This bathroom renovation in Ottawa began with an unexpected source of inspiration: an Etsy print the clients already owned and loved, titled “Le Homard Saint-Malo.”
“That’s actually the best kind of starting point,” says Kate DuBois, co-founder and principal of Studio Alter. “Something real, already in their life, that points you in the right direction.”
Kate runs Studio Alter alongside co-founder and principal designer Xenia Rose, and the firm is known for creating thoughtful rooms just like this. For the bathroom, it only made sense to lean into the whimsy of the artwork, transforming an everyday space into a cheerful postcard from somewhere sunny.
The family had just welcomed their fourth baby. “The bathroom sits as a Jack and Jill between two of the boys’ rooms, so it needed to hold up to actual kid use while still feeling considered,” Xenia notes. “They wanted color, personality, and something that wouldn’t feel too young as the kids grew. Pretty much our ideal brief!”
A full remodel ensued. “We took it from layout all the way through construction management,” Kate shares. “Design, selections, procurement, the whole thing. We managed this renovation through full construction—we love watching our projects come to life!”
The custom butter-yellow vanity from House of Fine Carpentry is the piece people notice first. “It’s a great color and the turned legs from Pretty Pegs give it that furniture feel we were going for,” Xenia says. “The wavy blue-grey mirrors from HVS Home add the right amount of playfulness without being loud about it.”
The designers also created a custom, hand-drawn wallpaper featuring swimmers and beachgoers, which was manufactured through Spoonflower. “We paired it with deep red beadboard wainscoting below, which sounds like a lot, but the marble trim tile from Calacatta Tile between them really pulls it together,” Kate explains. “The Triple Seven Home sconce in red ties the whole color story back down to earth.”
With red, butter yellow, dusty blue, and a pattern-heavy wallpaper all sharing the space, the designers admit balance was essential. “We were deliberate about where each color landed and how the materials layered so it felt rich rather than chaotic,” they say. “Honestly though, this was a smooth one—the clients had good instincts and we trusted each other throughout.”
The result is a bathroom that’s equal parts playful and polished. Take a closer look in the slideshow.
