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photo by Brianna Phillips
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photo by Brianna Phillips
With their three children now living out of the house they’d built over 20 years ago, Fairlawn homeowners were ready to make their home truly their own. They wanted it to be simple and elegant, so they recruited Melissa Beasley of Northport Flooring America to bring that vision to life.
“It’s pretty much just the two of them, so now they’re getting things that they want versus things that they may have needed back then,” Beasley says.
She worked on the entire house, including the previously traditional primary and guest bathrooms. The guest bathroom, which connects to a den, was streamlined to allow easy shower access. The primary — which once featured a massive, unused garden tub and a tiny shower — was transformed into a spa-like space, complete with dark, water-resistant luxury vinyl planking, glacier white marble accents and a heated towel rack.
“You wanted to keep it very simple and soft colors, but very nice and elegant at the same time with the white,” Beasley says, “keeping it monochromatic … and then using the marble to soften it.”
Simple elegance is elevated and reflected in these soothing bathrooms — especially in their impressive tile work — adding sophisticated flair to usable spaces.
Accessible Shower: Since the guest bathroom had been rarely used before its revamp, Beasley wanted to prioritize function. At one point, the homeowner’s mother, who had used a wheelchair, lived there and used the cramped shower. “This bathroom — to bring it to its full function — it now is totally barrier-free,” Beasley explains. “There’s no curb, so you don’t have to step over anything to get into the shower.” Other highlights include a porcelain moss-colored honeycomb tile floor with a matching niche cutout in the wall and a pitched drain. “If you were in a wheelchair, and you went in there to use the shower, you could leave that door open and take a shower,” Beasley says. “That water will not go out into the bathroom.”
Open Shower: Before the remodel, the primary bathroom’s shower had been enclosed and was claustrophobic — complete with a ‘90s-era suctioning door. Beasley widened it, removing the door and adding a half-wall topped with marble and a glass pane. “Water doesn’t come out, and it adds some privacy,” she says. “It adds a little something different.” The shower also features creamy white tiles, several spray controls and a marble-anchored niche cutout for easy storage, creating a clean look. “You don’t see any shampoo bottles or anybody’s stuff when you walk into the bathroom, which is nice,” says Beasley. “It’s all hidden.”
Tile work: The shower floor in the primary bathroom is decorated in distinctive Moroccan-inspired porcelain tiles — harder and more durable than ceramic. The tile work features a unique Aziza charcoal and white alternating pattern. “I liked it because it was darker, and I feel like it grounded the room,” Beasley says. The ornate tiling pairs well with leathered black countertops on the double white vanity and black hardware that contrasts with a brilliant white tiled backsplash wall.
Trim: The wood trim, used for the baseboards as well as around the windows and door, isn’t only brand-new — it’s also customized. The hand-milled white oak was brought in from Terry Lumber & Supply Co. in Peninsula, then stained dark brown to match other Brazilian chestnut hardwood in the home. “A lot of those we did in longer lengths, which shows more character,” Beasley explains. The trim’s profile is specific to its maker. “You couldn’t go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and say, I want this profile. You would have to go to Terry Lumber to get it.”
