Mid Century Bath Reveal

Yes I know, it has been eons since I first posted about this bathroom or for that matter since I have posted at all, but praise be, I am back today to share a terrific bathroom makeover with you!

As a reminder here is where this Mid Century Bath began:

  

Leaking pipes, dated, mismatched tile, a vintage gray tub and a family of four needing to use the same bath prompted my client's call for help.

Here is the design plan I gave her:

A major move in this space was to take out the wall separating the built in linen closet from the vanity. This made the space seem much larger and we were able to do this without sacrificing storage. A new custom built, floating vanity anchored on either end by storage towers was the solution.

Since we splurged elsewhere on materials, we used simple, inexpensive 4 x 4" ceramic tiles in the shower. Applied in a brick pattern just like subway tiles and paired with a glass tile accent, we got the classic look for less. A curved shower curtain rod expands the space.

Quartz counters, brushed chrome fixtures and pulls as well as a custom mirror surround add great
Mid Century style.

I am crazy over the flooring we selected. The large scale, textured tile laid in a brick pattern gives a clean look and anchors the bath.

My client is delighted with the end result, so I am a happy camper!

I am easing back into the blogging life so bear with me as I get my mojo back. It has been such a busy Summer and I have much to share! Now to just find the time to do so....

--------------Cathy--------------

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Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  

Contact me for more information about my design services.

Room Rx: Midcentury Bath

A water leak in this busy main bathroom resulted in the need for some updating. My client decided it was high time to gut and renovate and a friend referred her to me! After discussing the family's budget, needs and desires and doing some serious pinning, I came up with a design to give this tired old bathroom a fresh look consistent with the age and style of the home.

There is a lot going on in here with the buffet of colors and tiles, wouldn't you say? 

Obviously the goal is to remedy that! 

The plan is to play off of the family's love of travel and highlight the colors of the ocean as shown in the photos currently hanging on the wall. Preserving a Mid Century look with clean and simple lines while bringing in modern conveniences and materials is another goal. 

This is the design I presented to my client...

She loved it and this past week we did a whirlwind of materials selections at some of our great local spots and chose the goodies below....

I am especially crazy over the floor tile, a large rectangular size that will be laid in a brick pattern. My client is very decisive and it was so fun to help her choose everything for this space. 

I am excited to see this bathroom transformed. 

We are still in the "depths of Winter" here in Madison, I think the high over the week-end was 35 degrees, which hardly made a dent in melting the many inches of snow still covering the ground. I am tired of wearing my down coat and gloves and ready to see the flowers and buds of Spring burst on the scene. The good news is that Spring Break begins on Friday. yay!

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx.

Mosaic tile magic: a little peek

Way back in September (I'm sure you have forgotten by now) I shared a quick little blurb about this custom mosaic tile floor...

My client was updating her first floor powder room and this was her inspiration photo....

Marsh & Clark Design

Suffice it to say, this was a total gut job.... a tiny and difficult space to work with because square footage was given up for the adjacent dining room.  The home is an American Four Square with 1920's charm and features, which we wanted to work with not cover up. Gone is the shower, grey tile and black fixtures...

And this is a peek at how it looks now, with the floor and cabinetry installed!

There were many challenges in this space: the narrow width, the location of the toilet (not changing) and an off center, glass block window to name a few. I could not be more pleased with the results shown here. The pattern in the mosaic is perfectly placed and the cabinet is elegant and furniture-like, fitting to the home. 

This was a long distance project with a repeat Chicago client. I developed the floor plan and cabinet layout and helped in person on the tile selection, but most of the rest of the materials were selected by her with my guidance over the phone or Internet. She did a magnificent job, wait until you see the rest of the space....! 

We are in the midst of finals week here in Madison, my kids have been hunkered down, studying like maniacs. I am trying to be the balance between encouraging ("You are working so hard, how about some freshly baked cookies and a back rub?") and pushy ("Do you really think you should go study with your friends? Sounds more like a party than work." "Maybe you should get up at 5 AM and review your chemistry one last time before the  exam!")

