Do you want to remodel a room or even a whole house, but are not sure where to begin?  Read on to find out how and where to find the inspiration you need to jumpstart a project.  Since we’re currently working on a master bathroom remodel, we thought that would be a good place to start.

Our client wants to do a partial remodel of her master bathroom.  We are keeping the existing white subway tile in the enclosed shower-over-bathtub, which works in a variety of settings. So our task is to replace the tan floor tiles and dark countertops over the bathroom vanity, which will get a facelift with a fresh coat of white paint and new, shaker doors and new, modern finishes.  The desired effect is contemporary with clean lines and a soothing, spa-like feel.  Since we didn’t get instructions on a specific look, we set off to the tile store to find our starting point.

A tile store is our version of a candy store (we have a lot of versions of candy stores, actually), and we found tons of inspiration from our favorites.  The single sink vanity will get an update with a carrara marble countertop.  Our client prefers a muted floor, so we focused on finding an interesting tile to surround the countertop.  Since this is not a large area, we looked at small-scale patterns with enough impact and interest.

We’re down to the final two choices and once a selection is made, we’ll have our starting point for the project.  This accent tile will inform the remaining choices that must be made.  We can take a color from the mosaic and lighten it for the walls.  Another shade from the tile can be enhanced on the floors, or we’ll use a durable tile that will complement the marble countertop.  The tile pattern, whether more angular or curved, will also help us choose hardware and cabinet finishes.  Even though this tile is getting little coverage, it is giving us the jumping off point for the entire space.

This approach also works well with kitchens.  Click here for a refresher and here to see the final result.