Modern Southwest, Reconsidered
Full renovation: zero-entry shower, reworked knotty-alder vanity, copper vessel sink, custom tile, quartzite counter, fixtures, mirror and lighting.
- Location
- Arizona
- Project type
- Guest bath renovation — a zero-entry shower in a Southwest home
- Scope
- Full renovation: zero-entry shower, reworked knotty-alder vanity, copper vessel sink, custom tile, quartzite counter, fixtures, mirror and lighting.
The challenge
A retired couple wanted to update their guest bath but arrived without a fixed aesthetic or a list of dislikes — the room was functional, but dated, dark and disconnected from the Southwest character of the rest of the house. One oddity demanded attention: a window that once looked outdoors now opened into another interior room after an earlier addition, and a dividing wall closed in an already-dark space. Dated tile, an unmistakably 1980s vanity light and a red-framed mirror reinforced that the room belonged to another era.
Functional requirements
- Easier, safer access for owners and guests primarily in their 70s
- Reconnect the room to the home's Southwest character
- Keep what deserved to stay
- Bring warmth and light into a dark, closed-in space
The approach
Rather than erase the home's history, I started by deciding what deserved to stay. The Saltillo flooring runs throughout the house, so it stayed and set the palette; the knotty-alder doors and cabinetry became the reference, and the vanity was reworked and enlarged rather than replaced — drawers in place of hard-to-reach swing doors. With the household mostly in their 70s, accessibility shaped the plan from the start: a zero-entry shower removes the step over a tub without making the room look designed around it. The finishes are a modern reading of Southwest — light Crema tile to keep the shower bright, custom matte-terracotta accents to tie back to the Saltillo, oil-rubbed bronze to pick up the door hardware, and leathered Taj Mahal quartzite for a texture polished stone couldn't give. And then the hammered copper vessel sink — every room deserves one moment, and this was it.
What it became
The result is a bathroom that feels as though it belongs to the house — but not to the decade the original was built in. The homeowners loved the transformation. One element took a little persuading: the mirror. Uncertain after seeing it on the mood board, the client was won over only once she saw it in context. Today it's her second-favorite feature — after the copper sink, of course.
Before / After
BeforeAfter
Attention to detail
- Reworked and enlarged knotty-alder vanity — drawers replacing swing doors
- Wall-mounted faucet, height calculated to the vessel sink
- Linear shower drain to preserve the floor pattern
- Shower controls placed outside the cold-spray zone
Kim designed two full bathrooms for our Southwest-style home, meshing beautifully with our existing style when most stores carry overwhelmingly modern options. She listened and found what we like — and she knows all the best places to find just the right tile, from the floor to the shower to the tub surround, whether brick-and-mortar or online. Her installer and cabinet makers are true craftsmen, right down to the soft-close mechanisms and finishes. To round it out she chose complementary accents like a hammered copper sink and a highly styled mirror. We're thrilled with the final product and unreservedly recommend Kim and her team.