I can pretty much tell you which one they will say I was when it's over.

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx.

Custom Mosaic Floor

I just had to share this photo that arrived in my e-mail yesterday of a custom mosaic floor that will be getting installed in a client's small, narrow powder room.We had such fun creating this and I am so excited to see the space come together. The pattern in the mosaic will be mimicked in a stained glass window at the back of the room, making the room's focal point the repeated pattern, not it's size or function.

 

My client and I worked with Scott at The Tile Gallery in Chicago. The product offering there is incredible! I'll keep you in the loop as the project wraps up.

Life continues to be crazy busy here, so while I am back to blogging, as you can see I am off to a sporadic start....

 

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx.

10 Things: Rustic bath

There is so much beautiful design work to see on the internet these days, between all of the amazing blogs out there, Pinterest, e-magazines and newsletters, not to mention the designer portfolios themselves, that sometimes I find myself rushing to take it all in. In an effort to "see it all, " I don't really see anything, especially what it is that appeals to me in a photograph or design. One of the assignments I give to my new clients is to find photos of rooms they like and try to determine what it is about that room or photo that strikes them. Last week on a whim, after seeing a kitchen that knocked my socks off, I wrote a post tilted "Kitchens on the Brain: 10 Things" where I made myself really look for what it was that I liked about that kitchen, I easily identified 10 things. Since one should practice what one preaches, I thought I would give that concept a go on a semi-regular basis, so here is today's installment....

a rustic bathroom

Lisa Stevens & Co.
Brandon Barre Photography

1) Reclaimed wood vanity

2) Gooseneck faucets in oil rubbed bronze

3) Swing arm sconces

4) Interesting mirror hung over shuttered windows

5) Simple accessories including canisters and a touch of green in the form of plants

6) Large hex tile on walls

7) Black paned door and enclosure, looks to be old and re-purposed

8) Crisp white towels

9) Horizontal wood plank walls

10) Flooring - wood in sink area, mosaic tile in toilet and shower area

What do you see that you like?

I hope all of you Moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day, spent with family, relaxing and appreciating the little things. My Mother's Day included a long bike ride and breakfast at my favorite "greasy spoon" as well as some yard work, burgers on the grill and a few rounds of "Banagrams." It was perfect!

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx.

Kitchens on the brain: 10 things

A couple of the projects I have been busy with over the past few months are kitchens, so anything related to the kitchen seems to jump out at me. I did a double take when I spotted this kitchen.......

Canadian House & Home photo by Angus McRitchie

10 things I love about it:

1) Inset cabinetry with exposed hinges - top of the line stuff! 
2) Vintage farmhouse sink and faucet
3) Subway tile backsplash to the ceiling
4) Decorative tile treatment behind the sink
5) Cabinet details such as the skirted sink base, bun feet, decorative end panels and glass doors
6) Fabric behind the glass doors adding a different texture and repeating the window treatment
7) Sconce lighting 
8) Beefy mouldings
9) Mix of counter materials on the same run of counter
10) Classic cup pulls and door latches

Such a clean and classic kitchen, so full of style! How about you, have you seen anything lately that stopped you in your tracks?


Aside from lots of rain, the week-end here at Casa Wall was excellent. Hope yours was too and that the week ahead keeps the streak going for you!

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx.

 

Powder Rooms: Tips for Big Impact

How do you make a big impact in a small space such as a powder room?  I was asked this question by a reader recently.  Her powder room is 37" x 84" a space that is currently filled with a dated dark wood vanity and toilet.  At the moment, a bold paint color and a large piece of artwork on the long wall help the space but now that an update is in the cards, she wants to take the space further.

Inspired, I collected a few images and share what works in these small bathrooms.

