Bathroom Looks We're Loving

"I love to bring an ornate chandelier that looks like it should go in an entryway or dining room into the bathroom. To me, I think it really connects the dots throughout the house," says Tracy Martin Taylor, owner of the Dallas-based design firm Eleven 11 Design. Of course, homeowners must be cognizant of room height, Taylor says, but a glitzy chandelier is a great way to bring feminine details into a room that is often dominated by stark materials. Design by Alicia Friedmann

"For a one-of-a-kind piece, I like finding a really great piece of furniture, like a sideboard or bedside table, and dropping a sink into it to use as a vanity," says Tracy Martin Taylor, owner of the Dallas-based design firm Eleven 11 Design. The furniture needn't be some fancy antique piece, though those work well, too, she says. Anything found and refurbished that fits the scale of the room can work. "Furniture makes a room feel comfortable and warm." Design by Sarah Richardson

"A wood floor goes with absolutely everything," states Tracy Martin Taylor, owner of the Dallas-based design firm Eleven 11 Design. While wood historically has been shunned from the steamy bath, today's homeowners are clamoring for the look and feel of reclaimed wood floors. Unlike the smooth, featureless planks found at a lumber yard, wood from old barns or salvage yards boasts visually compelling natural features. If treated properly, the wood can stand up to the moist environment. "Comfortable, warm and earthy, reclaimed wood works with modern and traditional design." Photo courtesy of Mountain Lumber

"If you are open to a little less privacy, installing a wall-mounted toilet can turn a very divided space into a massive-feeling bathroom," says Tracy Martin Taylor, owner of the Dallas-based design firm Eleven 11 Design. Toilets typically are stowed in a water closet, concealed behind walls that chop up the space and kill sight lines. Sinks often are mounted atop bulky cabinets that gobble up precious real estate. By floating these fixtures on a wall, notes Taylor, you increase both useable and perceived space. Photo courtesy of Duravit

"People with traditional-leaning houses may be open to some modern design choices, but they often don't know how to marry the two," says Tracy Martin Taylor, owner of the Dallas-based design firm Eleven 11 Design. A fun way to do that in the bath, she says, is with tile, specifically oversize ceramic planks in warm brown tones that emulate wood. "These plank-style tiles are a modern choice that we typically haven't seen in traditional homes." Photo courtesy of Woodtec

More and more clients are ditching the tub in favor of a luxurious shower, says Libby Palmieri of Cleveland-based House of L Interior Design. "A Jacuzzi tub used to be the pinnacle of luxury a few years ago," she says. "That's not the case anymore. Now, most homeowners would rather have a gorgeous shower that they can enjoy every day." Today's luxury shower is roomier and features multiple body sprays, rainfall shower heads, even steam. Design by Bruce Rosenblum

"(Concrete) is what we are seeing now at the best luxury hotels and resorts," says Tracy Martin Taylor, owner of the Dallas-based design firm Eleven 11 Design. Counter to what we might assume about concrete being cold, hard and sterile, Taylor says that it is "surprisingly natural, organic and comforting." It also is incredibly functional as it is often prepared and poured in place, unlike granite, which must be cut off-site and delivered. Photo courtesy of Sonoma Cast Stone