A design and remodeling team helps an Illinois couple create a bright space with warm touches and pops of pattern
Ted and Lindsey Samawi were tired of the look and layout of their Naperville, Illinois, bathroom. A massive jetted tub ate up a lot of the floor space. And an abundance of beige produced a low-energy feel that they wanted to crank up.
Looking for a brighter, more open space, the couple turned to designer Ivonka Letocha and Barts Remodeling & Construction. The team gave them an airier layout that features a freestanding soaking tub, a mostly white palette and an upgraded frameless glass shower enclosure. A custom alder double vanity and brass fixtures add hefty doses of warmth, while a black-and-white wallpaper and other black details punch up the design.
“After” photos by Kamil Scislowicz PhotographyBathroom at a GlanceWho lives here: Ted and Lindsey Samawi and their three small children
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Size: 115 square feet (11 square meters)
Design: Ivonka Letocha of
Iv DesignBuilder: Barts Remodeling & ConstructionThe design and remodeling team removed the main components of the previous bathroom but kept the new elements in the same location.
Super bright white ceiling and walls (High Reflective White by Sherwin-Williams) and bright white trim with a slightly cool undertone (Extra White by Sherwin-Williams) create a clean backdrop for the updated design.
Large-format (12-by-24-inch) white porcelain floor tiles with white grout also help keep things bright. “I just wanted it to be more timeless,” Lindsey says.
She and Letocha found the black-and-white water-resistant vinyl wallpaper together and both fell in love with it.
“This was the focal point of the bathroom,” Letocha says. “I wanted to create visual balance, combining the black tiles we used in the shower with the black lines of this wallpaper.”
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Ted and Lindsey Samawi and their three small children
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Size: 115 square feet (11 square meters)
Design: Ivonka Letocha of Iv Design
Builder: Barts Remodeling & Construction
The design and remodeling team removed the main components of the previous bathroom but kept the new elements in the same location. Super bright white ceiling and walls (High Reflective White by Sherwin-Williams) and bright white trim with a slightly cool undertone (Extra White by Sherwin-Williams) create a clean backdrop for the updated design.
Large-format (12-by-24-inch) white porcelain floor tiles with white grout also help keep things bright. “I just wanted it to be more timeless,” Lindsey says.
She and Letocha found the black-and-white water-resistant vinyl wallpaper together and both fell in love with it. “This was the focal point of the bathroom,” Letocha says. “I wanted to create visual balance, combining the black tiles we used in the shower with the black lines of this wallpaper.”