Timeless Black and White Main Bathroom Makeover

Because of its lackluster appearance and contractor-grade materials, the main bathroom of this Decatur, Ga., home was the eyesore of the house. After saving up a budget of $7,500, the homeowner worked with an interior designer to create something classic and timeless strictly using shades of black and white.

This modestly sized 9-foot-by-10-foot main bathroom was completely reinvented as a cool, calm and classic retreat. Focused on making choices with high ROI (return on investment) while also avoiding style or color trends, the design features all black and white design elements including white subway wall tile with black grout, chalky black porcelain floor tile with white grout, glossy trim and ceiling paint, and an ebony-stained console table which was repurposed as a dual-sink vanity.

Since shiny black floor surfaces tend to draw attention to imperfections, large-scale, rectangular porcelain tiles featuring a dulled, chalky finish were used. In order to add graphic impact to the floor and highlight the lines of the tile, the contractor used white grout.

To help ground the eleven-foot-tall ceiling of the main bathroom and add a feeling of coziness, both the ceiling and its surrounding trim were updated with two coats of black semigloss latex paint.