Master Bath, Before and After

After our three-part series in May, June, and July, you might be fatigued from reading about bathrooms. It might remind you of the time you were cornered by a co-worker at the office party who was droning on about his favorite fly-fishing spots, lures, and waders. You don't have to politely nod along with us and pray for a power outage. It's ok to check back next month. We understand. 

At the risk of boring our readers with oh-another-bathroom-yawn-did-you-see-the-Bears-have-a-new-quarterback, we think the updated classic style of this bathroom turned out well. Although this bathroom presented a couple challenges, it led to one of our favorite results.

We started with an irregular layout and somewhat smaller than average footprint in which to hold a shower, separate tub, double-bowl vanity, and toilet. Two of the four walls were exterior walls, and there was no attractive opportunity to expand into the master bedroom. Second, the shower was raised due to the stairwell beneath it. A recessed medicine cabinet opposite the plumbing wall created a barrier between the vanity and shower; this was an instance where nine inches made an outsized difference. Removing this wall was the key to improving the feel and function of the shower. 

As a side note, if you or anybody else makes reference to your "prison shower", it's probably time to consider an upgrade. That's no way to start your morning.

In addition to opening the shower, we installed an eye-catching tile on one wall and improved the lighting. Below is a closer look.

Asian Carrara tile with Cadet Blue geometric pattern. Nickel Silver Raindome by Laura Kirar for Kallista.

The existing country-style vanity, mirror, fixtures, and 4x4 ceramic floor tile were replaced with new cabinetry, pendant lights, medicine cabinets, plumbing, and tile.   

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The old tub was rarely used and created a dead zone next to the vanity.

The old tub with an unusable cavern at one end, covered by an unusable vanity top. Wasted space in this footprint was a big drawback.     

The new tub and functional cabinetry. The country curtains were replaced with light-softening semi-opaque shades.  

Custom skirt for tub deck, color matched to the vanity and wainscot on opposite wall, and a quartz deck surround. 

We don't think there's anything ho-hum about this bathroom. The composition of materials and color in this compact bathroom sits well with us, and we're delighted to know that our client enjoys the bath regularly. 

Of course there are challenges, and we owe a great debt to a trusting client who let us solve them with an eye towards enhancing the form and function. Around the time we dismantled the original bathroom, we walked past a mural that reminded us of what is possible.

A reminder when you encounter the small and irregular, among others.

The Great Outdoors

We spend plenty of time inside homes, so it's always a refreshing change of pace to enjoy some build-time outside. Creating a 17' x 15' custom deck for a former West-coast family makes the Summer work days even better.

The backyard had one mature maple tree located 14 feet from back door, and the plans called for us to build the deck around it.  The rear of the house had a number of old windows that we needed to replace. The back of the house received a face-lift with new windows, exterior lights, doors, and stucco to match the other three sides of the structure. 

In order to access the deck from the kitchen, we removed a bank of windows and installed a sliding door.

The clients wanted room for  outdoor dining, leading to a deck that extended beyond the maple tree. Our carpenter carefully scribed the cedar planks to the shape of the tree trunk (nicely done, sir!). Just beyond the tree is the 12 foot bench facing the house with built-in LED lights below. 

A view of the rear of the house and a second bench, this one facing the backyard. The large canopy of the maple tree provides ample shade.

A view of the finished deck with all new MARVIN windows, planter box, pendant lighting, and door. The transformer for the deck lighting is hidden inside the planter box.

The scale of this project almost qualifies as a mini-addition to the house, and we like the way it's connected to the paved patio and green space. It was a fun project, and we expect it will see plenty of use. We hope this family enjoys many good times with new friends on their new deck!  

A Laundry Room, Elevated

Readers of this blog might remember that we are fans of second floor laundry whenever possible. It's a high-value improvement we can make in older homes, especially compared to basement laundry machines (next to the box of stuff you didn't sort out since two moves ago, your mother-in-law's upholstered chair, and the mechanicals of the home).

If the thought of carrying multiple loads of laundry up several flights of stairs no longer excites you, read on.

