Before & After: Bright & Fresh Tuscan Bathroom Update

I recently got a call from a former customer from my drapery career days. She had been observing CKD’s work for years, and when the time came for an update to her home, she knew that Steve’s construction expertise and my interior design background were the perfect pairing.

What did she need? Well, about 20 years ago, her bathroom was the epitome of style. You remember the dark finishes of Tuscan interiors that were all the rage? Travertine floors. Dark cabinetry. Granite countertops. But today, those darker colors and materials are less popular. Most of us want fresh, open, bright spaces that feel airy and breathable.

Although the room has been well loved over the years, she knew it was time to bring her outdated bathroom into the present. 

First, A Little history

Travertine was inexpensive and plentiful in the 1990s and early 2000s. During that time, we used tons of it for flooring, bathroom tile, kitchen backsplash, showers, and more. It was often paired with either cherry or ebony cabinetry, and together those finishes expressed the classic Tuscan style.

Fast forward to today, and the big question is… how do we update the Tuscan look without ripping out or replacing every single element?

Because of the very unique palette, homeowners are often puzzled by how to repaint the space or replace their fabrics without aesthetic chaos ensuing. Color undertones complicate things, especially when paired with gray. When people try to pair gray with travertine (which has tan, beige, and sometimes even pink undertones), they end up with a muddy room that is anything but updated. 

Like the kitchen renovation I shared last week, this bathroom posed a fun challenge and a perfect example of how to update a tricky style. Come take a look…

Bathroom refresh: Before

Before: The shower was full of outdated travertine with diamond inlays consistent with the style of the 1990s. It was pretty, but outdated, and in need of a makeover.

Bathroom Refresh: Progress

During our initial meeting, the client shared with Steve and I what she still enjoyed about the space (including the vanities and countertops). She gave us her budget for the project and expressed her hopes for an updated bathroom that she could love once again. 

Upon closer inspection, what started as an aesthetic refresh took a quick turn into a partial remodel when we discovered that the floor tile had separated from the subfloor and the shower was leaking (both of which indicate poor installation way back when). But that is a story for another day. 

What’s important now is that the shower walls were a light travertine color and the floor was gray porcelain wood plank tile.

While those were both being replaced, the cherry vanity and the amarillo-colored San Cecelia granite countertops were staying, so those needed to inspire the rest of the design. 

Off to the tile showroom I went and found these tile combinations inspired by the countertops and vanities:

Tile 1

Tile 2

Tile 3

While these cement tiles didn’t all make their way into the finished space, they did help provide the inspiration behind the color scheme for the updated bathroom. Imagine towels, artwork, and other accents with this soft spa blue color, which plays nicely with the warm cherry wood and golden countertops.

Not so confusing when you have a palette to work with, right?!

Design Tip: Start with something that you like that provides the colors for the room. In this case the vanities and countertop were the first elements, but from there the accent tiles I found were the inspiration. 

Once I had fallen in love with the cream, charcoal, and blue color scheme, it was just a matter of finding the perfect cement tile for the shower…

I was thrilled when I found this modern subway tile (left) that brought together the creaminess of the hand-painted tile and the warm-toned countertops, and yet flowed seamlessly with the desired charcoal flooring as well. With the biscuit colored subway shower tile selected (which had just enough of a pink and beige undertone to blend with the cabinets), everything else fell into place pretty easily. 

We selected a darker charcoal granite tile (far left) for the floors, which came in both a 12” x 26” size for the bathroom floor and a 2” x 2” size perfect for the shower floor. 

Next, more fresh details…

Our client, Steve, and I love this herringbone pattern glass tile with cool, muted blues, charcoal, and ivory. See how nicely it couples with the existing countertops as well? At first glance you wouldn’t think these work together, but the new accent tile cools down the granite’s golden hues and the granite warms up the cement tile. Beautiful!

We ran a vertical line of this tile from the floor to the ceiling and inside the niche used for soaps and personal items. It is the first thing you see when you open the shower and ties all the colors together for the room… which I will show you in just a bit.

And finally, we painted the whole bathroom in Sherwin Williams Egret White. As you might guess, the house trim was a creamy color (used throughout the home, which meant changing it wasn’t an option), so choosing the right white that would blend well, but also freshen up the space considerably... well, that was important! 

Ready to see the final result?

Bathroom Refresh: After

After: By removing the travertine (as well as the panel of glass block windows), Steve and I were able to bring this shower up to date. The biscuit-colored subway tiles, herringbone glass accents, and charcoal gray granite flooring are a perfect complement to the rich golden countertops and deep cherry vanities.

Our client couldn’t be more pleased... this refresh was exactly what she hoped for, keeping with the Tuscan style but updating it in a way that feels fresh, modern, and peaceful — everything you could hope for in a spa-like master bathroom. (And we’ll have even more Tuscan refresh tips in my next post, so stay tuned.)

So, how about you? Do you have a Tuscan-inspired room that you are ready to refresh in order to love the space once again? If so, I invite you to book a consultation with us.

We’ll give you our best advice and support for moving your project forward wisely, efficiently, and with all the features that will help you enjoy life to its fullest.

Warmly,
Sarah