Kim Scholl wanted her bathroom to reflect her family’s relaxed Up North lifestyle and to echo the circa-1900 summer homes that surround her Petoskey neighborhood. When she sketched out her ideas with kitchen and bath designer Dawn Whyte of Lake Street Design Studio, the result was classic cottage.
The vanity
After Whyte drew legs on the sketch of the vanity to make it look like a piece of antique furniture rather than just a cabinet, Scholl knew they were honing in on the right look. The pair decided on a model from the StarMark Custom series. The tapered feet and maple Milan doors are so clean-lined and honest, the piece might have been hand-built in Northern Michigan a century ago. With “his” and “her” sections and a nook in the middle for sitting and doing makeup, the vanity precisely matches the look and function Scholl desired. The creamy Durango limestone countertops have a honed finish. The sinks are Ladena undercounter by Kohler. The distressed glass knobs are from Anthropologie.
The mirrors
An artist friend gave Scholl picture frames for the mirrors. “They are ornate, and I liked the contrast with the simplicity of the rest of the room,” she says. Scholl painted the frames black gloss, then had Skip’s Petoskey Glass install the mirrors.
The floor
Cream and white polished marble mosaic tiles are a classic foundation for a cottage bathroom. The light marble is Botticino, the dark marble is Nero Marquinia and the pattern is Canestro by Artistic Tile, from Tilestone Imports in Traverse City. In-floor radiant heat keeps the marble warm in winter.
The faucets
Scholl used chrome-finished Delta Victorian faucets throughout her home because she likes their genteel, old-fashioned feel. The sink faucets are Delta Victorian Widespread. The tub faucet is Delta Victorian Roman Tub.
The tub
Scholl wanted to be sure her six-foot-tall husband would be comfortable in the tub. So he went to the showroom and tried them out. The Mariposa whirlpool by Kohler proved the perfect fit.
The curtains
Scholl made the curtains out of white cotton and trimmed them with two rows of black grosgrain ribbon. Their demi size lets in the light but still offers privacy.
The chairs
Scholl purchased the white chair from Lake Street Design Studio and uses it when she wants the room to feel bright and cottagey. She picked up the black chair (left) at a Petoskey consignment shop and had it covered in black velvet—perfect to use for dressing up for a night out.
The paint
Purple. Classic yet fresh. Luxurious and relaxing. Out of all the color selections in her home, the bathroom wall paint was the easiest for Scholl. The chosen shade: Benjamin Moore’s Queen’s Wreath (1426) in a stain-resistant matte finish – a must because the Scholls have two small children.
The cottage board
Five-inch-wide cottage board picks up the simple handmade look of the cabinets. Scholl liked the generous feeling of extending it two-thirds of the way up the wall—farther than traditional wainscoting.
The lingerie chest
Scholl says the pale aqua chest in the otherwise white and purple room was a happy afterthought. “It was a piece from our old house. I thought I’d try it here—and I liked it,” she says.
Home Resources
Builder
J.R. Construction, Petoskey, 231-347-6518
Architect
Shoreline Architecture & Design, Petoskey, 231-348-3303
Kitchen and Bath Design
Lake Street Design Studio, Designs by Dawn, 231-347-1977
Vanity
Star mark Cabinetry, through Lake Street Design Studios
Tile
Artistic Tile, Â through Tilestone Imports, Traverse City. 231-929-709
Faucets
Delta
Chairs
White chair, Lake Street Design Studio, Petoskey, 231-347-1977
Black chair, Then & Now Antiques and Consignment House, Petoskey, 231-348-6170
Mirror
Skip’s Petoskey Glass, Petoskey, 231-347-7840
Tub
Mariposa whirlpool by Kohler
This article was first published in March 2007.