Project Reveal: My Modern Traditional Southern Living Primary Bathroom
- Nancy Lane
- Jul 30
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 8
Reveal day is here!! I have been teasing and talking about our primary bathroom since we finished, and we can finally reveal the final photos of the oasis that I continue to love more and more every day. This bathroom was designed and planned before the pandemic, family illnesses, and life's unexpected events occurred, so thank you for being patient with this reveal!
A few things have changed since I started the initial design phase, but many aspects have remained the same, which means it will be a timeless look that I will love for as long as we're in this house. As I've said before, when I dream of designs for people, whether its for clients or for myself, my goal is to tell the story of the inhabitants of the space I'm designing.
It's been over a year since we wrapped up construction and honestly it still feels like a dream when I walk in the room, like walking into a warm hug on the daily. It may sound goofy but I don't care, I'll say it...it feels like I wrote a love letter about me and the hubs, to us and for us when I think of all the little details that went into creating a space that feels so good to both of us, created for two hard working people who give themselves away in service daily to others and who frequently need to be reminded to take care of themselves.
I wanted to marry the modern with traditional, paying homage to where we've come from and where we're headed, and an ode to the ever present welcoming spirit of Southern Living at its best in the hearts of both of us. It's a place where we both exhale at the end of a long day, and where we get ready every morning to go give the world all we've got.
Have a look at our past posts about this bathroom to see the progression from the beginning:
Swipe on the arrow on the photo below to see previous iterations of renderings then continue scrolling through for the big reveal and to see what made it from the inspiration board above. Enjoy :)
My Modern Traditional Southern Living Primary Bathroom
Drum Roll Please
We went back and forth for a good while with this built-in storage nook, especially with open or closed storage, the finish choice, and that shower tile color...
We opted for open shelving to minimize the imposing storage cabinet look, and it gave me the chance to showcase that reeding detail on the wood shelves that mirror the detail on the vanities you'll see soon!
Plus I refuse to have doors for storage anymore - drawers all the way for me (except for easier access to sink drains in case of any issues via the one set of doors per vanity).
Wallpaper was never part of the original plan, but as the renovation kept moving along, I was looking for a special touch. As soon as I saw this gorgeous geometric wallpaper I knew it was the one and only. Of course it's green, but I love that the pattern is modern but timeless at the same time. It absolutely got me the hint of green my heart was calling for without making a more permanent decision of going green with the shower tiles, so it checked off a few boxes and I am here for it.
We didn't change the architecture or plumbing layout in the bathroom, so we saved a bit in the budget there. I funneled it into those amazing custom vanities with ample storage for me and hubs - drawers have given me a peace I never knew I needed!
We used to have full-width mirrors where the wallpaper is now, and I thought I would miss them, but these brass-framed mirrors in two different sizes work beautifully for us, and allowed us to have sconces for additional lighting on our faces, rather than just overhead lighting. And it's another place to showcase that wallpaper that was demure, but impactful, all at the same time!
I had always envisioned a big hanging chandelier above the new tub, but in the end, I actually like the subtle touch of this Visual Comfort flush mount pendant. It casts an incredible light pattern at night and reminds me of an elevated disco ball. If you know me, you know how much that thrills me!
If you know me IRL, you'll know I'm always in a southern state of mind and as such there was no other artwork that would do for this space than a coastal marsh painting by my favorite artist, Irene Mayo. I can't describe how much I love her work. It pulls at the very heart of me every time I see one of her works and it takes my mind back to where I come from.
For the window by the tub, I originally thought I'd use custom drapery panels but with the small area on either side for the stack back of the panels themselves, I opted for a simple, natural grass shade instead. Nothing distracting, just a bit of texture to soften the window. It's just enough and I love it.
You can see here that I snuck that wallpaper into the toilet room too! How could I not?
I will admit that lighter floors and shower pan mosaic tile mean that my dark hair is glaringly obvious with my peri-menopause fall-out situation, but it's real life. I get my blow dryer out and blow it to one side and vacuum it up, no problem! I'll take the brightness of the room for that trade-off.
I'm totally giving myself bonus points for specifying the gorgeous drain cover you see above. There's a handy little tool to pop up the grate below for easy cleanup without calling the plumber more often.
A showerhead + wand combo is my forever suggestion for anyone redoing their bathroom - the wand makes it so much easier to clean the shower, but also functions as a great lower showerhead for me, while the taller one works well for hubs. Plus both of them on at once is a real hotel-feeling kind of treat!
We used the same white subway tile for both the shower and tub wall surround, with a vertical stack along the base for a special kind of trim. There was a time when I didn't think it needed it and now I can't imagine the space without it. The slight undulation in the tile glints and sparkles throughout the day and brings me joy. No joke.
Designer Tip: For those of you who might be DIYing: Always measure multiple times before ordering your wall faucet! You might need an extender (if available) to clear the edge of your tub easily. When in doubt, triple check with your local plumbing pro to be sure since most orders these days are not returnable. Also note you might have to select options outside of a specific faucet collection like I did if the faucet measurements don't meet your space requirements.
We also removed the side medicine cabinets and replaced them with small, wood shelving for a nice decorative moment. The vanity drawers below provide more than enough storage, so why not have some shelves for artwork, candles, and other fun goodies?
I decided against towel bars or hooks because we have so much shelf storage for towels, Honestly, I didn't want to drill a permanent one into the wall in case I didn't love it and I thought I might actually nick myself on it so instead I did what I thought was a temporary solution. I added a nickel Command hook right outside the shower to hang a towel if needed. Nothing permanent, but functional in every way. I haven't hit myself once with it and I don't feel the need to switch it out so its staying.
Designer Tip: We didn't need to renovate the adjoining closet since it was designed so well from the get-go, BUT since we had to move everything out to save our clothes from construction dust anyway, I asked our contractor to include a new coat of the same white paint in the bathroom space so it would feel fresh, too! As I always tell my clients, when everything else around you looks shiny and new, the stuff you didn't choose to improve or renew in surrounding areas will often call out to you and not in a nice way so start as you mean to go.
I truly feel I don't need to leave my house anymore because it is a gorgeous oasis that feels better than any hotel!! And what a wonderful feeling that is. And that's it, folks - stay tuned to see the finished primary bedroom just beyond the doors.
