayfair; rug: HomeGoods
What to Know About Bathroom Chandeliers
When choosing a bathtub, the designer considered a few options. As much as she would have liked a cast iron bathtub, it was outside their budget. She also likes the look of clawfoot tubs, but putting one in this room did not feel right to her. Finally, she settled on a freestanding bathtub.
“When choosing a freestanding tub, size is really important,” she says.
After lots of measuring, Ashley narrowed down her options and ultimately chose this tub because of its elegant look. The high back of the tub is also unexpected and oh so comfortable, she says. Ashley added vintage-looking faucets for a more rustic look.
Privacy. Windows surround the bathtub, but privacy was not a concern. The home sits on a large piece of land without nearby neighbors, and a row of hedges outside the windows gives the room a layer of privacy.
Area rug. Moore found this area rug before she had a color scheme in mind. She fell in love with it and knew that if the rug fit in the space, it would be the inspiration for the room’s color palette. “I bought it, praying that it would fit — and it did,” she says.
She chose to use an area rug for a few reasons. First, she feels that an area rug in the bathroom is unexpected. Second, too much wood tile can make the room feel cold. A rug adds warmth to the floor and the bathroom as a whole. Finally, rugs make it a bit more comfortable when walking around.
Pro tip: The plus side of having a patterned rug is that it hides little messes, such as makeup spills. “My one rule of thumb when shopping for rugs is to make sure it’s easy to hide small messes,” she says. “I have two young kids, so I’d be a fool to think I could always keep [rugs] spotless.”
Moore vacuums the rug once a week, and her family still uses traditional bathmats outside the shower and bathtub to keep water off the floor.
Ceiling. The dark ceiling in the old bathroom made the Moores feel closed in. Exposed beams were added throughout the house during the home’s initial remodel, and the designer felt it right to continue that element in the master bath.
Ashley shared her vision with the contractor, and together they ran through possible solutions. Real beams were expensive and faux beams would have taken too long to arrive. So the contractor’s team built 1-by-6-foot hollow beams out of wood and stained them to match the floors. “It is a great cost-effective way to add character to the space,” she says.
Chandelier. With the new floors below and exposed beams above, Moore felt that it was right to add a dainty chandelier in the nook above the tub.
“It gives the room a completed feel,” she says. When Ashley can, and building code allows, she likes to add a light above a bathtub. She tried two other chandeliers before settling on this four-light pendant.
Bathtub: Rione freestanding slipper tub, Signature Hardware; fixtures: freestanding telephone tub faucet, Signature Hardware; chandelier: Chloe four-light foyer pendant, Wayfair; rug: HomeGoods
What to Know About Bathroom Chandeliers
Vanity. Across from the tub, Moore had a custom-made double-sink vanity installed, instead of keeping the separate vanities. The new vanity has enough space for their storage needs, and mirrors and lights above each sink give each of them their own space to get ready.
The mirrors were actually in the kids’ bathroom before this renovation. Ashley loved the rustic finish on the frames and decided to move them into the master bathroom. The wood frames also warm up the mostly white and gray room.
Walls. The master bedroom has a shiplap accent wall, so Ashley decided to continue that effect in the master bathroom. Despite a labor-intensive installation, she says shiplap walls are worth it. “I love the texture it adds to the space,” she says.
The floor-to-ceiling shiplap covered in white paint maximizes the natural light that enters the bathroom, and as an added bonus, the eggshell paint is easy to maintain. They can just wipe it clean.
Wall paint: Dover White, Sherwin-Williams; vanity paint: Colonnade Gray, Sherwin-Williams; mirrors: Dawn mirror in natural, Home Depot; vanity lights: Margo two-light vanity light, Wayfair
Browse double-sink bathroom vanities
The mirrors were actually in the kids’ bathroom before this renovation. Ashley loved the rustic finish on the frames and decided to move them into the master bathroom. The wood frames also warm up the mostly white and gray room.
