My new macro lens arrived Friday, and after a quick spin in the backyard to document butterflies and do a test ring shot, I figured it was time to snap a few shots of our renovated bath so the lovely elements can be shared with Pinterest peeps.

In our cozy cottage, our hall bath serves as the kids’ bath, the guest bath, the powder room and my shower. Being multi-purpose, we wanted to replace our crumbling tile and swollen formica with something snappy, fresh and functional. I like small tiles. My grandmother had a guest bath full of tiny pink tiles, a pink sink on chrome legs and a wall heater with a nifty coil that would turn red as it took the chill off the shower exit. A Boston rental where I lived had a black and white tile bath that reminded me of older hotels. After pondering various hex tile patterns, I opted for penny tile in this earthy gray-green. I loved the little bronze edge of the tiles, and my contractor was impressed that this tile was just about $5 per square foot — some of it is much pricier. I purchased it at Melcer Tile.

Ever since I learned about Fisher Recycling creating countertops using colored glass, I was intrigued. It is a pricey project, but after considering a granite remnant instead, I decided to splurge since the bath is so frequently used. In addition to the cost of creating the countertop (roughly $60/square foot), the Granite Shop had to do the final edge cutting, polishing, sealing and installation, so that was another expense. It’s a fun process though — I visited the recycling center, where we picked the colors I liked along with the special elements including hunks of Coke bottles, oyster shells and touches of metallic glass upcycled from Urban Electric. Fisher produced a sample piece, and after approving that, they took about two weeks to create my colorful custom slab.

The old vanity was about 45 inches wide. We wanted to maximize storage space and many store-bought vanities come in standard sizes that are much smaller or larger. My designer suggested we have a vanity custom-built to maximize storage space. By extending the width a few inches and going from two wimpy drawers to six deep ones, we gained lots of storage. My designer also suggested raising the height of the vanity to 36″ — it made it so my son prefers to use the stepstool again, but it also made it more adult-scaled, so I recommend it. Our other bath has a countertop that is several inches lower, and it feels like it’s dollhouse scale in comparison.

Initially, we talked about possibly using reclaimed wood to build the vanity. When the contractor could not find a good resource for anything affordable, we opted for a painted vanity that could use cheaper wood. Still wanting the look of weathered wood, I looked for driftwood mirrors. I found several small ones and some cool shapes, but this one from Pottery Barn was the ticket. I’d bookmarked it and when I went to purchase it, it had dropped in price. Great score for $150! (Unfortunately, it’s no longer available.) The oil-rubbed bronze faucet is the Brantford style by Moen, and I bought it locally from Moluf’s when I purchased the undermount sink. I wanted the cleaner look of the one-handle faucet, plus it eliminates having to scrub tiny crevices between handles.

I love the bubbled glass knobs I found on Anthropologie. They pop off the Rockport Grey (Benjamin Moore paint) cabinet and tie into the Coke bottle pieces in the vanity top.

I ditched the towel bar and opted for wall hooks that could be a fun element and would encourage kids to hang up their own towels. I searched lots for bronze-finished wall hooks that were interesting and didn’t stick out into the room too far. Hardware can be so pricey (One favorite was $38 a pop!), so I was relieved to find these nifty sea stars on Amazon for a bargain price of $12 for four. They shipped promptly, but did not include hardware, so I made a quick trip to Royall Hardware for bronze screws. The shower curtain fabric and tasseled hand towels are from GDC, and I picked up the random orange beehive-textured towels at HomeGoods.

To brighten up our little windowless bath, the contractor installed a can light over the shower and switched out our bath fan for a fan/light combo. The bronze light fixture from Shades of Light features Fresnel lens globes, another nod to coastal living and the amazing lenses in lighthouses.

Although I searched around for some fresh bath art, I ended up using two Carolina Photosmith originals. “Beach Road” was taken on an anniversary trip to Little St. Simons Island. What a wonderful place! And “Dozen Cousins” has been around for a while, but it’s a family favorite.

Thanks so much to our contractor, Evan Chipley and to my savvy designer, Elizabeth Goff, who promises to one day embrace the Internet. I highly recommend them both!

Check out our kitchen renovation, too – we love the space, the openness and the concrete counters.