This is an example of a small arts and crafts front yard verandah in DC Metro with a roof extension.

Small arts and crafts front door in San Francisco with a single front door, a medium wood front door and beige floor.

This is an example of a small arts and crafts bathroom in Chicago with a one-piece toilet, yellow walls, dark hardwood floors, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets and a vessel sink.

This Sears craftsman in the Del Ray part of Alexandria, VA was restored with a complete exterior renovation.
Inspiration for a small arts and crafts two-storey green exterior in DC Metro with wood siding and a gable roof.

Inspiration for a small arts and crafts backyard full sun xeriscape for summer in Seattle with a garden path, natural stone pavers and a wood fence.

This bungalow kitchen was reincarnated by removing a wall between the kitchen and dining nook. By offsetting the peninsula cabinets there is room for seating and a generous new countertop area. The dark navy cabinets and white subway tile are a classic pairing in keeping with the age of the home. The clean lines of the natural Cherry Wood Hood brings warmth and harmony with the warm wood tones of the floor.

Inspiration for a small arts and crafts powder room in London with green walls, porcelain floors, a wall-mount sink, white floor, wallpaper and black tile.

Tiny master bath has curbless shower with floor-to-ceiling Heath tile. IKEA floating vanity with marble vessel sink, and wall matte black faucet. Vintage mirror from Salvare Goods in LA. Wall niche with marble hex tile. Hanging sconce

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.

Small arts and crafts u-shaped kitchen in Milan with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Master bedroom sitting area has handcrafted, nautical style curved ceiling, walk-out skylights by Velux. Photo by Homeowner
Small arts and crafts master bedroom in San Diego with beige walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Photo of a small arts and crafts backyard patio in Detroit with an outdoor kitchen, brick pavers and a pergola.

Storage is tucked into every part of this kitchen from the space above the windows for taller family members to the tea pull-out under the seating area. Photography by Andrea Rugg Photography

BOARD & BATTEN BASE CABINETS LOOK LIKE WAINSCOTING to disguise the dishwasher seamlessly. Slab drawer heads run a band around the compact Kitchen, hiding a sponge tray. Shaker wall cabinets extend downward to meet base cabinets in a roomy pantry. Ceramic tile backsplash extends to the ceiling and around the window.

Inspiration for a small arts and crafts study room in Other with beige walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a built-in desk and beige floor.

Photo of a small arts and crafts master bathroom in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, a curbless shower, a two-piece toilet, blue tile, travertine, blue walls, travertine floors, an undermount sink, quartzite benchtops, beige floor, a hinged shower door and beige benchtops.

This project was completed for clients who wanted a comfortable, accessible 1ST floor bathroom for their grown daughter to use during visits to their home as well as a nicely-appointed space for any guest. Their daughter has some accessibility challenges so the bathroom was also designed with that in mind. The original space worked fairly well in some ways, but we were able to tweak a few features to make the space even easier to maneuver through. We started by making the entry to the shower flush so that there is no curb to step over. In addition, although there was an existing oversized seat in the shower, it was way too deep and not comfortable to sit on and just wasted space. We made the shower a little smaller and then provided a fold down teak seat that is slip resistant, warm and comfortable to sit on and can flip down only when needed. Thus we were able to create some additional storage by way of open shelving to the left of the shower area. The open shelving matches the wood vanity and allows a spot for the homeowners to display heirlooms as well as practical storage for things like towels and other bath necessities. We carefully measured all the existing heights and locations of countertops, toilet seat, and grab bars to make sure that we did not undo the things that were already working well. We added some additional hidden grab bars or “grabcessories” at the toilet paper holder and shower shelf for an extra layer of assurance. Large format, slip-resistant floor tile was added eliminating as many grout lines as possible making the surface less prone to tripping. We used a wood look tile as an accent on the walls, and open storage in the vanity allowing for easy access for clean towels. Bronze fixtures and frameless glass shower doors add an elegant yet homey feel that was important for the homeowner. A pivot mirror allows adjustability for different users. If you are interested in designing a bathroom featuring “Living In Place” or accessibility features, give us a call to find out more. Susan Klimala, CKBD, is a Certified Aging In Place Specialist (CAPS) and particularly enjoys helping her clients with unique needs in the context of beautifully designed spaces. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel

Design ideas for a small arts and crafts powder room in Other with raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, a two-piece toilet, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops and white benchtops.

Photographs by Maria Ristau
Design ideas for a small arts and crafts galley utility room in Other with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, blue walls, porcelain floors, a side-by-side washer and dryer and grey floor.