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.

This is an example of a traditional 3/4 bathroom in New York with beaded inset cabinets, dark wood cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, white tile, grey walls, mosaic tile floors, an undermount sink, white floor, a shower curtain, black benchtops, a single vanity and a freestanding vanity.

A shower niche featuring hexagon tile in a smaller format in the same style as the larger tiles on the floor.
Small scandinavian bathroom in Toronto with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a one-piece toilet, white tile, porcelain tile, white walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, black floor, white benchtops, a niche, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

Photography by Brad Knipstein
Inspiration for a mid-sized country kids bathroom in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, green tile, ceramic tile, white walls, porcelain floors, a trough sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, a shower curtain, grey benchtops, a shower seat, a single vanity and a built-in vanity.

This bathroom has a modern floating vanity mixed with some retro style fixtures. The shining star of this bathroom is the bathtub which features a stereo that plays through the water!

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional bathroom in Nashville with furniture-like cabinets, grey cabinets, an alcove tub, an alcove shower, a one-piece toilet, white tile, subway tile, white walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, granite benchtops, a shower curtain, a single vanity, a built-in vanity, black floor, black benchtops and a niche.

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary 3/4 bathroom in London with medium wood cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a wall-mount toilet, white tile, porcelain tile, grey walls, a vessel sink, black floor, white benchtops, a niche, a single vanity, a freestanding vanity and flat-panel cabinets.

A circular mirror hangs in front of the window in this bathroom. The wooden vanity warms the room and connects it to the massive Oak trees just outside. Marble hexagonal flooring adds to the charm.

Photo of an expansive transitional master bathroom in New Orleans with raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, an alcove tub, an alcove shower, white tile, porcelain tile, white walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, black floor, a hinged shower door, grey benchtops, a single vanity and a built-in vanity.

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary 3/4 bathroom in San Francisco with open cabinets, an alcove tub, an alcove shower, blue tile, porcelain tile, porcelain floors, a trough sink, grey floor, a shower curtain, white benchtops, a shower seat, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

Photo of a large country 3/4 bathroom in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, white walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, grey floor, white benchtops, a niche, a built-in vanity and a single vanity.

Guest bathroom in Denver, CO. Classic white subway wall tile in the shower and used as the wanes coating, gives this a classic city look. Complete with a free-standing vanity with an undermount sink and gray quartz top.

We transformed a Georgian brick two-story built in 1998 into an elegant, yet comfortable home for an active family that includes children and dogs. Although this Dallas home’s traditional bones were intact, the interior dark stained molding, paint, and distressed cabinetry, along with dated bathrooms and kitchen were in desperate need of an overhaul. We honored the client’s European background by using time-tested marble mosaics, slabs and countertops, and vintage style plumbing fixtures throughout the kitchen and bathrooms. We balanced these traditional elements with metallic and unique patterned wallpapers, transitional light fixtures and clean-lined furniture frames to give the home excitement while maintaining a graceful and inviting presence. We used nickel lighting and plumbing finishes throughout the home to give regal punctuation to each room. The intentional, detailed styling in this home is evident in that each room boasts its own character while remaining cohesive overall.

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern master bathroom in New York with black cabinets, an alcove tub, white tile, white walls, a sliding shower screen, flat-panel cabinets, an alcove shower, a one-piece toilet, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, multi-coloured floor, white benchtops, a single vanity, a floating vanity and panelled walls.

Large contemporary master bathroom in Other with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a wall-mount toilet, gray tile, porcelain tile, grey walls, porcelain floors, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, grey benchtops, a single vanity, a floating vanity, wallpaper, panelled walls, a wall-mount sink, an open shower and a laundry.

Photo of a contemporary bathroom in Berlin with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, white tile, an integrated sink, grey floor, an open shower, white benchtops, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional kids bathroom in Other with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, blue tile, porcelain tile, white walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, white floor, a shower curtain, white benchtops, a niche, a single vanity and a freestanding vanity.

We updated this century-old iconic Edwardian San Francisco home to meet the homeowners' modern-day requirements while still retaining the original charm and architecture. The color palette was earthy and warm to play nicely with the warm wood tones found in the original wood floors, trim, doors and casework.

Large beach style bathroom in Other with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, yellow floor, white benchtops, a freestanding vanity, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, gray tile, ceramic tile, a shower curtain and a single vanity.