House & Home 

1) Use a clean, simple and open vanity with a vessel sink to visually expand the space

2) Try an unusual flooring, in this case concrete 

3) Add a dynamite light fixture

 

 {via} 

4) Tile just one wall, entirely

5) Add an interesting mirror (in this room, the shape and size make a statement)

6) Keep the color scheme focused 

 

Ikea Hackers
7) Add color to the cabinetry, not the walls 
8) Unify by repeating elements (white frames, mirror and accessories)

None of these are hard and fast rules, but ideas that work in these spaces.  Making an impact in a small space is about choosing the right elements and making sure that they work well together.  A powder room is the perfect space to do something bold and unusual, such as add wallpaper, a cool light fixture or unusual vanity if that is what you are comfortable with.  One last thing to consider in a small space....the ceiling....ohhh the possibilities on this under utilized surface!

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? 

If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx!

A little bit of WOW!

My CSIL is pondering another little project in her home, this time it is the powder room.  After a lengthy chat the other day, in my search for some additional inspiration, I came across this photo and was totally taken with the simplicity of the room and the WOW factor of the lights....

sunset

With the help of a little bit of Google searching, I found the fixture through a Vancouver BC based store called Peridot.  This stunning light fixture is made of resin and is called the Citrine Pendant by Shine Home.  Peridot's price was $789.00 (Canadian $$ I'm guessing,) I was unable to locate a US retailer for it but it is available through designers (myself included.) If money were no object and you needed to add a little pop to your bathroom decor, this little number would do the trick!

Shine Home

For those of us who want the splash but don't have that kind of cash, $49 bucks + a can of green spray paint, a ready made tassel and a little bit of elbow grease and you've got yourself a decent imitation!

Shades of Light

Or for $49 bucks you can forget the DIY project and go right to something like this....

 Shades of Light

Not quite the same level of wow, but still pretty fun and a whole lot cheaper!  Using two pendant lights instead of the typical bar light in a bathroom would add interest no matter what the pendant looked like. Have some fun and try this different approach to bathroom lighting, let me know what you come up with!

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me,
I would love to help!

Paneling - Yay or Nay?

Many of us who have purchased older homes have been faced with the daunting task of what to do with the rooms cloaked in dated paneling... knotty pine, walnut, rustic cedar and other heinous variations ( think 1/4" plywood my friends) covering the walls of a perfectly good, maybe even great room.  Tear it down in favor of smoothly finished dry-wall?  Leave it up but paint it (who knows how many coats of paint and how much time this would require?) Both alternatives have been done, and in fact, done well, so it is a matter of personal taste, how much one dislikes the paneled room and how deep the old pocketbook is...

When I ran across this photo the other day I stared at it with a strange fascination, something would not register, "a bathroom with paneling?"  And not just any paneling, a bold, grainy dark paneling. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but somehow this has grown on me, it has a modern look because of the character of the wood used as well as the fixtures, yet would fit perfectly in an old home.  Have a good look for yourself.....

Sunset

Do weigh in, Yay you like it?  Or Nay, it's just awful?  Or somewhere in between?

Enjoy your Thursday, our 5" of new snow is supposed to melt over the next couple of days as the thermometer reaches the mid to high 40's, I am saying Yay about that! 

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me,
I would love to help!

Bathrooms: Dark Vanities

My friend is renovating her bathroom and loved the vanity that my TWBIL (Talented, woodworking brother in law) built for my CSIL, which I featured here.  Her bathroom is not nearly as large and she has been wrestling with how to make a dark wood vanity work in a smaller space. So since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few (and don't mind me if I add my two cents to the thousand words!!!)

White and a touch of color makes the vanity the star

Style at Home

Larger bath but same concept

House Beautiful

Subtle color on the wall with mosaic tile

Mosaic Source

Nice use of subway tile and wall color

decor pad

Ssimple shelves over the toilet provide additional storage

 decor pad

Paint on the upper half of the walls and tub surround give an infusion of color

 decor pad

Neutral and natural except for the vanity

decor pad 

Love the gray and amber accents

 decor pad
So there you go BOK,hope these images spark a few additional ideas for the project.  It seems that dark wood is a theme of mine of late, first in the kitchen and now in the bathroom and many of the same rules would apply.  I have no dark wood cabinetry in my own home, but I like the looks of it how about you? 