Our client's home had a walk-in storage closet between two bedrooms, perfectly suited for a new laundry room. The basement laundry machines were approaching the end of their lives. Drudgery was winning.

Below are pictures of the recently completed 2nd floor laundry.  

Goodbye to a single-purpose storage room, and hello to a multi-function laundry room. Cabinetry for storage on the left, with stackable full-size laundry machines and sink on the right.

I wish we had thought of this, but credit goes to the client for the beverage refrigerator and coffee maker. That is brilliant work in the anti-drudgery department. 

Eliminating the closet doesn't mean the need for storage disappears. Full extension pull-outs add useful capacity in the tall cabinet.

A deep utility sink and drying rack next to the laundry machines. 

No longer a closed storage room, it was time to reclaim the natural light with a new 10-lite glass door.

It's rewarding to convert some routine task into an entirely better experience for a client. Changing the space is one way to upend the ordinary. We're very happy to help this client transform a former closet into one of her favorite rooms.   

Bathroom Series, 3 of 3

We were recently approached to build a contemporary master bathroom for a client who works in the hotel/resort industry. At first sight, our client's existing bathroom was spacious . . and let's just say it was of a specific era. More on that later. 

Anyhow, we were excited about the possibilities, and we knew right away that no ordinary master bathroom was going to cut it. One priority was a large bath tub which we positioned under the expansive windows.     

Hello, lovely. I often say I don't have time to take a bath. I would make an exception for this tub. 

Along with the windows, the skylight was one rare feature we preserved when we demolished this bathroom. We are major fans of natural light in our projects, and we added recessed lighting for low light conditions.  

We widened the standard-width entry for visual effect. Our primary goal was to create the tranquil space our client wanted and simultaneously fit the lean design of the mid-century modern home. This picture was taken from the bedroom entrance during the early evening.     

The early afternoon light pours in, and comparing this with the preceding picture underscores how much natural light changes the character of the room in the same day.

A view of the floating vanity opposite the shower, unadorned by hardware and matched to the spare simplicity of the bathroom.

The spacious new shower measures 6' x 4' with a bench, and it features modern hardware with a linear drain. 

You might be wondering what this bathroom looked like before the renovation. It was a well-preserved specimen from approximately 1978-1982. This era of bathrooms was truly unfortunate. Don't say we didn't warn you.

The client found the original marketing material that came with the tub. This is just your average picture of two couples hanging out in the whirlpool tub, enjoying some food and drinks on a floating cutting board. I hear the Bee Gees crooning "How Deep is Your Love" when I see this picture. That pretty much explains everything.  

We can't get enough of the period-specific marketing materials. Brass poles for disco night. Or maybe those posts are holding up the ceiling. Does the model look relaxed or afraid for her life in this picture? Is this tub in a green house? We have so many questions. 

Ahh, there it is. The largest indoor tub we've ever removed. This is the very same tub from the brochure, mounted on a 10' long platform deck. Don't pay attention to the icky shag carpet on the floor of the bathroom. If you have carpet in your master bathroom, you can contact us for fast-track counseling. No judgement at all. It happens to the best of us. We'll work through it, together.

Another view of the maroon whirlpool tub. Unicorn beer floaters speak to the client's sense of humor about this situation. The previous homeowners had installed a separate 75 gallon water heater solely for the purpose of filling this koi pond. Our client's dog, Nelly, looks on curiously at these reminders of human folly.

The vanity. At night, the bathroom was dimly lit, and it was easy to think that you were deep inside the fruit with James and the Giant Peach. All of the proportions in this bathroom were wrong. Quite wrong.     

More peach goodness right here, along with different kinds of flooring (but no carpet?!), the small shower, and the mauve toilet.

Check out the full wall of smoky mirrored glass for ambience. Farewell, carpet and tub. We had to use a reciprocal saw to take you out in pieces. We'll always have these pictures and the marketing brochure for memories. 

In addition to the abundant natural light, the other advantage was the spacious footprint that allowed us to create the master bathroom our client wanted. This bathroom is one of our top examples of the "less is more" philosophy in bathroom design. We found the results very satisfying: an oasis our client can enjoy every day.