Boston Globe February 2024
Boston Globe February 2024:
Desiree Burns transformed this primary bath in Milton into a spa-like retreat without going overboard on budget. “Keeping the fixtures in their existing locations helps keep down costs,” the designer and owner of Desiree Burns Interiors says. A full gut-renovation turned the dated space into a wet room, with a walk-in, curbless shower replacing the constricted stall shower and a freestanding tub supplanting the clunky, deck-mounted one, leaving the plumbing lines in place. Burns also swapped the toilet for a sleeker model and upgraded the double vanity; their placements barely budged either. Cost-effective materials helped, too. The splurge? Enlarging the window to pull in more light.
1 An unfinished, off-the-shelf double vanity from Signature Hardware got a clear-coat finish to resemble white oak and unlacquered polished brass handles from CB2.
2 Burns added shiplap to the vanity wall for interest, which cost less than tiling it. The crisp white-quartz countertop folds up the wall into a backsplash where Burns mounted pretty brass cross-handle faucets. “The wall-mounted installation offers an elevated, custom look,” Burns shares.
3 Lozenge-shaped rattan mirrors from Anthropologie are a warm coastal touch that counter the ceiling’s sharp angles and mimic the tub silhouette. “Using a different, more textural material between the metal elements makes the elevation visually interesting,” Burns says.
4 Unable to fit a light fixture beside each mirror on the left or above them due to the pitched ceiling, Burns punctuated the wall with a single Kelly Wearstler sconce in the middle, echoing the linear rhythm of the shiplap.
5 The frameless, ribbed-glass shower enclosure and the frosted glass in the new, large window provide privacy while allowing light to penetrate the room.
6 Burns lined the shower with glazed ceramic wall tiles with an undulating surface. “We loved the mix of sea-glass green hues as the focal point,” she says. “The honed terrazzo floor tiles, which are reminiscent of pebbles, lean coastal, too.” The Eny Lee Parker x Mitzi sconce with a nautical-goes-glam feel heightens the allure.