People may not give a lot of thought to their bathrooms, but they’re some of the most used rooms in the house. So why not make your bathroom as luxurious as the rest of your home?
Grit & Ash, a woman-owned, full-service interior designer based in Howard County, was given the task of beautifying a bathroom for one of their previous clients and the end result is a clean, beautiful space that takes full advantage of the natural light it received from outside and has an elegant, luxurious atmosphere that doesn’t come off as cold or unwelcoming.
Grit & Ash founder and lead designer Wendy Perry says she was interested in interior design from a young age, as it combines her enthusiasm for art and business in equal measure.
After working at another residential retail company, she founded Grit & Ash 15 years ago and has been designing warm, welcoming spaces ever since.
“I felt a little limited to working with specific customers, products and lines, and I was getting a little burned out on high-end residential work,” Perry says. “I ended up finding a path right back to mid-to-high-end residential, but more on my own terms. I had more creative freedom to work with clients I enjoyed and on projects that inspired me.”
First Impressions
One of the problems with the bathroom before it was remodeled was its layout. The room was original to the home and hadn’t been remodeled before the Grit & Ash remodeling and the way certain things were placed was not ideal.
“When you came into the bathroom, you were hit by a huge soaking tub that no one uses and is hard to clean, and a toilet right beside it,” Perry recalls.
Having the toilet be the first thing a guest sees upon entering the room is far from ideal, so the room’s layout was changed and the shower and bath were replaced. The shower, which uses grid-style glass, is especially eye-catching, and one of the first things seen upon entering the room.
“It’s a really special element that gives it that extreme character the space was really craving,” she adds.
A Touch of Warmth
As part of her designs, Perry often incorporates a more natural, warm element that helps to balance out colder spaces. This time, a white oak vanity adds that more naturalistic touch.
Perry notes that she’s been seeing bathroom builds that use white-painted vanities for years and wanted to move away from that design trend.
The vanity is also very functional and has plenty of designated spaces to store makeup and hair care supplies.
“[The client] wanted something that felt warm and cozy, but that was also big and beautiful,” Perry says. “Rift oak [a specific style of cutting white oak] has amazing character and warmth to it.”