The Red House Half Bath Reveal!

We carved out space for an extra half bathroom at the Red House when we renovated the primary bathroom. Read on to see this vibrant bathroom from every angle!

Small and Mighty

When we purchased the Red House, it was oriented as a 1 bedroom / 1 bathroom that catered to the needs of the former homeowner. The only bathroom featured a large (like 4′ x 8′ large!) jetted tub that we knew we wouldn’t use, so we got to work sketching plans on how we could best utilize the existing space by shifting a couple of walls around.

From what we can tell, the home was originally built as a 2 bed / 1 bath, with the small second bedroom having been converted to a main floor laundry room at some point. We knew we’d be converting it back to bedroom duty, so we got to researching bathroom plans.

It turns out that the legal limit for a two fixture half bathroom in Michigan is 3′ x 5′ and we had just enough space to squeeze it in! So with the addition of a pocket door, we were able to convert the home to a 2 bedroom / 1.5 bathroom without any additions to the footprint! See the drastic progress before, during and after below!

Half Bath | Before

The second, smaller, bedroom had been converted to a large main-floor laundry room. We knew we’d be installing a stacked laundry unit in a closet on the other side of the house, so we took the opportunity to add a pocket door to access a small bathroom.

Half Bath | Progress

Here, the space had been framed out, the tiny window had been installed and basic finishes like millwork and flooring had been installed. These spaces are compact, but perfectly useful with nice flow.

Half Bath | Today!

Now, the bedroom is cozy and fully functional with new bedding, lighting, window coverings and a perfect little half bath that acts as an extension of the room! We often keep the door open for a fun pop of color in an otherwise neutral space.

A Half Bath Where there Was None

As we mentioned earlier, this bathroom didn’t exist when we bought the home. The space it inhabits now was a dog leg of the main bathroom, which featured a huge jetted tub. Since we had no use for the tub, we framed a wall and turned it into two spaces that better suited our needs.

Our goal for the space was to ensure that it stood all on its own, but also complemented the other rooms in the home. We chose Terrazzo Bianco Micro Porcelain tile in white, which is the exact opposite pattern of the floor in the primary bathroom. We love the effect of the similar but completely different floor finishes! To keep the continuity alive, we also used the same Cabinet Joint Straight Noce cabinetry from the primary bathroom and kitchen here as well. The brass touches also call back to the primary bath and kitchen and give the house a cohesive flow that we planned from day one!

Sink Side Details

With the flooring, wallpaper, cabinetry and neutral stone countertop installed, it was time for us to focus on the details. And there were a lot of details! The stunning brass lever faucet from Rejuvenation sets the tone for clean lines and gentle curves. The lever feels fantastic in-hand and the quality really shines through.

We love the way that the brass finishes play with the light walnut tones of the Straight Noce cabinetry. We think the balance between subtlety and bold color is a fun way to give life and motion to a tiny space. It’s exactly as we planned it!

Lighting + Staples

Leave it to us to make a simple selection complicated and go on a vision quest for the toilet that was unavailable when we needed it. Rather than settling for our second choice, I scoured Marketplace for the exact toilet we wanted, and ended up finding a brand new floor model for a quarter of the retail price!

For both the sink and toilet, we chose Kohler’s ‘Biscuit’ finish that’s the perfect off white to complement the space’s natural yet fun vibe. White would have been too stark against the bold wallpaper, so we’re glad we put in the effort to track the off-white fixtures down.

Since the room is juuuust barely three feet wide and we wanted to flank the sink with sconces, we needed to be very mindful of the depth projection of the fixtures. The Donnelly sconces immediately caught our attention, and we love the way they cast light both toward the mirror and toward the mirror user. They cast a lovely glow that’s not too bright and not too dim and they protrude less than three inches off of the wall!

The Crawford flush mount fixture was a natural choice for the ceiling and once again plays off of the gentle rounded curves with solid structural elements. It plays beautifully with the sconces!

Pocket door hardware selection is always a little tricky. In our experience, the more beautiful and well-made the hardware, the more complicated installation can be. We don’t possess the specialty routing tools to accomplish the installation of this type of hardware, but our trusty contractor had a quick opening in his schedule and popped over to knock it out for us. He did a fantastic job and the Gorge hardware looks and feels solid and well-made. The disappearing brass finger pull is a favorite touch!

Adding Value

We have a lot of trust in our Michigan Realtor, so we sometimes ask for her opinion on value and investment into properties in our unique market. When we told her about our plan to convert the laundry room back into a bedroom while adding a half bath, she couldn’t tell us ‘yes’ fast enough! The area is chock full of cute 2 bed/1 bath cottages (like our Tree House!), but the addition of a second bathroom, no matter how small, would be a wise investment in the home. That said, we were going to do it anyway (haha), but it was great to have the seal of approval from a real estate pro!

Get the Look

We’ve linked every single item in the bathroom below! Thank you for following along on what is surely the smallest room we’ve ever designed! We love how the space turned out, and maybe we’ll use it as a guidepost to push us into making some more bold decisions throughout the home!

1. floor tile | 2. milano quartzite | 3. crawford flush mount | 4. chromatic stripe wallpaper | 5. waffle weave towels | 6. switchplate cover  | 7. lacquered frame + art | 8. donnelly sconce |  9. mirror | 10. pocket door hardware | 11. wood hook | 12. faucet | 13. toilet paper holder | 14. custom vanity | 15. toilet + handle | 16. baskets | 17. undermount sink

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Looking for more bathroom content? Here’s how more on how we made space for this room, the room as a white box, and the mood board. On the other side of the wall, here’s the big bathroom reveal and all about the custom cabinetry from that bathroom, which was also used here in the half bath. Check out some more bathroom reveals like our neighboring Tree House, Our Two Flat Unit 1 here, Two Flat Unit 2 here, and last but not least, our Chicago first floor!