Bright Spot

Deep brown-stained cabinetry and woodwork, black granite countertops, beige tile and murky paint added up to a 5-by-9-foot bathroom that was too dark for its Hudson homeowner.

“It felt smaller than it had to feel because of the dark finishes,” says Chris Winder, owner of Winder Remodeling. The homeowner wanted to keep the layout the same, so his Akron firm devised a remodel that would lighten up the space without any major construction.

He steps us through the upgrades his team made to transform the bathroom into a light, bright retreat that looks bigger and feels airier.

the details:

Floor: A new heated floor with a programmable thermostat means the homeowner no longer has to stand on a surface that feels colder than other parts of the house. Workers installed a tile underlayment to accommodate the system’s electrical wires, then topped it with Carrara marble laid in a basket-weave pattern to boost visual interest and function. “Having smaller tile, which amounts to more grout joints, in a slippery space like a bathroom offers some slip resistance,” Winder notes.

Walls: The homeowner liked the 5 1/2-inch-wide beadboard on his kitchen ceiling so much that he had Winder install a similar custom-milled white board on the bathroom walls to provide subtle texture. A durable urethane-based paint protects the poplar wood from occasional splashes.

Ceiling: Winder’s crew installed a Velux Sun Tunnel skylight that extends from the ceiling through the attic to the roof. He explains the tunnel has a metallic finish that reflects and intensifies light streaming through a 14-inch recessed lens in the ceiling. “I was impressed with the amount of light it brought in,” he says.

Shower: The 3-by-5-foot shower features a rain head, bench and recessed shelf. The homeowner chose to have walls tiled in a light gray Carrara marble that, like the gray-quartz countertop on the custom Shaker-style vanity, contrasts the abundance of white. But the shower also appears to be a seamless extension of the bathroom, thanks to the same marble basket-weave floor and a frameless glass enclosure. “That’s what most people want: just a continuation of the space,” Winder says.