This Stunning Makeover Is Proof That Guest Baths Shouldn’t Be an Afterthought

Sure, your home’s primary bathroom should reign supreme when it comes to renovation and makeover priorities. If you have more than one bathroom, it’s the one you’ll use the most, so, of course you want it to be comfortable, serene , stylish, functional… all those things.

That often leaves the guest bath as a second fiddle. You might paint it, add some cool fixtures, put in some fluffy towels, display some fancy soap on the counter, but most homeowners might not put too much thought into the design. Well, today’s room tour feature might make you rethink that.

Jessica Burke

Located in a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home in the Lake Street neighborhood of San Francisco , this guest bathroom is a real stunner. And it wasn’t a total fixer-upper originally—it had been renovated recently by the previous homeowners and featured nice fixtures, marble tile floors and shower walls, and a modern new tub. But the new owners—a young couple with great design taste—wanted the space to reflect more of their personality and tastes.

“The rest of the home is designed with a lot more pattern and color, and we wanted to elevate the bathroom to the same level,” explains designer Christin Gregersen . “Since it was already a tight floor plan, we didn’t move much plumbing, but we wanted to maximize functionality and storage.”

Jessica Burke

The inspiration for the design came from a dress. Christin’s client had visited Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei’s exhibit at the De Young Museum and loved the designs and wanted to incorporate the feeling into the renovation. Together, Christin and her client looked at photos of the exhibit and landed on a dress that had a mix of gray and white, green tulle, and gold as inspiration.

Jessica Burke

“The existing bathroom floor was Carrara marble that we thought represented the grey and white perfectly, and then I sourced these amazing handmade tiles from Encore Ceramics that really are the showstopper,” Christin says. “They have such beautiful variances in the glaze that shimmer and move depending on where you stand, adding a lot of depth and interest. The brass plumbing from Graff and cloud wallpaper is like the jewelry layered on top. I love to work collaboratively with clients—their home should reflect their personalities and histories, and I love to help guide that conversation and tell that story.”

Along with keeping the existing Carrara tile, Christin also kept the original footprint of the bathroom and didn’t do anything to expand the space. They took the room down to the studs, replacing plumbing, lighting, and finishes. Christin designed a new custom natural walnut vanity that was a bit longer than the original, but provided more surface space for guests to store their toiletries. The new vanity also gave more room to hang Bocci porcelain pendants.

Jessica Burke

New tiles were added and paired with the cloud wallpaper from Cole & Son that “adds a more organic pattern to contrast the geometry of the tile.” To bring out the variation in the tile, Christin added a moody color to the painted trim. For more functionality , they added pull-out shelves behind the doors of the storage cubby.

Now the guest bath really does look museum-worthy, but still homey. And the owners love the new space. “When I asked what their favorite part of the design is, they said that it’s difficult to choose because every choice is so thoughtful and beautiful. And what’s great is that it is also functional with plenty of storage,” Christin adds.