This 107-Year-Old Cottage’s “Blah” Gray Bathroom Got a Cheerful Facelift
When A Lively Manner Founder Brandi Katherine Herrera and her family purchased their 107-year-old Omaha, Nebraska, cottage, the historic home’s original features had been stripped away and flipped in a manner that she refers to as “The Home Depot special.”
“[It had] a palette of gray and white builder-grade finishes, and no particular vision or care taken to restore the home’s original features or pay respect to its history,” Brandi previously told Apartment Therapy.
Over the course of a year, she worked with three-person contracting team Casitas Construction “to reinject charm and character.”
During that process, the cottage’s bathroom was particularly challenging.
“[It was] a dusty little gray and white bathroom with the most bizarre layout you could imagine. The toilet was literally set in an angle in the corner!” Brandi says. “Out of all the spaces in the cottage, this one saw the biggest transformation.”
Here’s how Brandi took her cottage’s bathroom from drab gray headache to pastel escape.
The cottage bathroom got a much-needed layout switch
“Settling on a new layout was super challenging, because it’s only a 6’x6′ space,” Brandi says. “And with building codes, there are specific clearances you need between certain elements, and also have to place others at particular heights, etcetera. Getting all of that to work in such a tight space wasn’t easy! But, it was a fun challenge.”
The bathroom’s mirror and sink — which were replaced with an Alape bucket since and HAY Arcs mirror — were moved to the opposite wall so they weren’t awkwardly positioned right next to the bathtub. Above the tub, added shelving offered ample storage for towels, toiletries, and more.
The bathroom received a new pocket door
For some much-needed extra storage, Brandi added a pocket door with reeded glass in place of the original swing door.
“This gave us more space to play with both in the bathroom and in the kitchen,” she notes. “In such a small space, every single inch counts.”
The vintage bathtub was freshly restored
Out of the original bathroom, only the antique clawfoot bathtub remained. After giving it a fresh restoration, Brandi topped off her bathroom makeover by adding yellow and white concrete tiles from Zia, a bright red side table from UNFNSHED, and vintage Swedish IFÖ Sconces from Etsy.
“It’s so cheery and bright!” she says. “I love the antique tub. There’s truly nothing better than soaking in it after a long day, with the big window open to the fresh night air.”