This Petite Space Convinced Me I Need a Blush Bathroom

The perfect jewel box for morning routines.

Gabrielle Savoie

Updated Oct 1, 2021 10:48 AM

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A couple of months ago, my boyfriend and I found our dream apartment: a small but light-filled one-bedroom in the heart of Greenwich Village with a landscaped communal rooftop and sweeping city views. But it had one caveat—it required extensive renovations.

While this is something that most people would dread, it actually got me excited. Where some might see a tiny, beat-up, ’60s-era galley kitchen, I saw walls coming down, veined marble countertops, and herbs growing on the windowsill. Where most saw an awkward corner, I saw a perfectly cozy TV nook. The only space that left me baffled was the bathroom.

I already had a running list of everything that would go into the apartment—which floors to install, what cabinets we’d use in the kitchen, which window treatments would frame the view, and which furniture pieces would fill the space—but I just couldn’t wrap my head around the bathroom.

That was until I walked into this petite blush bathroom designed by Studio DB at this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House. “We were inspired by a trip to Italy last summer and all of the incredibly dramatic, colorful marble,” Studio DB principal Britt Zunino told Domino. “We wanted to create a room that incorporated these very traditional stone details, but still felt fresh and forward thinking.

“The goal was to design a jewel box that stood apart,” continues the designer. “After discovering Alison Rose’s new line for Artistic Tile and Stone while on a factory visit, we knew the answer was to customize the pattern and stone to fit our space.” Using the graphic tile as inspiration, Zunino sourced four marbles (Cippoliono, Lilac, Rosa Potagallo, and Noir Moon) for the tile mosaic and opted for Arabescato Rosa marble slab for the walls, baseboard, and vanity.

“The vanity was a custom design to play off the arched details in the half-moon shape of Alison’s tile,” says Zunino. “We added rose gold fixtures from Kohler for an extra dose of warmth, but tempered the sweetness with black contemporary lighting from RBW and Colonel.” The ceiling was painted in a custom blush mural from Payton Turner of Flat Vernacular.

I remembered Kelly Wearstler saying, “Everyone looks good in a pink room,” and what better place to look good in than the one where you get ready every morning and night? “Blush is perfect for spaces with little light,” notes Zunino. “Blush-colored paint is very flattering and provides a soft, warm glow in a small room.”

After all, small, windowless spaces need a little extra love to feel whole. “I love introducing color into small bathrooms to give them an identity. I tend to go lighter in bathrooms used for bathing and moodier in powder rooms or secondary bathrooms. Blush tones are incredibly soothing. I also like soft blues and lavender,” he explains. If you, too, are convinced that you need a blush bathroom in your life, here are a few more ideas to get you started.

Start Small With Accessories

Just because you’ve decided you want a pink bathroom doesn’t mean you have to go all out. Start with a few vanity accessories and a rose-hued rug, just like in Garance Doré’s bathroom. To go a step further and dip into renovation-land, swap your hardware for a copper version or replace your countertops with a blush marble.

Go All Out With Tile

If you’re feeling a bit bolder, cover your entire space in floor-to-ceiling millennial pink tile like 2LG Studio did in this London house. A single-color ceramic tile is an inexpensive way to bring the hue to your bathroom while still infusing it with lots of personality. Pair it with simple, traditional chrome fixtures for a softer, more timeless look.

Embrace the Terrazzo Craze

If you embrace color in all aspects of your life, try going a little bolder with sorbet plaster walls, a pink terrazzo backsplash, and a rose-cast concrete sink. Pair it with soft green hues, minimalist black fixtures, and lots of plants for a fresh and modern look that you’ll love for years to come.

As for us, we didn’t get the apartment we so loved in Greenwich Village and we’re still searching for our home, but there’s one thing I know: As soon as I get a sledgehammer into my hands, you can be sure I’m painting my bathroom blush pink.