A “Strange”-Feeling Bathroom Gets an Incredibly Stunning, Modern Makeover
Some bathrooms are vintage-inspired, with shiny square-shaped tile and pastel fixtures, and perhaps on the polar opposite of that end — but still stunning — are more minimalist bathrooms with sharp angles, sleek fixtures, and neutral gray or tan color schemes, like in this beautiful bathroom reno or this modern, minimalist one. A third modern stunner to add to the list? Karis Samuelson Idowu’s (@karisalexis), which she shares with her husband, Jarvis.
The pair took the bathroom from a “strange” space “where the [previous] homeowners may have rushed to resell.” Now it’s a cement and plaster-clad beauty.
“We wanted more space so the both of us could be in the bathroom at the same time,” Karis says. “We also felt like there was a lot of light blocked by the furthest shower wall.” Plus, finding black mold in the bathroom was an extra incentive to start from scratch.
The bathroom makeover began with a demolition process.
After coming up with a design vision, Karis and Jarvis tore down everything themselves, and they got some help from their friend Martin on the plumbing and electrical portions. It was “super fun and super messy,” she says, adding that it saved the couple a lot of money to go the DIY route. “We did it in a weekend,” she says. “The first quote we had was for $12K just for the demo and removal of trash, as they had said it would be five days and take three to four men on site.”
Karis says “all of it was a massive learning experience,” but demoing everything out helped them see the potential in the space. “The removal of the shower walls made the biggest impact,” she says. “The room became big and bright. We were instantly amazed.”
There’s a new, massive vanity.
Next up? Framing the shower and sinks. The couple saved money by using the glass from the old shower, and they built a brand-new vanity.
“Because my husband is 6’5”, we built a completely custom raised-trough sink with double faucets,” Karis says. Above that, there are two organic-shaped mirrors, white light fixtures, and slender wall-mount faucets. “Sourcing the lights was a lovely surprise as we found a cheaper alternative to some very expensive ones I had my heart set on,” Karis adds.
Goodbye, mismatched tile. Hello, cement and plaster.
Before, the bathroom had mismatched tile (stone on the main floor and a pebble style for the shower floor). After, Karis and Jarvis went with a more modern plaster look. “We asked our friend Martin and his wife to help us with waterproofing and cementing the bathroom,” Karis says. “Once that was done and dry, we used Tadelakt as our finish.”
Tadelakt is a Moroccan-style plaster, and Karis says it was difficult for first-timers to work with, although the couple is not new to DIYs all together. “We tried a layer or two ourselves [and] realized we were not sealing it properly so found a specialist to use the remainder of our material to ensure the product was sealed and waterproofed,” Karis says. (Shout-out to Gary, the specialist, who Karis calls a “Tadelakt angel.”)
Karis says if she could change anything about the project, she’d call in the specialist from the start, but she’s super pleased with the outcome. Karis calls it a “cement box” on Instagram — and it’s a stunning one at that. “The outcome exceeded our expectations and is a showstopper,” she says. “Everyone gasps when they walk in!”
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