Dark tiles, warm wood accent, graphic flooring and hits of white touches make this bathroom a cool, contemporary space.

The third-floor master bathroom in designer Shirley Meisels’s mid-town Toronto home was meant to be. After moving into the 100-year-old Edwardian house with her family several years ago, she gave the interior a facelift and decided to create a master suite on the third floor. It was previously a big, open family room and bedroom. “We used the footprint of the bedroom as our bathroom,” says Shirley. “The previous owners had actually already plumbed it in hopes they would one day create a bathroom there, so we got lucky.” In the spacious area, it was easy to design the eclectic, modern and edgy space Shirley envisioned.

A mix of patterns, textures and neutral colours (the warm wood tones with crisp black, grey and white) adds depth. The contemporary walnut vanity has slim metal legs to make it look like furniture and provide an edgy aesthetic; its thick acrylic countertop, which has integrated sinks, feels substantial. Niches in the wall behind the mirrors provide handy storage, and a Jonathan Adler sconce lends glamour to the space.

Tucked under the eaves, the master bathroom’s sloped ceiling offers both cozy architectural character and a few challenges. “We tested all sorts of different configurations to see what would get us the best flow, and it made the most sense to put the stand-alone tub under the eaves,” says designer Shirley Meisels. Pulling it out from the wall allowed for the necessary head clearance, and a floor-mounted faucet takes advantage of the plumbing underneath the floor. “I didn’t want to have to build out a wall to accommodate a wall-mounted faucet,” she says.