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.

Guest Bath
Small modern kids bathroom in Portland with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, white tile, ceramic tile, white walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, black floor, a shower curtain, white benchtops, a single vanity and a built-in vanity.

Mid-sized contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Other with an alcove shower, a wall-mount toilet, gray tile, a shower curtain, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, porcelain tile, grey walls, porcelain floors, a vessel sink, solid surface benchtops, grey floor, white benchtops, a laundry, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

Ванная комната для детей, с двумя раковинами, большой душевой и ванной.
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary kids bathroom in Moscow with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, an alcove tub, an alcove shower, a wall-mount toilet, black tile, porcelain tile, grey walls, porcelain floors, a vessel sink, solid surface benchtops, multi-coloured floor, a shower curtain, white benchtops, an enclosed toilet, a double vanity and a floating vanity.

Mid-sized transitional bathroom in Omaha with recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, an alcove tub, an alcove shower, a one-piece toilet, gray tile, porcelain tile, grey walls, dark hardwood floors, an undermount sink, quartzite benchtops, a shower curtain and white benchtops.

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional 3/4 bathroom in New York with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, white tile, subway tile, white walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, marble benchtops, black floor, a shower curtain and white benchtops.

Design ideas for a transitional master bathroom in Orange County with raised-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, white tile, subway tile, grey walls, an undermount sink, multi-coloured floor, a shower curtain, white benchtops and a double vanity.

Close up of kids bath sink.
Mid-sized modern kids bathroom in Austin with a drop-in tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, brown tile, porcelain tile, brown walls, ceramic floors, a drop-in sink, granite benchtops, grey floor, a shower curtain and white benchtops.

Inspiration for a country bathroom in Houston with grey cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, white walls, an undermount sink, multi-coloured floor, a shower curtain, white benchtops and shaker cabinets.

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern 3/4 bathroom in Atlanta with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, an alcove shower, a two-piece toilet, white walls, porcelain floors, a vessel sink, engineered quartz benchtops, black floor, a shower curtain and white benchtops.

Small transitional 3/4 bathroom in Seattle with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, white tile, ceramic tile, beige walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, a shower curtain, white benchtops and white floor.

Photography by Tony Marinella
Contemporary master bathroom in Phoenix with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, subway tile, white walls, an undermount sink, black floor, a shower curtain and white benchtops.

Our kids bath, complete with glitter grout and geometric floor tiles.
This is an example of a mid-sized beach style kids bathroom in San Diego with beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, beige tile, porcelain tile, grey walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, beige floor, a shower curtain and white benchtops.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional 3/4 bathroom in Chicago with grey cabinets, a shower/bathtub combo, black tile, white walls, an undermount sink, grey floor, white benchtops, shaker cabinets, a drop-in tub, a two-piece toilet, terra-cotta tile, limestone floors, engineered quartz benchtops, a shower curtain, an enclosed toilet, a double vanity and a built-in vanity.

Full Bathroom with dual vanity
Transitional 3/4 bathroom in Charlotte with blue cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, grey walls, an undermount sink, multi-coloured floor, a shower curtain, white benchtops, recessed-panel cabinets and a freestanding vanity.

Leslie Brown
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional bathroom in Nashville with white cabinets, a drop-in tub, a shower/bathtub combo, subway tile, blue walls, a pedestal sink, engineered quartz benchtops, black floor, a shower curtain and white benchtops.

Photo of a large country 3/4 bathroom in Other with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, an alcove shower, gray tile, porcelain tile, grey walls, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, white benchtops, a two-piece toilet, mosaic tile floors, multi-coloured floor and a shower curtain.

This is an example of a mid-sized country 3/4 bathroom in Austin with shaker cabinets, black cabinets, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, white tile, porcelain tile, white walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, black floor, a shower curtain and white benchtops.

This family and had been living in their 1917 Tangletown neighborhood, Minneapolis home for over two years and it wasn’t meeting their needs. The lack of AC in the bathroom was an issue, the bathtub leaked frequently, and their lack of a shower made it difficult for them to use the space well. After researching Design/Build firms, they came to Castle on the recommendations from others. Wanting a clean “canvas” to work with, Castle removed all the flooring, plaster walls, tiles, plumbing and electrical fixtures. We replaced the existing window with a beautiful Marvin Integrity window with privacy glass to match the rest of the home. A bath fan was added as well as a much smaller radiator. Castle installed a new cast iron bathtub, tub filler, hand shower, new custom vanity from the Woodshop of Avon with Cambria Weybourne countertop and a recessed medicine cabinet. Wall sconces from Creative lighting add personality to the space. The entire space feels charming with all new traditional black and white hexagon floor tile, tiled shower niche, white subway tile bath tub surround, tile wainscoting and custom shelves above the toilet. Just outside the bathroom, Castle also installed an attic access ladder in their hallway, that is not only functional, but aesthetically pleasing. Come see this project on the 2018 Castle Educational Home Tour, September 29 – 30, 2018.