Mid-Century Modern Duo: A Bathroom Designed for Two – Des Moines, IA

The Setup

What was once a dated and inefficient bathroom — filled with beige tones and chrome fixtures — was transformed into a sleek, modern space that reflects the couple’s unique and individual styles. They came to us wanting a design that felt timeless yet completely original, ensuring this 72 SF space was uniquely theirs.

Emily Kreber (Design Director at City Design, Iowa – a Drury Design company) was tasked with creating a truly custom environment. The couple’s affinity for mid-century modern design and the blue tones found throughout their home became the foundation of the new palette. Their vision was a space that balanced cool, calming hues with natural warmth, geometric details, and a streamlined layout.

Each partrner also had their own design preferences. He gravitated toward gold plumbing fixtures and a specific tile, while she had her eye on more matte finishes and black fixtures for her side of the room. The challenge was to honor both perspectives while maintaining a cohesive and elegant overall look. Every detail was very thoughtfully analyzed and selected.

Design Objectives:

• Create a bathroom that functioned better day-to-day, especially the shower, while aligning with the couple’s love of mid-century modern design.
• Incorporate blue tones, which are prevalent throughout the home, as the foundation of the color palette.
• Balance the couple’s distinct tastes: his preference for gold fixtures and specific tile, and her preference for matte finishes and black fixtures.
• Ensure every detail is thoughtfully analyzed and selected to achieve a cohesive and elegant overall look.

Design Challenges:

• A key challenge in this space was the existing skylight, where moisture had caused peeling paint, revealing underlying ventilation issues that needed to be addressed.
• The design had to successfully honor two distinct aesthetic preferences — gold versus black, matte versus polished — while maintaining visual harmony.
• The bathroom required a complete overhaul of its plumbing and fixtures to enhance performance and comfort, making the shower experience a top priority.

Design Solutions:

• Skylight System Correction: The skylight area was completely rethought with improved ventilation, ensuring that the new finishes remain beautiful and durable for years to come. High-functioning plumbing fixtures were selected for the shower to deliver both style and performance.
• Custom Design Harmony: The couple’s individual styles were thoughtfully combined to complement one another and achieve balance. This was accomplished by dedicating fixtures to specific areas: Matte Black Delta & Brizo plumbing fixtures were used widely, with a striking Gold faucet featured on the husband’s vanity.
• Aesthetic Pairing: To create a space that felt both modern and timeless, we paired the rich navy wall tile (Virginia Tile) with warm, custom kiss curl woodgrain laminate cabinetry and a sophisticated Saratoga Silver (honed) granite countertop. Clean lines and subtle geometric influences tie the look back to the home’s mid-century modern themes.

Final Thoughts:

Emily is a strong believer that a finished space should be a reflection of the homeowners themselves, which was a strong theme with this bathroom. This project proves that great design can incorporate diverse personal preferences into a single, cohesive vision. Every surface material and every detail was analyzed deeply. The white tile has 9 different patterns that were laid out intricately by the tile installer to ensure there weren’t two of the same pattern next to each other.

The result is a space that is modern, warm, and uniquely theirs — designed not only for beauty and performance, but also for personal expression.