Bathroom Projects
Chinese Garden-Inspired Transitional Bathroom

Soothing Timeless Bathroom Remodel in Vancouver, WA

Take a look at this primary bath remodel in Vancouver, Washington led by Neil Kelly’s in-house design consultant Janel Campbell featuring deep green tile, Chinese garden elements, and bold brass fixtures.

Check out the project photos and details about this bathroom remodel below.

Project Objectives and Client Wishlist

The primary suite of this Vancouver home features his and hers primary baths. The “his” side had been demoed and was ready for our design/build remodeling team to step in. Our client had a clear design direction and brought a few inspirational images from the start.

Our role was to refine the requests and find the perfect shade for our client’s dream deep green tile. We fell in love with a mosaic marble floor and tied it in with a Chinese lattice design element, inspired by our client’s business trips in Asia. The vanity design was also influenced by the homeowner’s request for natural walnut. In the end, we matched the cabinet door style to other cabinetry found in the home.

Our clients’ wishlist for this bathroom remodel included:

  • Mosaic marble flooring
  • Deep green tile
  • Walnut vanity
  • Chinese lattice design element
  • Brass plumbing fixtures

Design Challenges and Solutions

The room initially had three windows in the vanity area, but because the homeowner is 6’5″, we quickly demonstrated that the center window was visually in the way. We considered keeping the window and raising a mirror over the trim but decided to frame the window for the desired clean aesthetic.

Due to the home’s existing structure, we needed to drop the floor framing to create a truly curbless shower that seamlessly transitioned the mosaic marble flooring from the room into the shower. The shower bench was constructed with steel brackets to create the illusion of a marble bench with a waterfall edge.

Another challenge was getting all of our metal finishes to complement each other; no one brand could supply all of the plumbing, accessories, and lighting we wanted. Achieving a living finish on nearly all metal finishes was important to give the room consistency as the patina develops with time.

Finding the correct tile presented another challenge. The marble mosaic was our driving force, in which, the green pieces varied from light green to dark and veered to the yellow side of green. Our client requested “jade” green which inherently has a blue undertone. Janel chose a deep emerald green tile with a crackle glaze and blonde edges, but our client wasn’t in love yet. We looked at mass-made and local handcrafted tile before color-matching with four custom colors, but none were quite right. When we had exhausted our search, the client trusted Janel’s original choice, which brought depth and diversity to the space, while the blonde edge highlighted the brass plumbing fixtures.

Special Features, Customizations, and Finished Results

A Chinese lattice design was requested for the tile accent on the shower wall. We explored authentic patterns and considered a custom tile design before choosing a readily available pattern that closely matched the desired aesthetic. The countertop and shower bench are engineered quartz, replicating marble with simple maintenance and an understated look. The narrow brass border in the accent tile is a special touch. It was important that this piece of patina (also known as oxidizing or tarnishing) alongside the plumbing fixtures as a coated metal trim wouldn’t do.

The room is traditional and modern all at once, with thoughtful details like the waterfall edge of the bench and other natural and timeless elements like water, wood, stone, and metal.

Special features and customizations for this bathroom remodel included:

Zen Bathroom Remodel in Vancouver, Washington

With design centers in Portland, Seattle, Bend, and Eugene, Neil Kelly’s designers, project managers, and builders take on design/build remodeling projects throughout the Pacific Northwest.

If you’re considering a custom bathroom renovation or whole house remodel of your own, you can contact our team to schedule a complimentary consultation.

janel campbell, portland Design Consultant

Janel Campbell grew up in her father’s wood shop with the smell of sawdust in her nose; and a creative and welcoming home that always had something baking in the oven (an in-home business decorating wedding cakes!). It seemed only natural for her to combine the two elements into her passion for design/build; helping others find ways to make their house a home.

With a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design, a Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer, as well as Certified Aging in Place Specialist, Janel brings 20+ years of remodeling experience to her team and clients. She asks meaningful questions to learn the challenges, collaborates, and provides expertise; then carries through with her strong attention to detail. Her dedication to building relationships brings her clients back time and time again.

Janel’s award-winning designs have been featured in Oregon Home, Portrait of Portland, 1859, and KBB magazine. She was honored to be included as one of Professional Remodeler magazine’s “Top 40 under 40”. When not designing, she can be found spending time with family, in the garden, paddling on the water, and in the kitchen preparing something tasty. Her passion is HOME.

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