THE HILL HOUSE

I heard somewhere that a basic 3 bed/2 bath home renovation requires more than 500 decisions from a homeowner, and that feels about right. Renovating is essentially a long string of choices - some carefully planned months in advance, some made on the fly - that shape a finished space. And today, I wanted to pause and take a look at some of the key decisions we’ve made in the Hill House hall bathroom and see how they’re working out now that the dust has (mostly) settled. This is that stage of a project where everything starts to click into place (or doesn’t, and you start making adjustments 😉). Let’s get into it…

sconce (aged brass, Matte Dark Slate shade), faucet (polished nickel), sink, outlet cover (unlaquered brass), color: F&B Off While (see note below

As of right now, this bathroom is basically done. Yes we need to buy a p-trap, touchup paint and caulk lines, hang a mirror, and make a cabinet skirt, but it’s like 95% the way there! This is what we’ve done so far…

Found a great layout (including a creative vanity over the stairs to save space)
Cultivated inspiration and created a design mood board
Ordered most of the finishes early (long-lead will kill a timeline!)
Tiled and grouted (including a minor grout color catastrophe)
Paneled the walls
Installed skylight
Electrical and lighting (including those unlacquered brass switch plates 🤍)
Plumbing (just need a p-trap!)
Picked a paint color
Salvaged a stone countertop and fabricated it

After months of planning, prep, and messy middle work, we’re finally in that spot where you can stand in the doorway and see how our decisions looks in real life.

Wall Tile, Floor tile, Marble Tile, tub

Let’s walk through some of the decisions we’ve made…

The Layout That Changed Everything

The layout for this bathroom was locked in months ago, and now that everything is installed, I can finally say, this floor plan works! The biggest “aha” moment upstairs was pushing this bathroom’s vanity over the stairway. By borrowing the unused air space (you can see the slope of the stairs beneath the sink), we were able to create a hall bath that feels surprisingly roomy while still allowing for a new ensuite bathroom next door. Designing this space felt a bit like Tetris, but the best old-house solutions always come from getting creative and working with the house instead of fighting it.

Paint: A Calm, Classic Backdrop

Paint is almost always one of our later decisions, and this bathroom was no exception. We waited until the paneling, tile, and skylight were all in before committing because paint is so dependent on everything around it.

Last week we shared the 9+ neutral paint colors that we tested for this space while searching for a warm, khaki-leaning neutral that avoided the cool grays of the last decade. Like many of you, we ultimately landed on Farrow & Ball Off-White (color-matched by Sherwin-Williams) and color-drenched the walls and trim using a sprayer (after about one million hours of caulking).

Zero regrets! Off-White is one of those quietly perfect colors that shifts throughout the day - sometimes leaning a little green, sometimes a touch of yellow - without ever feeling wrong. It’s timeless, calming, and incredibly forgiving, which makes it an ideal backdrop for a hardworking family bathroom. Most importantly, it lets the architecture, materials, and natural light do the talking instead of demanding attention. Just what we were hoping for!

psst: how to color match Farrow & Ball paint at Sherwin Williams or other competitors

Lighting: Finished, Layered & Soft

Lighting is one of those decisions that has to be made early - long before paneling or drywall go up. Getting the sconce placement right in this bathroom took a surprising amount of thought. Between the sloped ceilings, the vanity sitting over the stairway, and limited P-trap height below the sink, everything had to line up just right. The sconces needed to be centered perfectly on the sink, sit at a comfortable height, and work visually once the paneling and mirror were in place.

I drew this sconce layout out on paper nearly ten months ago (long before we did the rough-in electrical) and then we waited and hoped we got it all right. And now that everything is installed, I think we nailed it :) Seeing those early drawings translate exactly into the finished space is one of the most satisfying moments of the renovation so far!

We also added a simple overhead flush mount, planning around our short 7’ ceilings and sloped roofline during rough-in, and it’s a beaut. The unlacquered brass switch plate covers, on the other hand, were a later decision and yet somehow they’re one of my favorite details. Who knew switch plates could be so good?!

This bathroom isn’t in use yet, but standing in it now, with the lighting installed, the paint done, and the materials working together, I’m so thankful for all that early planning!

Salvaged Stone: The Soul of the Room

The countertop might be my favorite element in the entire bathroom!