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me,
I would love to help!

Long Distance Decorating

When my family moved to Madison, WI 4 1/2 years ago, my design business in Chicago was on a roll.  I had several wonderful clients with whom I had been working on a variety of projects, I had just enough work to keep me on my toes and many opportunities in the "queue." I'm not gonna lie, in addition to leaving family and friends, this was one of the hardest things to leave behind, as I had worked very hard to get to this point.  Luckily, one of my clients was also moving and trusted me enough to ask me to help her furnish/decorate  her new home long distance.  We worked via email, the internet and telephone and had great success pulling things together.

Fast forward a few years, after much discussion, my CSIL (Creative Sister In Law) and her husband finally decided to gut and renovate their master bathroom.  Because we had collaborated on many projects in her home over the years, she knew that I was the person to help them see their dreams to reality and that we could accomplish this from afar.  So in the mail one day I received a video, detailing the issues in the bathroom and some of their goals in updating it as well as a carefully measured floorplan.  The rest of the story is detailed in this clever "after" video my CSIL put together.

This project began with some grandiose ideas of tearing out walls and moving things around, in the end, a tight budget and some risk taking resulted in a beautiful bathroom that more than met the initial goals without moving a thing.

Before:

What to do with the second vanity at the end of the room?

Small shower enclosure with smaller door...

After:

 All of the tile, the medicine cabinets as well as the Kohler sinks and toilet were purchased at Home Depot. We made the tile appear unique by the way it was installed; subway tile on the vertical, not the typical horizontal, 12" x 12" floor tile in a brick pattern.  The medicine cabinets look grand surrounded by the wall of glass tile, wall mounted faucets and the pendant lighting.

With only one window in this bathroom, retaining the daylight while affording privacy was important.  The 3/4 height curtain made of an opaque fabric and trimmed in an accent fabric, sewn by the CSIL, accomplished the goal.  In addition the grommets mimic those on the shower curtain panels.

The gorgeous walnut vanity was constructed by my talented, woodworking brother in law.

The cabinet pulls and legs were found online.

Pendant lighting and glass tile wall

The mirrors were all antique gold in their former life (in my old house!)

To keep the costs down, the glass tile was installed only on the back or focal wall with white subway tile and a border used for the balance of the shower area.

The area with the second original vanity was a subject of much discussion as the door swing was going to be changed and the second sink was placed on the main vanity.  Originally we were going to add a free standing piece of furniture here to provide additional storage and ultimately we created this dressing table area.  Everything in this end of the bathroom was a DIY project completed by my CSIL and her husband. The counter is a trimmed and stained plywood board, the chest of drawers were picked up at a garage sale, painted and given new hardware, the mirror, a Target find with painted trim added, the jewelry shadow boxes and the ottoman all built from scratch. 

Dressing area in progress...

The finished dressing area, complete with many DIY projects.

The jewelry shadow boxes make art of accessories

The ottoman is the second that my CSIL has made for her home, she's a pro!

The pops of orange and the fun fabric bring a zing to the spa-like color scheme.

I am incredibly pleased with the end result of this bathroom re-do. This project is a great example of how long distance decorating can work well when two parties not only trust each other, but work well together.  My CSIL and her husband were not afraid to take risks provided that enough info was shared to instill confidence. They were willing to do things themselves resulting in a more budget friendly renovation. (And it didn't hurt that a stunning vanity could be built by another talented family member!) When it was all done, my CSIL even had an "unveiling party" where she invited her friends over to enjoy a glass of wine in her completed master bathroom!!!!! Too bad I live so far away....

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me,
I would love to help!