From Tiles to Tranquility: Our Modern Japanese Inspired Bathroom

Japandi
HDB (Resale)
~1,200 sqft
3 br
Couple Living with Kids

Hi all! We’re back with Season 9 and excited to cover rooms and details we haven’t shared before. This time, it’s all about before & after of our master bathroom. We completely re-tiled the space and went with a warm, woody modern Japanese-inspired interior — a look we absolutely love. At one point, we considered installing a bathtub, but in the end, we decided against it as we were concerned about the long-term maintenance.
We’ve experimented with a few different lights in the bathroom to set different moods and vibes.
The existing box-up above the vanity was replaced with plasterboard and finished with a wood-textured microcement material. Although the end result wasn’t as realistic as we had hoped, it still blends in nicely and matches the overall look.
- #BathroomInspiration
Deciding on the tile colour, texture, and layout was a really time-consuming process. There were so many details to think about — like how to transition between the parquet flooring and the bathroom tiles. Since we wanted to use a wooden door for the bathroom, we also had to make sure it wouldn’t land on any wet surfaces to avoid water damage.
My husband wanted to incorporate some microcement material in the shower area too, so we made a few adjustments. The black section you see is microcement, and the shelves are actually made from black granite tiles — they look quite similar, don’t they? Over time, we haven’t been washing it regularly, so it’s started to look a bit rough and “dirty” — kind of like how natural stone tends to look over time 😅
- #BathroomDetails
Overall, we’re quite happy with the end result. However, there are still a few things that bother me — like how the lighting feels a bit too bright due to the current position of the cove light. Luckily, we have a few different light sources in the bathroom, so I can always switch things up if I want a more dim, cozy vibe. And yes… I still want my bathtub 😅 Maybe next time!
- #woody
- #WarmSpaces
We absolutely love this microcement in a travertine pattern — it really looks like real stone, doesn’t it? 😄 That’s all for this week’s post! I’ll be sharing more details in the next one. I hope the information we’ve shared can help those of you who are planning to renovate your bathroom!