Bathroom Series, 1 of 3

We received some positive feedback about our Winnetka Colonial Chronicles, and we've been on something of a bathroom bonanza, so we decided to present three recently completed bathrooms as a series. This is the first of three, a guest bathroom in need of a refresh.

We'll start with the "before" pics:

Ah, the carefree days when 4x4 square tile and white grout was used liberally all over the bathroom. Simpler times.

Ah, the carefree days when 4x4 square tile and white grout was used liberally all over the bathroom. Simpler times.

The shower was long, but it lacked storage and a bench. The chunky chrome frame was a dominant feature in the bathroom.

The shower was long, but it lacked storage and a bench. The chunky chrome frame was a dominant feature in the bathroom.

And now the "after" pics:

The new bathroom exchanges the short pedestal sink for a full-height black vanity with storage, the polished chrome for warmer tones, and the ongoing maintenance of white grout for charcoal. 

The new bathroom exchanges the short pedestal sink for a full-height black vanity with storage, the polished chrome for warmer tones, and the ongoing maintenance of white grout for charcoal. 

Black & white doesn't have to be old-fashioned or overtly masculine. Here we used an elongated white subway tile to update a classic look and softened the visuals with a decorative backsplash.

Black & white doesn't have to be old-fashioned or overtly masculine. Here we used an elongated white subway tile to update a classic look and softened the visuals with a decorative backsplash.

Extending the tile to the ceiling draws the eye up, and frameless glass removes the visual weight of the shower enclosure. 

Extending the tile to the ceiling draws the eye up, and frameless glass removes the visual weight of the shower enclosure. 

The addition of a small bench and shower niche adds comfort and storage for a more functional shower.

The addition of a small bench and shower niche adds comfort and storage for a more functional shower.

In some ways, this updated bathroom is a nod to classic bathrooms of the past. We like the use of easy maintenance materials, improved functionality, and crisp lines--and we hope our client's guests appreciate it, too. It's a great pleasure work with clients who entrust us with the design of these projects, and we hope this bathroom serves their family and guests well for a long time.

We'll tour a completely different bathroom in the following Bathroom Series, 2 of 3. Cheers!

 

 

 

Mudroom Misery to Mastery

In my fantasy life, I will print my official title on my business card as Head Mistress of the Mudroom. Clutter shall be tamed. None of my peeps will ask me where their snow boots are with as many as eleven seconds to spare before we must leave for school. One tranquil morning will follow another.   

In this life, I'm satisfied to help another mom bring a measure of order to the mudroom chaos. She had reached her limit with the builder-grade room connected to the rear entry of their home. It was obviously a low-priority item when the home was constructed, as if the builder decided that something had to be placed next to the rear door. This is something, so let's do it. Shoes and coats overwhelmed the space. Hats and gloves went missing.

It was mudroom misery and time to rethink that default decision made years ago.  

We started by demolishing a partial wall that interfered with the layout, redoing the electrical, and replacing the old floor with 12x24 porcelain tile to withstand the weather, dog, and an active family. We then installed custom cubbies along one wall with a quartz bench for durability and easy cleaning.

Each child has a cubby with space below for shoes, a drawer, coat hooks, and a backpack hook. The mix of open and closed storage provides easy access and flexibility for storing seasonal items. Each cubby also has an outlet with USB ports. Buil…

Each child has a cubby with space below for shoes, a drawer, coat hooks, and a backpack hook. The mix of open and closed storage provides easy access and flexibility for storing seasonal items. Each cubby also has an outlet with USB ports. Built-in storage boxes for tablets, phones, and laptops keep the electronic devices safe and in place while charging. 

We needed to account for extra footwear for adults and kids, plus pet food and accessories for the family dog, so we looked to the opposite wall for a good storage solution.

Three levels of extra storage for footwear allow for quick rotation when the weather turns. The top drawer contains leashes, collars, and dog toys for Molly while the bottom drawer holds her food. The quartz countertop and placement near the rear do…

Three levels of extra storage for footwear allow for quick rotation when the weather turns. The top drawer contains leashes, collars, and dog toys for Molly while the bottom drawer holds her food. The quartz countertop and placement near the rear door was designed as a landing zone to handle car keys, cell phones, and groceries. 

