Bathroom of the Week: In LA, a Softer Take on Black and White

For a recent bathroom overhaul in a 1950s house in Baldwin Hills, LA interior designer Tamar Barnoon had a clear mandate from her client, a fashion executive: a focus on tile, a generous shower, and the color black somehow incorporated.

The house itself was in good shape, Barnoon says—with simple, modern rooms designed to highlight the house’s nature views. “The bathroom was the only room in desperate need of an update:” It was dated, both in finishes and layout—the shower box stood immediately to the right of the bathroom door, with the sink and toilet inconveniently at the far end. To accommodate the requests of her client, who has “incredible taste and a very modern sensibility,” Barnoon used handmade tile from Heath Ceramics throughout, in gray white and warm black “to bring some softness to the otherwise very modern space,” she says. To visually expand the space, she redesigned the layout to “make the room feel elongated, and draw the eye in.” Let’s take a look.

Photography by Laure Joliet, courtesy of Tamar Barnoon.

Above: Barnoon opted for mixed, light gray tile from Heath Ceramics on the shower and backsplash, and black Heath field tile on the floor.

“I wanted the design to reflect my client’s minimal, modern aesthetic, while still allowing for some feminine lines,” Barnoon says.

Above: Barnoon custom-designed the storage mirror and vanity in collaboration with cabinetmakers EB Joinery.

Above: The cabinet houses a vertical light fixture “for close-up makeup and to allow for low lighting at night,” Barnoon says.

Above: The cabinet and vanity is made of oak, finished with wax, and the countertop is Caesarstone. When open, the drawers reveal dovetail joints.

Above: Two round sconces to the left of the mirror provide ambient light.

The client was originally ambivalent about including a bathtub in the design—but since the room is small, she and Barnoon ultimately decided she’d rather have a generously sized shower than a tub.

Above: One thing that didn’t require changing was the scale of the shower window, the only source of natural light in the bathroom: “I felt the scale of the window to the narrowness of the room was right,” Barnoon says, “and the size allowed for some privacy.” She did replace the actual window with a newer model.

Above: A storage niche in the shower is lined in elongated tiles.