The Clients brief was to take a tired 90's style bathroom and give it some bizazz. While we have not been able to travel the last couple of years the client wanted this space to remind her or places she had been and cherished.

This lovely bathroom has everything that represents good design: well balanced; functional; aesthetically pleasing, interesting and individual; good use of space; and not only meeting, but exceeding, the clients' brief. The carefully chosen floor and feature wall tiles add a definite individual stamp, and allude to perhaps an art deco or retro mood. The room would be simply just another white bathroom without them. The white and black of the tiles is reflected in the selection of the white wall tiles and black tapware and accessories. The monochrome theme is then softened and made more inviting by the addition of the timber vanity with its fluted basins. The pretty mirrors are the touch of genius here, defying the straight lines elsewhere, and asserting their style on the whole. Successfully blending styles, shapes, colours and textures is the key to a result that supersedes the ordinary and says: 'This is my space'. The right advice and professional knowhow, including correct execution (note the beautiful tiling by our talented tilers), is also essential to ensure a polished designer-look. It is very much worth your time to carefully consider and select each individual element, ensuring that each one is of the highest quality within your budget. This will ensure a pleasing long-lasting look, no matter the whims of fashion.

Main Ensuite - double vanity with pill shaped mirrors all custom designed. Textured Dulux suede effect to lower dado with Dulux Grey Encounter to walls and ceiling. Skirting and architraves painted charcoal to highlight and frame.

Inspiration for a large beach style master bathroom in Geelong with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, an open shower, green tile, ceramic tile, porcelain floors, a pedestal sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, an open shower, white benchtops and a freestanding vanity.

apaiser Reflections Basins in the main bathroom at Sikata House, The Vela Properties in Byron Bay, Australia. Designed by The Designory | Photography by The Quarter Acre

Kat Alves-Photography
Small country bathroom in Sacramento with black cabinets, an open shower, a one-piece toilet, multi-coloured tile, stone tile, white walls, marble floors, an undermount sink, marble benchtops, flat-panel cabinets and a freestanding vanity.

VISION AND NEEDS: Our client came to us with a vision for their family dream house that offered adequate space and a lot of character. They were drawn to the traditional form and contemporary feel of a Modern Farmhouse. MCHUGH SOLUTION: In showing multiple options at the schematic stage, the client approved a traditional L shaped porch with simple barn-like columns. The entry foyer is simple in it's two-story volume and it's mono-chromatic (white & black) finishes. The living space which includes a kitchen & dining area - is an open floor plan, allowing natural light to fill the space.VISION AND NEEDS: Our client came to us with a vision for their family dream house that offered adequate space and a lot of character. They were drawn to the traditional form and contemporary feel of a Modern Farmhouse. MCHUGH SOLUTION: In showing multiple options at the schematic stage, the client approved a traditional L shaped porch with simple barn-like columns. The entry foyer is simple in it's two-story volume and it's mono-chromatic (white & black) finishes. The living space which includes a kitchen & dining area - is an open floor plan, allowing natural light to fill the space.

Penny Round Tile
Photo of a small beach style 3/4 bathroom in Hawaii with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a one-piece toilet, blue tile, ceramic tile, blue walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, a shower curtain, white benchtops, a single vanity and a freestanding vanity.

the client decided to eliminate the bathtub and install a large shower with partial fixed shower glass instead of a shower door
Photo of a mid-sized transitional master bathroom in Other with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, an open shower, a one-piece toilet, gray tile, ceramic tile, grey walls, mosaic tile floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, an open shower, grey benchtops, a shower seat, a double vanity, a freestanding vanity and decorative wall panelling.

Each of the two custom vanities provide plenty of space for personal items as well as storage. Brushed gold mirrors, sconces, sink fittings, and hardware shine bright against the neutral grey wall and dark brown vanities.

Photo by Roehner + Ryan
Inspiration for a country master bathroom in Phoenix with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, a curbless shower, gray tile, porcelain tile, concrete floors, an integrated sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, an open shower, white benchtops, a niche, a double vanity and a freestanding vanity.

The master bathroom is large with plenty of built-in storage space and double vanity. The countertops carry on from the kitchen. A large freestanding tub sits adjacent to the window next to the large stand-up shower. The floor is a dark great chevron tile pattern that grounds the lighter design finishes.

Image of Guest Bathroom. In this high contrast bathroom the dark Navy Blue vanity and shower wall tile installed in chevron pattern pop off of this otherwise neutral, white space. The white grout helps to accentuate the tile pattern on the blue accent wall in the shower for more interest.

Small midcentury bathroom in Portland with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a one-piece toilet, white tile, ceramic tile, grey walls, porcelain floors, a vessel sink, engineered quartz benchtops, white floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, a niche, a single vanity and a freestanding vanity.

A stunning minimal primary bathroom features marble herringbone shower tiles, hexagon mosaic floor tiles, and niche. We removed the bathtub to make the shower area larger. Also features a modern floating toilet, floating quartz shower bench, and custom white oak shaker vanity with a stacked quartz countertop. It feels perfectly curated with a mix of matte black and brass metals. The simplicity of the bathroom is balanced out with the patterned marble floors.

