Inspired by Palm Springs Vacation Joy

“After” photo Jonathan Falk of Ishot

bathroom overview
People who live here: A Woman Who Loves Palm Springs, California
position: Vancouver, British Columbia
size: 41 square feet (3.8 square meters)
designer: Sarah Dessaulnier for Moore Design
Contractor: visari construction

Before: The 41-square-foot main bathroom was perfectly adequate, but it didn’t exactly give off the feel of a happy place. The skylight was the only source of natural light in the room, but luckily it was in great shape.

“My client showed me an inspirational photo of a mid-century bathroom in Palm Springs and said, ‘Let’s have some fun and see what we can do,'” says Desaulniers.

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rear: Mid-century style vanities, gold fixture finishes, geometric tiles and a play of patterns highlight the new space. Many of the items were selected for their immediate availability.

“Due to supply chain issues and factory closures, we had to shop locally and pick from what was available,” says Desaulniers. “Considering what is available instead of waiting is part of the design process. We have to solve problems and pivot when necessary.”

The shower is a walk-in type with a transparent glass fixed panel. The floors are heated and the skylights also bring in the heat. Drafts weren’t an issue, so I didn’t need a shower door. This made the room feel more open and the shower easier to access.

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“I realized I needed to find a vanity off-the-shelf rather than doing a custom one.” Desaulnier says. Her client found this vanity in a large store. The brass hardware, slender legs, and midcentury-inspired styling were perfect for the space. The vanity also came with a sink and white quartz countertops.

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This beautiful blue elongated hexagonal tile was the starting point for the design. “My client’s favorite inspirational photo from Palm Springs showed his blue tiles in turquoise with lots of movement and patterns. There were also lots of gold and bronze fixtures,” he says of Desaulniers. says Mr. “This tile is very beautiful. It has a little brown around the edges and the driftwood grout compensates for that.”

The simple one-hole faucet has a champagne bronze finish.“The gold and bronze finish was also a mid-century modern element we were going for,” says the designer.

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The wooden-framed hexagonal mirror was a happy moment that had to be rotated. “Originally, I chose a brass-framed mirror, but it wasn’t available, and it works really well,” he says Desaulniers.

Another important detail was choosing the right place for the blue wall tiles to end and the shower surround tiles to start. “We used a custom bronze Schluter. [strips] To frame the glass shower panel, we needed to give it a little breathing room,” says Desaulniers. She matched the shower white subway her tiles to the shower threshold. The threshold is white quartz that matches the top plate.

Dual-tube lights with brass hardware and fluted glass also nod to mid-century style.

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