Finally, we installed a full length mirror, baskets for homework, clock, and magnetic white board. 

We framed the mirror and white board to match the cabinetry, each child has a school basket, and the whiteboard is a convenient messaging companion to all of the devices in our digital world. 

We framed the mirror and white board to match the cabinetry, each child has a school basket, and the whiteboard is a convenient messaging companion to all of the devices in our digital world. 

A functional mudroom is an important feature for many families as we mentioned last year in The Humble Mudroom on the Rise. It might be too much to ask for one tranquil morning after another, but builder-grade blah did not rise to the challenge for this family. This mudroom is now set up for the kids, adults, and Molly, too. We hope it serves them well for a very long time.   

 

  

       

Winnetka Colonial Chronicles, Part 8

Hooray! We crossed the finish line on this Winnetka Colonial before it finished us. We've spent months ripping it apart and carefully rebuilding it. This house is now ready to serve many more years. If you want to read more about this odyssey, check out Winnetka Colonial Chronicles Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Odyssey seems like the right word to describe this project. There was more joy than pain on this winding road. We are no nuttier today than we were at the start, so that also goes in the win column. It helps to find some pleasure in untangling those problems that inevitably pop up in vintage homes. It also helps that we we blocked out all of the hideous details from our memories. Who even remembers that happened? Not us.

The scars have healed. Now we can exhale and conclude with a look at the first floor. 

We refinished the hardwood floors with a custom stain, replaced the baseboard, and installed crown molding. The traditional center entry stairwell was stabilized and reinforced.

The typically oversized living room is always a bit tricky in colonial homes of this age, but we added lighting to complement the natural light from the large windows and refinished the fireplace which had previously featured painted brick. 

One way to reduce the "bowling alley" effect of the large colonial living room is to create some visual separation. In this example, we added french doors and a coffered ceiling to separate the study from the living room. We also added a passage to the kitchen to improve the flow of the house.

Another view of the study. The tightly compartmentalized floor plans of older homes are often incompatible with how families live today, so it's common to merge small spaces that are closed off and divide other spaces that are unusually large. 

Before: the old wall separating the kitchen from the dining room.

Before: the old kitchen.

The kitchen was a prime example of adapting the layout to today's family: small, dark and closed off by a wall where the refrigerator is now, the new kitchen benefitted from a more spacious expansion, as well as new appliances, cabinetry, and lighting.

A good layout is vital because so much of family life occurs in or near the kitchen. If possible, we like to make kitchens comfortable for two or more people to work together. Pathway widths of 44" between range and island and 46" between sink and island are shown here. An eight foot island ensures plenty of counter space for food prep and seating for four.

A small powder room is a fun challenge, and there is some limit to what can be done in a 44" x 44" room once the toilet is installed. The dramatic Farrow & Ball wallpaper created a dragged-paint effect and accentuates the height of the bathroom. 

Down-on-their-luck properties with the promise of a brighter future can test a homeowner to the core, no doubt. But the final results can be extraordinarily satisfying. We hope you enjoyed the Winnetka Colonial Chronicles, and thank you for spending some time in The Attic. Please don't hesitate to contact us if we can assist you with any of your renovation projects. 

Odds & Ends

Overheard:

Me: client wants a new custom table for her kitchen, but it should look distressed.

Husband: we could send our kids over there for 48 hours. That should do it.

Me: she only needs the table distressed. Not the whole house. 

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We received a Best of Houzz 2017 in the category of Client Satisfaction. Many thanks to our clients who made this recognition possible! 

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Readers might remember that we recently completed a custom wine cellar for our clients, and we also finished the corresponding wet bar for them:

Wine cellar and wet bar, together at last. The ejector pit is concealed behind door number 3. That's a combination we can toast.

Wine cellar and wet bar, together at last. The ejector pit is concealed behind door number 3. That's a combination we can toast.

March is shaping up for us with some super bathroom renovations, and we're looking forward to sharing the transformations with you. Happy (almost) Spring!

 

 

Remodeling and Home Design