This guest bathroom was transformed into a whole new configuration. Included was a new soaking tub & shower enclosure. The wall to wall, horizontal, white tile was installed to look like shiplap. This included the painstaking task of two different grout colors to help hide the transitions, and make it look more like true, wood, shiplap.

This existing sleeping porch was reworked into a stunning Mid Century bathroom complete with geometric shapes that add interest and texture. Rich woods add warmth to the black and white tiles. Wood tile was installed on the shower walls and pick up on the wood vanity and Asian-inspired custom built armoire.

An Arts & Crafts Bungalow is one of my favorite styles of homes. We have quite a few of them in our Stockton Mid-Town area. And when C&L called us to help them remodel their 1923 American Bungalow, I was beyond thrilled. As per usual, when we get a new inquiry, we quickly Google the project location while we are talking to you on the phone. My excitement escalated when I saw the Google Earth Image of the sweet Sage Green bungalow in Mid-Town Stockton. "Yes, we would be interested in working with you," I said trying to keep my cool. But what made it even better was meeting C&L and touring their home, because they are the nicest young couple, eager to make their home period perfect. Unfortunately, it had been slightly molested by some bad house-flippers, and we needed to bring the bathroom back to it "roots." We knew we had to banish the hideous brown tile and cheap vanity quickly. But C&L complained about the condensation problems and the constant fight with mold. This immediately told me that improper remodeling had occurred and we needed to remedy that right away. The Before: Frustrations with a Botched Remodel The bathroom needed to be brought back to period appropriate design with all the functionality of a modern bathroom. We thought of things like marble countertop, white mosaic floor tiles, white subway tile, board and batten molding, and of course a fabulous wallpaper. This small (and only) bathroom on a tight budget required a little bit of design sleuthing to figure out how we could get the proper look and feel. Our goal was to determine where to splurge and where to economize and how to complete the remodel as quickly as possible because C&L would have to move out while construction was going on. The Process: Hard Work to Remedy Design and Function During our initial design study, (which included 2 hours in the owners’ home), we noticed framed images of William Morris Arts and Crafts textile patterns and knew this would be our design inspiration. We presented C&L with three options and they quickly selected the Pimpernel Design Concept. We had originally selected the Black and Olive colors with a black vanity, mirror, and black and white floor tile. C&L liked it but weren’t quite sure about the black, We went back to the drawing board and decided the William & Co Pimpernel Wallpaper in Bayleaf and Manilla color with a softer gray painted vanity and mirror and white floor tile was more to their liking. After the Design Concept was approved, we went to work securing the building permit, procuring all the elements, and scheduling our trusted tradesmen to perform the work. We did uncover some shoddy work by the flippers such as live electrical wires hidden behind the wall, plumbing venting cut-off and buried in the walls (hence the constant dampness), the tub barely balancing on two fence boards across the floor joist, and no insulation on the exterior wall. All of the previous blunders were fixed and the bathroom put back to its previous glory. We could feel the house thanking us for making it pretty again. The After Reveal: Cohesive Design Decisions We selected a simple white subway tile for the tub/shower. This is always classic and in keeping with the style of the house. We selected a pre-fab vanity and mirror, but they look rich with the quartz countertop. There is much more storage in this small vanity than you would think. The Transformation: A Period Perfect Refresh We began the remodel just as the pandemic reared and stay-in-place orders went into effect. As C&L were already moved out and living with relatives, we got the go-ahead from city officials to get the work done (after all, how can you shelter in place without a bathroom?). All our tradesmen were scheduled to work so that only one crew was on the job site at a time. We stayed on the original schedule with only a one week delay. The end result is the sweetest little bathroom I've ever seen (and I can't wait to start work on C&L's kitchen next). Thank you for joining me in this project transformation. I hope this inspired you to think about being creative with your design projects, determining what works best in keeping with the architecture of your space, and carefully assessing how you can have the best life in your home.

Rénovation d'un triplex de 70m² dans un Hôtel Particulier situé dans le Marais. Le premier enjeu de ce projet était de retravailler et redéfinir l'usage de chacun des espaces de l'appartement. Le jeune couple souhaitait également pouvoir recevoir du monde tout en permettant à chacun de rester indépendant et garder son intimité. Ainsi, chaque étage de ce triplex offre un grand volume dans lequel vient s'insérer un usage : Au premier étage, l'espace nuit, avec chambre et salle d'eau attenante. Au rez-de-chaussée, l'ancien séjour/cuisine devient une cuisine à part entière En cours anglaise, l'ancienne chambre devient un salon avec une salle de bain attenante qui permet ainsi de recevoir aisément du monde. Les volumes de cet appartement sont baignés d'une belle lumière naturelle qui a permis d'affirmer une palette de couleurs variée dans l'ensemble des pièces de vie. Les couleurs intenses gagnent en profondeur en se confrontant à des matières plus nuancées comme le marbre qui confèrent une certaine sobriété aux espaces. Dans un jeu de variations permanentes, le clair-obscur révèle les contrastes de couleurs et de formes et confère à cet appartement une atmosphère à la fois douce et élégante.