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Last summer, designer Sarah Sherman Samuel renovated and restored a ridiculously charming 1920s Tudor in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. So ridiculously charming, in fact, that I even inquired about renting it to move closer to family—and to live in the epic space, of course. Now, the home is back on the market, but with a new bathroom, which, in Sherman Samuel’s signature style, plays to the home’s history, but has a little fun, too.
“I took a lot of cues from the original architecture,” Sherman Samuel says, nodding to the shower’s arched glass door that matches the muntins in the home’s original windows. “I wanted it to feel modern, but timeless.” Here’s the other ways she made that happen, all with shoppable ways for you to crib the look in case you don’t snag the Tudor in time.
Work From the Floor Up
Sherman Samuel was so excited to use the terracotta-hued Rosso Alicante marble tiles by Zia that they became a jumping off point for the room. (Pro tip: Don’t bookmatch your tiles, she says—instead, randomize the pattern.)
For the walls, she matched another bathroom in home with the use of 4×4 tiles to the ceiling, this time in a crisp linen shade. Then she mimicked the sunroom’s braided plaster molding with a braided mirror by her own design.
Install a Faux (!) Sink
“The sink is actually ceramic but is made to look like travertine,” Sherman Samuel says. “I was wary of it at first because I’m usually very anti faux finishes, but it looks amazing.” The cabinet it sits on is made of maple that she stained to match the dark walnut knobs, which are actually wall hooks she repurposed.
Skip The Shower Niche
Usually, Sherman Samuel is pro-niche, but there wasn’t a good spot for one in this shower, so she plans to install a little brass shelf to match the shower hardware, which is all from Kohler’s Artifacts Collection in Vibrant Brushed Modern Brass.
