Photo of a mid-sized transitional master bathroom in New York with black cabinets, an alcove shower, a two-piece toilet, beige tile, marble, grey walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, yellow floor, an open shower, beige benchtops, a single vanity, a freestanding vanity and wallpaper.

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary master bathroom in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a freestanding tub, an alcove shower, gray tile, terra-cotta tile, grey walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, quartzite benchtops, beige floor, a hinged shower door, brown benchtops, a double vanity, a freestanding vanity, wallpaper and wallpaper.

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.

Checkered flooring and terrazzo walls
Inspiration for a small midcentury kids bathroom in Miami with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, an alcove tub, an alcove shower, a one-piece toilet, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, multi-coloured floor, a shower curtain, white benchtops, a double vanity, a freestanding vanity and wallpaper.

Coastal bathroom with two sinks and two showers with etched glass for privacy.
Mid-sized beach style kids bathroom in New York with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, a double shower, a one-piece toilet, blue tile, ceramic tile, multi-coloured walls, ceramic floors, a vessel sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, an enclosed toilet, a double vanity, a floating vanity and wallpaper.

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional kids bathroom in Atlanta with furniture-like cabinets, grey cabinets, a drop-in tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, pink walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, white floor, a shower curtain, grey benchtops, a double vanity, a freestanding vanity and wallpaper.

A coastal styled guest bathroom with cute dog-themed wallpaper and a distressed navy vanity
Inspiration for a small 3/4 bathroom in Grand Rapids with beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, white walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, beige floor, beige benchtops, a single vanity, a built-in vanity and wallpaper.

Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury bathroom in Hamburg with recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, green tile, stone tile, green walls, ceramic floors, an integrated sink, glass benchtops, green floor, black benchtops, a single vanity and wallpaper.

Modern guest bathroom
Photo of a mid-sized modern kids bathroom in New York with white cabinets, an alcove shower, a one-piece toilet, gray tile, ceramic tile, multi-coloured walls, ceramic floors, a pedestal sink, marble benchtops, black floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, a single vanity, a freestanding vanity, coffered and wallpaper.

Inspiration for an expansive contemporary kids bathroom in Houston with white cabinets, pink walls, ceramic floors, a drop-in sink, quartzite benchtops, white floor, white benchtops, a double vanity, a built-in vanity and wallpaper.

Inspiration for a mid-sized master wet room bathroom in Los Angeles with a claw-foot tub, white tile, ceramic tile, yellow walls, ceramic floors, marble benchtops, yellow floor, an open shower, a single vanity, a freestanding vanity and wallpaper.

MN 3/4 Bathroom with a blue vanity featuring white countertops and tiled walls
Inspiration for a small modern 3/4 bathroom in Minneapolis with flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, a freestanding tub, an open shower, a two-piece toilet, black and white tile, ceramic tile, grey walls, ceramic floors, a drop-in sink, granite benchtops, white floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, a niche, a single vanity, a freestanding vanity, wallpaper and wallpaper.

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional 3/4 bathroom in Denver with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, an alcove tub, an alcove shower, a one-piece toilet, white tile, ceramic tile, multi-coloured walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, white floor, an open shower, white benchtops, a single vanity, a built-in vanity and wallpaper.

The client desired a powder room remodel that was updated and made a statement. A carefully-chosen wallpaper pattern in an elegant, rich color works well in the small space. Artful composition of wainscoting complements the wallpaper with form and style. The client chose the radiator cover which completes the look. Trendy brass fixtures provide ample light and pick up the gold in the wallpaper.

Coastal inspired guest bathroom.
Inspiration for a large beach style 3/4 bathroom in Tampa with white cabinets, a drop-in tub, a shower/bathtub combo, blue walls, ceramic floors, an integrated sink, granite benchtops, brown floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, an enclosed toilet, a single vanity, a built-in vanity and wallpaper.

Inspiration for a mid-sized country master bathroom in Los Angeles with furniture-like cabinets, distressed cabinets, a freestanding tub, a corner shower, a one-piece toilet, gray tile, ceramic tile, orange walls, ceramic floors, a drop-in sink, marble benchtops, brown floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, a shower seat, a double vanity, a freestanding vanity and wallpaper.

Inspiration for a large contemporary master bathroom in Auckland with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a freestanding tub, an open shower, a two-piece toilet, multi-coloured tile, pebble tile, white walls, ceramic floors, a pedestal sink, engineered quartz benchtops, beige floor, an open shower, white benchtops, a niche, a double vanity, a floating vanity and wallpaper.

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Berlin with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, an open shower, a wall-mount toilet, beige tile, ceramic tile, beige walls, ceramic floors, a drop-in sink, solid surface benchtops, beige floor, an open shower, white benchtops, a single vanity, a built-in vanity and wallpaper.

Photo of a small traditional master bathroom in Chicago with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, a double shower, a one-piece toilet, blue tile, ceramic tile, white walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, a sliding shower screen, white benchtops, a niche, a single vanity, a freestanding vanity, vaulted, wallpaper and white floor.