Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Sarah 101: Episode 8 Classic Bath


The ensuite bath in last night's episode of Sarah 101 on HGTV started as an ugly green duckling, and was transformed into an elegant cream & grey swan by Sarah and Tommy. And all within a reasonable budget, saving here and splurging there. The most significant way to save when renovating a bathroom: Keep all of the key pieces (toilet, sink, shower, tub) in their original positions to avoid costly plumbing expenses.

Save to Splurge:
Pair a standard "big box" vanity
with a custom marble top.


Note how the chair rail runs 6 inches
above the top of the vanity.


Sarah & Tommy chose to combine 3 different
types of ceramic and glass tiles in the shower enclosure
to create an interesting banded effect.


Tommy suggested a chrome trim for the glass
shower enclosure. It lends a retro vibe to the room.


Save to Splurge:
Use large 12x12 marble tiles on the floor
with just an accent band or "carpet" of marble.


The organic fern print drapes with stripe border
provide a touch of softness behind the freestanding tub.


There is no rule that says the medicine cabinet must be
mounted above the sink. Why not try something new?


Sconces mounted beside the mirror provide more
flattering light than overhead fixtures.
Sarah & Tommy chose these for their 1930's look.


An antique piece is sprayed and repurposed as a
petite vanity table.


I thought this bathroom renovation was a beautiful transformation. It's classic and traditional, neutral but not boring. What did you think?

All images courtesy of HGTV Canada.

10 comments:

  1. love it! especially on the save with the use of simple subway tiles, the tile patterns, and the creative use of medicine cabinet at end of tub for storage and towel holder!!

    Will have to see if the one I recorded at 1am this morning actually gives me "sound" for the full show!

    Thanks Pam for the quick update!

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  2. Love the way the medicine cabinet is not in the usual spot.....not a dramatic thing, but somehow manages to make it just look different, in a good way! I want that mirror!
    Never get to see this show, so thanks for sharing!

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  3. Loved it. My bathroom is almost the same layout. The previous owners spent $20G on a renovation and it doesn't look a fraction as good as Sarah and Tommy's. I wish I could gut it and copy theirs! It's not going to happen but maybe I can get the fabric...I am drooling over both the fern and stripes. Sarah is a genius at tile patterns.

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  4. Sarah & Tommy, always in good taste! Clever, clever, clever.

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  5. Why didn't I think of that! Love the striping of the tiles and the placement of the medicine cabinet is pretty genius! I love how she thinks!

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  6. Really? People actually liked this bathroom? That surprises me.

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  7. I think Sarah and Tommy are great but i'm not loving this bathroom. The medicine cabinet looks out of place - the wood stain of the cabinet and vanity look stark against the white. If the mirror above the vanity had been the same wood stain I think the third repeat would have worked. What do you think?

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  8. @Marie, I feel that the medicine cabinet placed over the tub must be VERY awkward to access, but I don't mind the wood stain for the cabinetry. I feel that also staining the mirror above the vanity would have caused that side of the room to feel very heavy in comparison to the rest of the space.

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  9. Sarah and Tommy love to paint furniture - maybe to eliminate the awkwardness the medicine cabinet and vanity bring to the room they could have painted it a soft blue, yellow or darker gray. I am sure you are right about the mirror being too heavy for the side of the room if stained. Thank you for posting the photos as we in the U.S. are not seeing these episodes.

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  10. Great look... anyone knows how much it costs?

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