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.

Photo of a mid-sized traditional bathroom in Other with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a one-piece toilet, beige tile, ceramic tile, beige walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, a shower curtain, beige benchtops and a single vanity.

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.

Elegant guest bathroom with gold and white tiles. Luxurious design and unmatched craftsmanship by Paradise City inc
Design ideas for a small midcentury 3/4 bathroom in Miami with flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a wall-mount toilet, white tile, ceramic tile, white walls, porcelain floors, an integrated sink, glass benchtops, white floor, a shower curtain, beige benchtops, an enclosed toilet, a single vanity, a floating vanity and coffered.

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.

Photo Credit: Tiffany Ringwald GC: Ekren Construction
Inspiration for a large traditional kids bathroom in Charlotte with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, a drop-in tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, white tile, porcelain tile, grey walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, marble benchtops, grey floor, a shower curtain and grey benchtops.

Lower level main bath
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional 3/4 bathroom in Minneapolis with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, gray tile, ceramic tile, grey walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, quartzite benchtops, grey floor, a shower curtain and grey benchtops.

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.

This is an example of a large scandinavian master bathroom in Madrid with furniture-like cabinets, white cabinets, a curbless shower, a one-piece toilet, black and white tile, ceramic tile, grey walls, ceramic floors, a vessel sink, wood benchtops, black floor, a shower curtain and brown benchtops.

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.