Walls. The master bedroom has a shiplap accent wall, so Ashley decided to continue that effect in the master bathroom. Despite a labor-intensive installation, she says shiplap walls are worth it. “I love the texture it adds to the space,” she says.
The floor-to-ceiling shiplap covered in white paint maximizes the natural light that enters the bathroom, and as an added bonus, the eggshell paint is easy to maintain. They can just wipe it clean.
Wall paint: Dover White, Sherwin-Williams; vanity paint: Colonnade Gray, Sherwin-Williams; mirrors: Dawn mirror in natural, Home Depot; vanity lights: Margo two-light vanity light, Wayfair
Browse double-sink bathroom vanities
Shower. Because the homeowners loved their shower, they only wanted to update the tiles and add a bench seat inside.
She would have loved all marble and high-end finishes in the bathroom, but she says she and her husband are not the type of people to spend a lot of money on pieces that only they see and use. Instead, the designer worked to find expensive-looking items at budget-conscious prices. For example, the tile in the shower looks like marble, but it’s actually porcelain tile that’s made to look like marble. It cost a fraction of the price, Ashley says, but didn’t require her to sacrifice any of the elegance she wanted.
Floors. “Wood floors are just classic,” Moore says. “These, however, are wood-looking tile floors.”
Throughout the rest of the home, the Moores do have real wood floors, but they decided against them for the master bath. Wood tile with the smallest possible grout line achieved the look of wood floors without risking a complete floor replacement if another water leak should spring up.
Floor tile: Mansfield amber wood plank porcelain tile, Floor & Decor
She would have loved all marble and high-end finishes in the bathroom, but she says she and her husband are not the type of people to spend a lot of money on pieces that only they see and use. Instead, the designer worked to find expensive-looking items at budget-conscious prices. For example, the tile in the shower looks like marble, but it’s actually porcelain tile that’s made to look like marble. It cost a fraction of the price, Ashley says, but didn’t require her to sacrifice any of the elegance she wanted.
Floors. “Wood floors are just classic,” Moore says. “These, however, are wood-looking tile floors.”
Throughout the rest of the home, the Moores do have real wood floors, but they decided against them for the master bath. Wood tile with the smallest possible grout line achieved the look of wood floors without risking a complete floor replacement if another water leak should spring up.
Floor tile: Mansfield amber wood plank porcelain tile, Floor & Decor
Before. The original bathroom included two walk-in closets inside the entryway and separate vanities. However, the space was not as functional as the homeowners wanted.
After. The homeowners liked the overall layout of the bathroom, especially the placement of the shower and bathtub, so they kept most of it. The only structural change they wanted involved Ashley’s closet and vanity. The project team replaced Matt’s single vanity with a double-sink vanity, and they expanded Ashley’s closet into the space where her vanity used to be.
“A lot of people would probably question my decision to make the bathroom smaller and get rid of the separate vanities,” she says, “but I’m all about function in my designs.”
General contractor: Ryno Services
More
6 Bathrooms Freshen Up With Farmhouse Style
Browse farmhouse bath products
“A lot of people would probably question my decision to make the bathroom smaller and get rid of the separate vanities,” she says, “but I’m all about function in my designs.”
General contractor: Ryno Services
More
6 Bathrooms Freshen Up With Farmhouse Style
Browse farmhouse bath products
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Mitsy, now that someone else brought it up...I’m already getting tired of shiplap. Just seeing it too many places. I don’t think it will age well. But consider that the old bath decor was around 20 years old, and dated. That’s about the style life of bathroom, unless you do it in plain, classic design.
pfmaher, yes the shiplap [and farmhouse sink] craze is on. It's not that it isn't attractive in the right applications but it is a bold style and not easily changeable. Years back panelling lasted a long time but then they didn't change out their decor as frequent as people do today. Its understandable people like something different, but that is where color comes into play as something easily modified (and fixtures, etc.). Just something to consider.