How I Designed My Open Concept Bathroom

You’ve probably heard of open concept kitchens, but how about an open concept bathroom?

That’s exactly what I created with my master bathroom. As you can see in the before photos, the original footprint of this bathroom was very modest. It was originally a studio bathroom for a duplex, with a tiny sink, a super-small toilet and a glass block shower.

To open it up and make it a statement space, we almost doubled the bathroom in size to really maximize the layout and functionality. And to let in lots of gorgeous natural light, I designed the vanities and shower to open to the bedroom.

Now the spaces flow together and feel larger. It was almost like magically adding on extra space to my home!
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So how exactly do you create an “open concept” bathroom? Let me show you a behind-the-scenes look at how I did it.

Unified Flow

Of course, we gave the toilet its own private room that’s accessed from a pocket door, because, well, that deserves privacy. But for the rest of the bathroom, some amazing design finishes make it worthy of being seen from the bedroom.

That’s why the fixtures were super-important to me. As I enlarged the bathroom, I created double vanities to maximize storage and counterspace.

Here we have two elegant, eco-friendly VIGO faucets in matte black . I love VIGO products because they’re so sleek and modern, yet timeless. Their matte black finish is stunning and one of my favorites.  

Speaking of which, it’s a good idea to select fixtures that seamlessly blend with the rest of your home design’s color palette, since that will make the space feel larger. These faucets really look so crisp within this space. They’re the perfect feature to pair with the recessed mirror behind them.

Regarding the mirror, let me let you in on a little secret. The mirror is recessed because I kept the original brick exterior wall.

How did the brick wall fit in with the bathroom? Well, it lent itself to this really unique opportunity to create a tile shelf with the countertop vanities and the faucets. It really blends the old and the new together to create a cool and modern space.

Besides opening up a space, another way to create flow is to carry through details from one part of the house into the other. In this case, the wood slat detail that’s featured throughout the house also continues into the bathroom and goes all the way into the wet room, which we’ll cover next. Learn how to create your own stunning wood ceiling look.

Shower + Bathtub = Wet Room

Some people might call this a shower, but I call it a wet room. Having the bathtub and shower in the same space creates a spa-like sanctuary.

The design came from necessity, but it ended up working fabulously. We wanted to ensure there was a bathtub in the bathroom, but we didn’t have room to separate it. So instead, we included everything within one space. Talk about multitasking!

The wet room was designed by creating a wall of glass that features the door to enter. In the process of pouring the new foundation for the bedroom, we were able to create a zero-entry shower and have the water flow into a drain hidden by black pebbles that surround the tub. It’s like bringing the outside in, which is such an interesting detail – sort of like taking a vacation right in your own home.

On the walls, we did a matte black tile from floor to ceiling. I absolutely adore VIGO’s Kingsley Shower Panels in Matte Black for a sleek and modern look. Plus, they have innovative hydrotherapy features that elevate your bathing experience.  

Both of these VIGO shower panels are so relaxing because they have their own shower heads, their own spray jets and their own shower wands, so you can target any pain points you have. This is such a therapeutic water feature that I’ve learned I can’t live without.

Not only that, but the matte black finish was perfect to go with the matte black tile against the walls. All of this is open to the glass walls that we added to frame out this wet room space, which features the tub within the center. The glass really helps to bring more natural light into the space to make it so much brighter and so much more modern.

The end of this space was framed with floor-to-ceiling glass to give an indoor/outdoor effect. We planted large bamboo outside that, within a year, should give us lush green privacy. We’ll be able to see the bamboo through the glass doors, transporting us to a tropical oasis right from our desert Phoenix home.

See More Bathroom Home Designs

There you have it. What once was an afterthought in the home became a gorgeous space I can admire from my bedroom. The wet room has become one of my absolute favorite places to spend time in, to soak and unwind after a busy day designing.

Want to see more of my projects? Check out my Phoenix home designs.