SPLASH WORKS

Steal these seven trends from designer Jillian Harris’s hotel-inspired guest bathroom.

Seven trends from designer Jillian Harris’s hotel- inspired guest bathroom

Designer and V star Jillian Harris

isn’t usually short on inspiration. The bright West Kelowna, B.C., split-level home she shares with partner Justin Pasutto and their two young children looks like it has been torn from the pages of a magazine (and it has indeed been featured in Style at Home’s July, September and October 2018 issues). But when it came to decorating the guest bathroom – which also serves as a pool change room in summer – after the dramatic reno of the rest of her 3,500-square-foot home, Jillian actually drew a blank.

The 10-month reno had significantly enlarged this level’s only bathroom (“It used to be a super tiny powder room with a pocket door, one in which you could barely sit down because your knees hit the wall,” says Jillian), but other than that, it was a clean slate.

After weeks of pondering the space, Jillian finally had a light bulb moment when she fell in love with a vintagelook metal-framed glass shower stall her design team had created for a house they featured on her TV show, Love It or List It! Vancouver. Then, on Pinterest, she spotted a floor done in penny-round tiles with words spelled out in it, and her design planning gained momentum.

“I wanted the bathroom to have a New York loft or hotel look with a vintage edge,” she says. “Guests should feel like they’re on vacation when they use the space.”

The result – which wasn’t in place until a year later – is an interesting hybrid of utility and style. It’s a no-nonsense wet room that can stand up to hordes of pool guests during the warmer months as well as serve as a charming retro-inspired space for visitors year-round. It’s nostalgic and innately friendly, which is an anchor of Jillian’s signature style.

The edgy black-metal-framed shower enclosure was the jumping-off point for Jillian’s bathroom design. Reminiscent of old-school factory windows, it establishes a chic vintage New York loft vibe. Penny-round tiles customized with a border and a playful word (shown left) counter the space’s serious look. “Scrub” is not only a reference to what happens in a bathroom but also the name of partner Justin Pasutto’s boat-detailing company.

ABOVE Framed faux coral and a trio of Turkish towels deliver an unexpected exotic vibe.

Cloud Cover OC-25 WALL PAINT, Benjamin Moore; TRIM, BASEBOARDS, Metrie; SINK, FAUCETS, SHOWER HEAD, TOWEL BAR, Kohler; FLOOR TILES, SHOWER ENCLOSURE TILES, Olympia Tile + Stone; SHOWER LEDGES & SEAT SURFACE, Caesarstone Canada; SHOWER DOOR HANDLE, Emtek; A rustic cousin to the apronfront sink, the enamelled cast iron trough sink is a throwback that builds on the shower’s converted-loft aesthetic. Simple gooseneck faucets drive home the look and echo the curves of the porthole-style mirror, a fresh take on the typically oval or rectangular piece. ABOVE

“I fell in love with the handglazed white ceramic shower tile,” says Jillian. “It’s really inexpensive, but so beautiful. It gives the room so much texture – and that luxe hotel feel I wanted.” BELOW