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 mid-sized transitional 3/4 bathroom in Sacramento with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, a shower/bathtub combo, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, quartzite benchtops, a shower curtain, white benchtops, a shower seat, a double vanity and a built-in vanity.

A true spa like shower with 5 shower heads, you will not want to leave! The walls and floor have a modern, but an ornate look.
Large modern master bathroom in Chicago with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, a freestanding tub, an alcove shower, a one-piece toilet, gray tile, grey walls, a trough sink, grey floor, a hinged shower door, a shower seat, a double vanity and a floating vanity.

Photo of a transitional bathroom in Minneapolis with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, an alcove shower, white tile, white walls, an undermount sink, white floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, a double vanity and a built-in vanity.

Children's bath with splash of color.
This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury kids bathroom in New York with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, an undermount tub, a two-piece toilet, multi-coloured tile, ceramic tile, multi-coloured walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, white floor and grey benchtops.

Open plan, spacious living. Honoring 1920’s architecture with a collected look.
This is an example of a midcentury master bathroom in Other with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, a curbless shower, gray tile, marble, grey walls, marble floors, marble benchtops, grey floor, a hinged shower door, grey benchtops, a double vanity and a built-in vanity.

Mid-sized modern master bathroom in Cleveland with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, a claw-foot tub, a corner shower, a two-piece toilet, white tile, ceramic tile, grey walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, a niche, a double vanity and a freestanding vanity.

This homeowner loved her home, loved the location, but it needed updating and a more efficient use of the condensed space she had for her master bedroom/bath. She was desirous of a spa-like master suite that not only used all spaces efficiently but was a tranquil escape to enjoy. Her master bathroom was small, dated and inefficient with a corner shower and she used a couple small areas for storage but needed a more formal master closet and designated space for her shoes. Additionally, we were working with severely sloped ceilings in this space, which required us to be creative in utilizing the space for a hallway as well as prized shoe storage while stealing space from the bedroom. She also asked for a laundry room on this floor, which we were able to create using stackable units. Custom closet cabinetry allowed for closed storage and a fun light fixture complete the space. Her new master bathroom allowed for a large shower with fun tile and bench, custom cabinetry with transitional plumbing fixtures, and a sliding barn door for privacy.

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.

custom shower at bright and white secondary bafheoom
This is an example of a mid-sized transitional 3/4 bathroom in Orange County with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, an open shower, a one-piece toilet, gray tile, ceramic tile, white walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, white floor, an open shower, white benchtops, a niche, a single vanity and a floating vanity.

Design ideas for a mid-sized beach style 3/4 bathroom in Orange County with grey cabinets, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, raised-panel cabinets, an alcove shower, brown tile, gray tile, an undermount sink, brown floor, a niche and a single vanity.

Contemporary bathroom in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, a freestanding tub, an alcove shower, gray tile, an undermount sink, grey floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, a shower seat, an enclosed toilet, a double vanity and a floating vanity.

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Calgary with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, an alcove shower, a two-piece toilet, grey walls, vinyl floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, beige floor, a hinged shower door, multi-coloured benchtops, a niche, a shower seat, a single vanity and a freestanding vanity.

Inspiration for a large transitional master bathroom in Salt Lake City with recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, grey walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, grey floor and grey benchtops.

This is an example of a large transitional master bathroom in St Louis with furniture-like cabinets, grey cabinets, a freestanding tub, a curbless shower, gray tile, ceramic tile, grey walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, a hinged shower door and white benchtops.

This full bathroom in the basement features an extremely large shower with a bench seat and a pop of blue tile as an accent wall. Set off with grey floors, a grey vanity and brass hardware, the space is fresh and contemporary. Perfect for guests!

Inspiration for a mid-sized bathroom in DC Metro with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, an open shower, a one-piece toilet, white tile, porcelain tile, white walls, porcelain floors, an integrated sink, engineered quartz benchtops, multi-coloured floor, an open shower and white benchtops.

Photo of a large transitional master bathroom in Salt Lake City with a freestanding tub, an alcove shower, gray tile, green walls, grey floor, a hinged shower door, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, an undermount sink, quartzite benchtops, white benchtops, a niche, a shower seat, a double vanity and a built-in vanity.

Kinder Bad
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary kids bathroom in Munich with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, a drop-in tub, a corner shower, gray tile, porcelain tile, white walls, porcelain floors, a trough sink, grey floor and grey benchtops.