Best Single-Room Remodel

She replaced an acrylic shower insert with a semi-frameless glass enclosure to keep sight lines unbroken, brought in a stand-alone tub with deck-mounted faucet to accentuate a minimalist aesthetic and installed a custom dual vanity and linen closet for convenience and improved storage. Worn ceramic flooring was traded out for Moroccan-style tile that boldly meanders through the space, while the area surrounding the tub and shower were inlaid with a linen textile-type black penny tile to complement the black-and-white pattern.

Dim lighting also needed to be addressed. McMurtrey’s fix was to install mirror-mounted bulbs above the vanity and a modern chandelier above the tub, which casts a beautiful reflection on the dark gray ceiling. She also put new lighting throughout on dimmers, giving the homeowners the option to go relaxed and romantic or fully intense and utilitarian. A pair of uneven corner windows was disguised with white woven-wood hobble shades and black grommeted drapes—another cost-saving technique. But with so much brightness, daylight is not missed.

“There were some distinct boundaries and limitations to what we could and could not do in this space,” says McMurtrey. “In order to give them all the important aesthetic aspects and stay in their budget, we needed to make some compromises, but you don’t notice they were compromises.”