The challenge: Architects and homeowners Joy and Ted Martin were tired of sharing a tiny, outdated second-floor bathroom, built inside a dormer of their 1920s Minneapolis Craftsman, with their two young children.
"We had to take turns brushing our teeth," Joy said.
The bathroom had a tub, but no shower, so the family was trekking downstairs to the main-floor bathroom shower. They needed a multipurpose bathroom with sinks and storage that would serve the needs of the whole family. "We chose to spend the budget on making a nice shared bathroom now, and planned to add a master bathroom when the children get bigger," Joy said.
The designer: Joy Martin, Joy Martin Architecture, Minneapolis, joyarchitecture.com, 612-616-9472. The couple were general contractors for the project.
The solution: The Martins tore out the tub and knocked down a wall between the bathroom and a small hallway closet to gain space for a walk-in glass shower. Then they rerouted the plumbing and reconfigured the new bigger bathroom.
Sinks to serve all: The double wall-mount vessel sinks with vanities deliver storage and counter space. A mirror was cut to fit in the trapezoid-shaped wall space above the sink.
Clean color scheme: In the small space, the light gray and bright white subway tile reflects the light and makes the bathroom feel larger, Joy said. The vanities from Ikea are painted white. In the shower, black pencil tile adds a graphic element to the white-tiled wall. "The matte-finish subway tile shows less water spots," she added.
Period style: The Martins chose hexagonal tiles for the floor to match the shape of the original tile in the main-floor bathroom. "We wanted to acknowledge the historic nature of the home but give it an updated fresh and modern look," Joy said.
