CLASSICAL MAKEOVER
Heather Garrett has faced multiple challenges during her career as a designer. A bathroom addition to her clients’ circa-1920s home in Durham’s Forest Hills neighborhood was no exception. The bathroom was added over an existing screened porch and, as such, needed considerable engineering to support it. But once completed—a feat in and of itself—Garrett was able to transform the space into a sanctuary for her clients. “We used living room furniture and decoration whenever possible in order to soften the utility of a bathroom with all the hard surfaces,” she explains. “Furniture, artwork, living plants, antique wool rugs, and soft lighting fixtures all help make a ‘living bath.’” Angling the freestanding tub in a corner along with a show-stopping chandelier “creates a place where you really feel you can tuck into luxury.”



Meet the Designer
HEATHER GARRETT

BEST BATHROOM SPLURGE “Great, unusual lighting you’d normally find in a living space. That’s a big visual change-agent.”

BEST BATHROOM DECORATING TIP “See above. That’s truly the key. As much as possible, try to help your bathroom feel like an extension of your bedroom with all its softness and materials.”

BEST BATHROOM INSPIRATION “Instagram is a treasure trove of inspiration. Explore hashtags to look for certain elements you may be curious about, then start an album dedicated to your saved finds.”

BATHROOM MUST-DO “Install vanity sconce lighting at eye level, on either side of your sink, to illuminate your face naturally. Designing all of your lighting as overhead fixtures can create shadows and a lack of warmth.”

BATHROOM DON’T “Hang small vanity mirrors. This is the place to go big, and, ideally, choose something framed that would otherwise be found in a living space. The reflections from a larger mirror will help send more light bouncing around the room, and a taller mirror will increase the perceived height of the ceiling.”



FARMHOUSE MODERN
Rebecca Driggs’ clients knew their primary bathroom needed updating, they just didn’t know where to start. Enter Driggs, who had worked with the homeowners previously. The bathroom featured blonde wood cabinets, a stale earth-tone color palette, granite counters, and outdated tile. To brighten and modernize the space, Driggs added white shiplap to the walls and complemented with black-and-gold lighting, hardware, and plumbing to elevate the overall design. “The custom walnut cabinetry and extra-thick quartz countertops from Ruth Ann at Taylored Spaces in Raleigh really bring this space to life,” says Driggs, adding that there are separate vanities and a separate storage cabinet for the homeowners’ larger toiletry items and linens.



Meet the Designer
REBECCA DRIGGS

BEST BATHROOM SPLURGE “Definitely the custom cabinetry. In this home, each person has their own vanity and a separate storage cabinet for their larger toiletry items and linens. The vanity drawers include outlets for hair dryers, curling irons, and flat irons, and the mirrored doors on the large cabinet are a showstopper.”

BEST BATHROOM DECORATING TIP “Start by paying attention to your morning or evening routine and how you use your bathroom. Determine what would make your routine easier and more enjoyable. Do you need more drawers for smaller items? Do you need larger storage for toiletries and linens? Do you just need a refresh? Take the time to determine what you really need before you dive into a renovation.”

BEST BATHROOM INSPIRATION “We find a ton of inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest. If you are working with a designer, provide them with a few inspiration pictures to guide the design.”

BATHROOM MUST-DO “A few years ago, my favorite tile installer recommended heated shower floors to me, and my client’s love theirs. The heat feels amazing on your feet, and it keeps the shower floor from getting moldy.”

BATHROOM DON’T “Renovations can be expensive, but don’t skimp on features you really want that are hard to install later [like heated floors].”




CONSCIOUS COLOR
For designer Lisa Mende, the powder room presents an opportunity to push boundaries with design. She created a jaw-dropping space in the powder room of her clients’ Raleigh home. The bold custom-designed wallpaper by Charlotte-based Jill Seale set the tone for the tiny “jewel box of a room.” To up the wow factor, Mende installed a custom-designed vintage Murano glass chandelier by Louise Gaskill and added a Bunny Williams mirror for a touch of glam. The real draw here, though, is the large-scale artwork by Charlotte-based artist Windy O’Connor. “I purposely chose a large-scale piece to give the room a focal point when walking from the master bedroom down the hall,” she explains. “This room is small and doesn’t have a window, so the art serves as a place for the eye to engage.” To really finish off the design, Mende painted the moldings and door in Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black to make everything pop.


Meet the Designer
LISA MENDE

BEST BATHROOM SPLURGE “That’s a hard question because all the elements work together to create a space, but of all the elements, I think lighting is the most important. When you are designing a powder room, the lighting must be gorgeous, not just functional, so that’s where custom pieces like the Louise Gaskill pendant come into play.”

BEST BATHROOM DECORATING TIP “Always have a dimmer on your lights so you can soften them for company. And fresh flowers. A small bud vase with one stem of flowers adds so much life to a room. Who doesn’t love fresh flowers?”

BEST BATHROOM INSPIRATION “I draw most of my inspiration from my travels. If you scroll through my photos on my phone, you will see photos of bathrooms from famous hotels and resorts. I recently designed a bathroom using a tub I saw at Blackberry Farm when I was there on vacation.”

BATHROOM MUST-DO “I highly recommend a place to hide essentials that one might need but may not want to bother the host for, such as a Band-Aid, hair pin, mouth wash, toothpaste, etc.”

BATHROOM DON’T “Don’t ever use a pocket door for a bathroom. They do not block out enough noise or offer the proper privacy necessary for a bathroom.”