We sourced this honed marble slab from a local architectural salvage shop after looking for weeks at all of our favorite stone yards and salvage shops in Seattle. This slab was previously used in a house as a kitchen island and we picked it up for $179 (it was labeled as quartzite but we’re 99% sure it’s marble). Garrett and I fabricated it ourselves last weekend between kids basketball games, and I am completely obsessed with the result. The surface is full of subtle scratches, small pits, and soft wear and just the loveliest patina if you’re into that kind of thing ;) The age and wear make it look like it’s been here forever, which is exactly what we wanted for this bathroom.

Honestly, I don’t know why salvaged stone isn’t more of a thing. Sure we all look for remnants and leftovers from jobs to save money, but stone that had a whole previous life in a house being used by actual people? Well that is something special. I could absolutely see a whole business built around finding and repurposing previously-loved stone countertops!

In case you’re interested in using something similar, here’s why I think salvaged stone worked so well in a house…

It doesn’t feel overly new or glossy
The patina adds instant depth, soul, and history to the space
It’s a fraction of the cost of new stone (leaving more budget for all the other surprises old houses throw your way 😉)
It balances crisp tile and paneling beautifully

This countertop proves, once again, that old materials often make the best finishing touches (in new or old houses!). This countertop grounds the room, softens the new elements, adds history, and quietly ties everything together in a way brand-new stone just couldn’t have!

Skylight: A giant Game-Changer

The skylight is in, and it has completely changed how this bathroom feels! Natural light has made this space brighter, calmer, and feeling larger. Plus it adds valuable head height over the end of the vanity. It’s improved everything about this bathroom!

We’ll share much more about the skylight decision and installation in a future post, but for now I’ll just say this: if you have the opportunity to add a skylight in a bathroom, it’s absolutely worth it!

Paneling: Old-House Texture Without Custom Millwork

The wall paneling was one of the most carefully considered decisions in this bathroom. We wanted an alternative to drywall that was beautiful and hearty and could hold its own against the tile and shinier finishes.

We landed on paint-grade paneling sourced from Home Depot, inspired by the beautiful, restrained paneling details in Gil Schafer’s interiors. It gives the room instant character and structure, while still feeling appropriate for a hardworking family bathroom.

We’ve gotten so many questions about this paneling already, so we’ll be sharing a full post soon with sources, spacing, proportions, and more!

panneling

Tile: A Classic Choice That Still Feels Right

The tile has been done for months but pulling up the protective floor masking after paint was one of those joyful renovation moments. We had selected a simple, affordable white octagon-and-dot tile for the floors, and seeing it uncovered again reminded me why we chose it in the first place. It’s classic without being boring and it plays beautifully with the paneling, the salvaged stone, the cast iron tub - all of it!

This is one of those decisions that felt safe at the time, but now feels deeply right. The tile grounds the room, adds a subtle hit of pattern, and gives everything else permission to shine. It’s proof that you don’t need a trendy or expensive tile to create a bathroom that feels thoughtful, timeless, and finished! Plus simple, historic patterns always age well.

Wall Tile, Floor tile, Marble Tile, Epoxy grout

psst: all about our grout color variation catastrophe (and how you can avoid it!)

Wall Tile, Floor tile, Marble Tile

Decisions We’re Still Sitting With

Not every decision is finalized early or picked perfectly the first time. A couple things we’re still working on…

the Mirror

We ordered a mirror we LOVE we thought would be perfect, but once it was up, it just didn’t feel right. It projected too far over the faucet, and in an area with this much attention to dimensions, the mirror has to work. So we’re regrouping and looking again. Here are a couple we’re considering…

Mirror 1, Mirror 2

A tiled Backsplash?

We’re still debating a small backsplash behind the sink. We hadn’t really planned one, in large part because we didn’t know what the countertop material would be until last month, and no backsplash is definitely an option with a good caulk line. But I’ve also been playing with the idea of Delft tiles, which are having a moment for sure but are just so lovely. I printed out a few tiles on cardstock to get a feel for them. I’m going to live with them for a bit to see if they feel like the right amount of pattern and personality - or feel like too much. Time (and a few mornings of staring at it with coffee) will tell. Thoughts?

replica Delft tiles (antique option)

Renovations are really just a series of decisions layered on top of each other and when you’re in the thick of it (around decision number 1,482 😉), it can feel overwhelming. But seeing your choices come together is one of the most satisfying parts of the process. It’s also incredibly reassuring to realize that the time, thought, and care poured into each step really does matter.

More soon!

Thanks to are awesome partners on this project: Rejuvenation, Dal Tile, Velux, and Arauco. Products were carefully picked by us and kindly gifted (this post isn’t sponsored).

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